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Summary This position is located within the Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service. The Medical Technologist (Laboratory Quality Management) provides authoritative consultative management in a clinical laboratory setting. Maintains a Laboratory quality management program and ensures monitoring of components and customer feedback. Interacts with management officials and vendors providing interlaboratory quality assurance and laboratory proficiency testing. Monitors laboratory quality control systems. Responsibilities Duties include, but not limited to: Serves as a recognized expert and provides authoritative consultative services to management at all levels of the organization. Creates and applies reengineering and continuous performance improvement initiatives, both within the laboratory and/or the organization. Maintains a laboratory performance improvement program and ensures monitoring of components and customer feedback. Implement effective processes and system controls to ensure the highest possible product quality, service quality and patient safety. Detect and prevent errors in laboratory practices. Reduce process variations that can cause errors. Improve efficiency of processes without sacrificing quality and safety. Comply with all applicable law, regulations, policies, precedents, and accreditation requirements. Identifies, defines, and resolves issues associated with complex aspects of the collected data. Provides authoritative representation and interaction with management officials, test reagent and instrumentation manufacturers, and with organizations involved in inter­-laboratory quality assurance and proficiency testing. Applies concepts of quality design that are consistent with current or future series of standards for quality management, such as ISO 9000. Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7:00am to 3:30pm Virtual: No Functional Statement #: 000000 Telework: No Remote: No Financial Disclosure Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. 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: 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 (laboratory sciences such as chemistry, biochemistry, biology, microbiology, immunology, etc.), AND completion of a medical technology clinical practice program (Note: 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, 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 in organic 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. 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 in organic or biochemistry) and one course in mathematics, AND five years f 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. Graduates of foreign baccalaureate degree programs meet the educational and/or experience requirements if the degree is found to be equivalent to degree programs recognized by the NAACLS or clinical laboratory experience as described above. This finding may be based on either of the following: (1) A letter from a college or university with a baccalaureate program recognized by the NAACLS stating that the individual's foreign degree has been evaluated and been found to be equivalent to its bachelor of medical technology degree. (2) A letter from ASCP-BOC or AMT stating that the individual is eligible for the certification examination Certification: Candidates must currently possess the appropriate certification as a MT, MLS, or CLS given by the ASC Preferred Failure to Obtain Certification. In all cases, MTs must actively pursue meeting prerequisites for certification from the date of their appointment. At the time of appointment, the supervisor will provide the MT with the written requirement to obtain certification, the date by which the certification must be acquired, and the consequences for not becoming certified by the deadline. Failure to become certified within one year from date of appointment will result in removal from the GS-0644 MT series. Loss of Credential. Once certified, MTs must maintain their certification. Loss of certification will result in removal from the occupation and may result in termination of employment. Exception. Non-certified applicants who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements for certification may be given a temporary appointment up to the full performance level not to exceed one year as a graduate medical technologist under the authority of 38 U.S.C. § 7405(c)(2)(B). This appointment may not be extended. For grade levels above the full performance level, the candidate must be certified in accordance with paragraph 2d(1) above. Experience/Qualifications: GS-11 Quality Management Technologist Experience: Applicants 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, 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. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following Knowledge, Skills, Abilities: 1. Advanced knowledge of the concepts, principles and practices of medical technology sufficient to perform the full range of duties involved in planning, coordinating and evaluating laboratory services. 2. Knowledge of quality management standards. 3. Knowledge of accrediting agencies and regulatory requirements pertaining to laboratory operations. 4. Comprehensive knowledge of statistical evaluation and analysis. 5. Knowledge of laboratory operations and relationships to the organization. 6. Comprehensive knowledge of laboratory quality control/assurance policies, procedures and principles, as well as safety practices and regulations. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements above, applicants must meet the following grade requirements. Creditable Experience. Knowledge of Current Professional Laboratory Practice. For positions at or above the full performance level, the experience must have demonstrated the use of knowledge, skills and abilities as a MT and may be paid or non-paid employment. Quality of Experience. Experience is only creditable if it is equivalent to at least the next lower grade level and is directly related to the position being filled. Part-time Experience. Part-time experience as a MT is creditable according to its relationship to the full-time workweek. For example, a MT would receive 1 week of full-time credit for each 2 weeks of half-time work. Graduate Education. Graduate education and graduate degrees may be substituted as specified at each grade level. Education must have been from an accredited college or university in a field related to MT (e.g., biochemistry, chemistry, microbiology, immunology, hematology, immunohematology, biological science, physiology, allied health education, health systems administration, infection control and preventive medicine), which was accredited at the time the candidate completed the program. References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G24 - Medical Technologist Qualification Standard. Physical Requirements: he work requires some physical exertion, such as regular and recurring standing, walking, repetitive motion, bending or lifting up to 40 lbs. In many situations, the duration of the activity (such as most of a workday) contributes to the arduous nature of the job. There may be special requirements for agility or dexterity such as exceptional hand/eye coordination and use of both arms. Must have color vision. 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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html. Additional Information 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.