Summary The incumbent serves as a Lead Medical Technologist for the Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service (P&LMS) within the Salisbury VA Health Care System.. Responsibilities Responsible for all aspects of operation in the departments for which they lead including procedures, regulatory requirements, work flow and instruments Facilitates team or unit processes by working in collaboration with team members or employees to ensure that tasks are completed and team priorities, goals, needs and achievements are coordinated with management, and acts as a liaison between the team members and supervisors Acts as a liaison to other departments of the medical center for the appropriate laboratory specialty Solves very complex problems related to generalist bench rotation coverage, performs complex maintenance procedures, has attended vendor training for an analytical instrument, is consulted as the in-house expert for troubleshooting, has responsibility for instrument reagent management program, and is able to recognize system failures that may lead to erroneous results Coordinates training in the methods and techniques of the appropriate laboratory specialty area Assists with preparation for external reviews (Joint Commission, IG, CAP, FDA, etc) by reviewing regulatory, licensing and accrediting agency requirements for compliance within the service and recommends changes as appropriate Serves as a College of American Pathologist (CAP) inspector as required by CAP Implements the performance of proficiency survey unknown specimens by technicians/technologists in the Section, and documents corrective action taken on out-of-range survey results Assigns, collates and submits data for College of American Pathologist surveys and reviews and critiques survey responses Responsible for writing, maintaining and/or annually reviewing procedure manuals and maintenance logs and maintaining document control Selects, performs, evaluates and monitors the performance of test procedures using manual and/or instrumental techniques in accordance with established protocols Recognizes and reacts to indicators of malfunction; locates and implements corrections Performs quality control procedures on equipment, reagents, and products and maintains proper records for quality control reports Responsible for review of quality control and problem resolution in assigned department Assists in investigation of complaints from hospital staff concerning test results Oversees the operation of assigned department by coordinating technologist assignments assuring that all workload and maintenance is completed in a timely manner Assigns and prioritizes work based on difficulty and requirements of assignment Assists supervisor with the development, implementation and reassessment of the generalist competency program Assists supervisor with departmental needs and serves as the point-of-contact for unannounced inspections Calibrates, standardizes, adjusts and maintains instruments or delegates as appropriate Verifies correct instrument operation using established procedures and quality control checks and monitoring Identifies the cause of common problems and makes simple and complex repairs Collects quality data, troubleshoots and report variances to the section supervisor Performs a full range of laboratory testing, including duty on weekends, holidays, nights and callback Required to rotate departments throughout the laboratory Oversees the work of medical technicians (MLT and phlebotomy), as directed Acts as a liaison to other departments of the medical center for the appropriate laboratory specialty areas Adheres to all facility, local, state and federal safety requirements The department supervisor outlines assignment parameters, deadlines, and priorities and provides advice on how to proceed when unusual problems are encountered The technologist plans and carries out the procedures necessary to complete the work assignment and handles problems and corrects errors in accordance with established protocols or accepted laboratory practices Work Schedule: Rotating Shifts; Day, Evening and Night Shift with Rotating Weekends/Holidays Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. You may be required to serve a probationary period. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. Qualifications Basic Requirements Citizenship. Citizen of the United States. Education and/or Experience Combination (1) A bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university in medical laboratory science, medical technology, clinical laboratory science or in a related science (e.g., laboratory sciences such as chemistry, biochemistry, biology, microbiology, immunology, etc.). AND completion of a medical technology clinical practice program. Clinical practice programs completed after 1974 must have been accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS), Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP, formerly CAHEA), or the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES). The professional curriculum may have consisted of a post-baccalaureate certificate program or be integrated into a four year program of study that culminated in a baccalaureate degree. OR, (2) A bachelor's degree from an accredited college/university, including 16 semester hours of biological science (with one course in microbiology),16 semester hours of chemistry (with one course inorganic or biochemistry) and one course in mathematics, AND two years of post-certification clinical laboratory experience (e.g., blood banking, chemistry, hematology, microbiology, immunology, clinical microscopy, etc.) within the last ten years as a certified Medical Laboratory Technician by the American Society for Clinical Pathology Board of Certification(ASCP-BOC), American Society of Clinical Pathology Board of Registry (ASCP-BOR) or American Medical Technologists (AMT). This experience must include performing moderate and/or high complexity testing in blood banking, chemistry, hematology, microbiology immunology and clinical microscopy (or categorical experience which matches categorical certification) in a clinical laboratory. OR, (3) A bachelor's degree from an accredited college/university, including 16 semester hours of biological science (with one course in microbiology), 16 semester hours of chemistry (with one course inorganic or biochemistry) and one course in mathematics, AND five years of clinical laboratory experience within the last ten years performing moderate and/or high complexity testing in blood banking, chemistry, hematology, microbiology, immunology and clinical microscopy (or categorical experience which matches categorical certification) in a clinical laboratory. Certification. Must currently possess the appropriate certification as a MT, MLS, or CLS given by the ASCP-BOC, ASCP-BOR, or AMT. Grade Determinations GS-11: Experience. Must have 1 year of creditable experience equivalent to the full performance level (GS-9), which is directly related to the position to be filled. OR, (b) Education. Must have 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education or a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in medical technology or a directly related field. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities. In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: (a) Knowledge of medical technology applicable to a wide range of duties to solve complex problems involving diverse aspects of clinical laboratory practice. (b) Knowledge of regulatory, licensing and accrediting agency requirements and statutes governing clinical laboratory operations in order to plan, implement or monitor laboratory programs and services. (c) Ability to manage and coordinate daily work activities and assignments in a section. (d) Skill to maintain, troubleshoot and repair laboratory instrumentation. (e) Ability to provide technical oversight in order to manage personnel and work assignments in a manner that assures completion of the laboratory workload. This position is at the full performance level GS-11. References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/72 PART II APPENDIX G24 Education IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.