This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application. Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. 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 (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 fouryear 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; 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 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. Foreign Graduates: 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: 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. A letter from ASCP-BOC or AMT stating that the individual is eligible for the certification examination. Certification: Candidates must have one of the following. Candidates must currently possess the appropriate certification as a MT, MLS, or CLS given by the ASCP-BOC, ASCP-BOR, or AMT; OR For positions up to the full performance level (GS-9), candidates must currently possess the categorical or specialist technologist level certification from the certification agencies listed above, such as, but not limited to, chemistry (C/SC), hematology (H/SH), microbiology (M/SM), molecular biology (MB/SMB) and blood bank (BB/SBB). Technologists with categorical or specialist certifications may only perform duties within the area of the laboratory specific to their categorical certification (e. g., an individual with a chemistry (C) certification can only perform duties in chemistry). English Language Proficiency: MTs must be proficient in spoken and written English. May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria). Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements above, candidates must meet the following grade requirements. Advanced Staff Technologist (GS-10): Experience: Must have 1 year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level, which is directly related to the position to be filled. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs. Comprehensive knowledge of and skill in applying a wide range of concepts, principles and methodology of the field to perform advanced techniques; Ability to modify or adapt established methods, procedures or techniques to resolve difficult or complex problems; Knowledge of the application of laboratory regulatory requirements; and Ability to provide or coordinate staff development and training. Assignment: MTs at this level generally have a higher level of professional oversight responsibilities and may have responsibility for a specific large-scale automated analytical instrument system; a specific area of laboratory functions, such as employee competency records, supply functions, laboratory safety, quality control review, new method development or employee or student training; or provide professional and technical advice to other technicians and technologists on alternate tours of duty. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty) and range of variety and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. MTs at this level perform more complex laboratory functions. Duties may include specific targeted laboratory responsibilities or projects such as laboratory safety officer, analyzer specialist, or quality control file maintenance. Duties may include, but are not limited to, any of the following: serves as primary operator on new test systems, assumes responsibility to maintain operations including preventive maintenance and training of technicians and technologists on the operation of the new test systems; assists in writing procedures and other documents as directed; oversight of the clinical training experiences of technical and professional level technologist or technician training programs in order to fulfill educational and professional requirements (where training programs exist); provides technical training and guidance to students, residents, staff and other employees; recommends updated guidelines and policies in compliance with regulatory requirements for non-routine or complex assignments; coordinates the laboratory competency program; and coordinates the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act (CLIA) laboratory proficiency/survey program. References: VA Handbook 5005/72, Part II, Appendix G24 This vacancy is above the full performance level. Physical Requirements: Work is sedentary but also demands standing, walking, bending, twisting, and carrying light items. ["Duties include but are not limited to: Serves as primary operator on new test systems, assumes responsibility to maintain operations including preventive maintenance and training of Medical Technologists on the operation of the new test systems; Provides technical training and guidance to new employees and new test systems, including coordination of initial, mid-year, and annual competency programs; Assists in writing procedures and other documents as directed; Responsible for ensuring that staff follow all policies and procedures and is a subject matter authority when there are questions of a technical or professional nature; Recommends updated guidelines and policies in compliance with regulatory requirements for non-routine or complex assignments; Responsible for oversight and guidance to Medical Technologist staff in performance of proficiency testing and reporting of results in the proper format; and Provides oversight of the student clinical training experiences of technical and professional level Medical Technologists training programs in order to fulfill educational and professional requirements. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday; 6:00am-2:30pm Compressed/Flexible: Not available. Telework: Not Available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 21P86-O Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized. EDRP Authorized: Contact VISN2EDRPCoordinators@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized. Financial Disclosure Report: Not required"]

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