Clinical Laboratory Scientist

Duties Perform, evaluate, and monitor the performance of routine and specialized test procedures using manual and/or instrumental techniques in accordance with established protocols.
Determine suitability of specimen for analysis, requesting new specimen if determined to be unusable or in insufficient quantity to complete the laboratory studies.
Identify unusual and/or discrepant values and initiate appropriate follow-up procedures to verify results.
Operate and perform preventive maintenance and minor troubleshooting on instrumentation.
Verify correct instrument operation using established procedures and quality control checks.
Requirements Conditions of Employment Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
This position requires the incumbent be able to obtain and maintain a determination of eligibility for a Secret security clearance or access for the duration of employment.
A background investigation and credit check are required.
This position is a Testing Designated Position subject to pre-employment screening and random drug testing.
Selectees will be required to consent to participation in random drug urinalysis testing.
This position has a mandatory seasonal influenza vaccination requirement and is therefore subject to annual seasonal influenza vaccinations.
A pre-placement medical examination is required.
Applicants must be able to fulfill non-privileged professional credential requirements.
Must be able to obtain and maintain current Basic Life Support (BLS) certification through the American Red Cross.
Advanced certification (e.
g.
, ALS) does not supersede BLS.
Immunization screening is required.
Hepatitis B immunization is required for all positions with direct patient contact.
Applicants may be required to show proof of other immunizations depending on the type of position.
Qualifications Who May Apply: US Citizens In order to qualify, you must meet the education and/or experience requirements described below.
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.
g.
, Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.
g.
, professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social).
You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application.
Additional information about transcripts is in this document.
Basic Requirement for a Clinical Laboratory Scientist: A.
A Bachelor's or graduate/higher level degree from a regionally accredited college/university including courses in biological science, chemistry and mathematics, AND successful completion of a Medical Laboratory Scientist/Clinical Laboratory Scientist program accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS) or an accrediting body recognized by the U.
S.
Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained.
OR B.
At least a full 4-year course of study that included 12 months in a college or hospital-based medical technology program or medical technology school approved by a recognized accrediting organization.
The professional medical technology curriculum may have consisted of a 1-year post- bachelor's certificate program or the last 1 or 2 years of a 4-year program of study culminating in a bachelor's in medical technology.
OR C.
A bachelor's or graduate/higher level degree from an accredited college/university that included 16 semester hours (24 quarter hours) of biological science (with one semester in microbiology), 16 semester hours (24 quarter hours) of chemistry (with one semester in organic or biochemistry), one semester (one quarter) of mathematics, AND five years of full time acceptable clinical laboratory experience in Blood Banking, Chemistry, Hematology, microbiology, Immunology and Urinalysis/Body Fluids.
This combination of education and experience must have provided knowledge of the theories, principles, and practices of medical technology equivalent to that provided by the full 4-year course of study described in A or B above.
All science and mathematics courses must have been acceptable for credit toward meeting the requirements for a science major at an accredited college or university.
Acceptable experience is responsible professional or technician experience in a hospital laboratory, health agency, industrial medical laboratory, or pharmaceutical house; or teaching, test development, or medical research program experience that provided an understanding of the methods and techniques applied in performing professional clinical laboratory work.
Certification/licensure as a medical technologist (generalist) obtained through written examination by a nationally recognized credentialing agency or State licensing body is a good indication that the quality of experience is acceptable.
Evaluation of Education and Experience: The four major areas of clinical laboratory science are microbiology, clinical chemistry, hematology, and immuno-hematology (blood banking).
Qualifying course work in these areas includes bacteriology, mycology, mycobacteriology, tissue culture, virology, parasitology, endocrinology, enzymology, toxicology, urinalysis, coagulation, hemostasis, cell morphology, immunology, serology, immunoserology, immuno-deficiency, hemolysis, histocompatibility, cyto-genetics, and similar disciplines or areas of laboratory practice.
Related fields include physiology, anatomy, molecular biology, cell biology, embryology, pathology, genetics, pharmacology, histology, cytology, nuclear medicine, epidemiology, biostatistics, infection control, physics, statistics, and similar areas of science where the work is directly related to the position to be filled.
Exemption: You are exempt from the basic requirements above if you are a current federal employee occupying a position in the 0644 occupational series and have been continuously employed in this occupational series since September 27, 2017 or before.
Note: You will be required to provide appropriate documentation to the respective Human Resources Office to validate your status.
In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below: Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes performing routine testing in a clinical laboratory and calibrating or maintaining clinical laboratory instruments.
This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-07).
OR Education: Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position.
OR Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%.
To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12.
Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the first year (total graduate semester hours minus 18) by 18.
Add the two percentages.
AND Certification Requirement: Certification from the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP), American Medical Technologist (AMT) or other board or registry deemed comparable by Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs (OASD(HA)) or their designee as a Medical Technologist (MT) or Medical Lab Scientist (MLS) is required.
(Copy of certification must be submitted with application package.
) Education FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.
S.
education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.
S.
accredited college or university.
For further information, visit: https://www.
ed.
gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.
html.
Additional information Male applicants born after December 31, 1959 must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
You will be required to provide proof of U.
S.
Citizenship.
One year trial/probationary period may be required.
Health Care Workers will be offered the hepatitis B vaccine or HBV immunity testing.
Those without documentation of HBV immunity or documentation of a completed HBV immunization series that decline the HBV shall be required to sign a Hepatitis B Immunization Declination Form prior to reporting to work.
The incumbent may be required to work on any day or shift, including PMs, night, weekends, holidays, or on an "on call" basis, necessary to meet mission requirements.
Moderate to heavy lifting up to 40 pounds is required.
Applicants tentatively selected for appointment to this position will be required to sign a statement (Condition of Employment) consenting to seasonal Influenza vaccinations.
Tentatively selected applicants will be required to sign DA Form 5019 requiring participation in random urinalysis testing.
Direct Deposit of Pay is required.
Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees.
Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement.
If you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant, see the information in the Reemployed Annuitant information sheet.
Payment of Permanent Change of Station (PCS) costs is not authorized, based on a determination that a PCS move is not in the Government interest.
This is a mission essential position which the incumbent will be required to report to work during times of contingency operations, natural disasters, extreme weather or other emergency situations.
Benefits A career with the U.
S.
government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package.
As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding.
Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Review our benefits Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent.
Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How You Will Be Evaluated You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Once the announcement has closed, a review of your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement.
If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position.
Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.
You should list any relevant performance appraisals and incentive awards in your resume as that information may be taken into consideration during the selection process.
If selected, you may be required to provide supporting documentation.
Veterans and Military Spouses will be considered along with all other candidates.
Benefits A career with the U.
S.
government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package.
As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding.
Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Review our benefits Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent.
Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
Required Documents As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits.
Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee.
You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.
The documents you are required to submit vary based on whether or not you are eligible for preference in federal employment.
A complete description of preference categories and the associated required documents is in the Applicant Checklist for Public Announcements.
As described above, your complete application includes your resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which prove your eligibility to apply.
If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further.
1.
Your resume: Your resume may be submitted in any format and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement.
If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations and you may not be considered for this vacancy.
For qualifications determinations your resume must contain hours worked per week and the dates of employment (i.
e.
, HRS per week and month/year to month/year or month/year to present).
If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as incomplete and you may not receive consideration for this position.
For additional information see: What to include in your resume.
2.
Other supporting documents: Cover Letter, optional Most recent Performance Appraisal, if applicable This position has an individual occupational requirement and/or allows for substitution of education for experience.
If you meet this requirement based on education you MUST submit a copy of your transcript with your application package or you will be rated ineligible.
See: Transcripts and Licenses.
License/Certification: This position requires a job-related license or certification.
You MUST submit a copy of your license or certification with your application package or you will be rated ineligible.
See: Transcripts and Licenses.
NOTE: Documents submitted as part of the application package, to include supplemental documents, may be shared beyond the Human Resources Office.
Some supplemental documents such as military orders and marriage certificates may contain personal information for someone other than you.
You may sanitize these documents to remove another person's personal information before you submit your application.
You may be asked to provide an un-sanitized version of the documents if you are selected to confirm your eligibility.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements: Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.
S.
Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications.
Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.
S.
Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
How to Apply To apply for this position, you must complete the online questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 01/08/2024to receive consideration.
To begin, click Apply to access the online application.
You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply.
If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application (https://apply.
usastaffing.
gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12258293).
Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package.
You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted.
Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position.
Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.
You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
It is your responsibility to verify that your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date.
Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan.
Additional information on how to complete the online application process and submit your online application may be found on the USA Staffing Applicant Resource Center.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.
usajobs.
gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen.
The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated.
For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.
usajobs.
gov/Help/how-to/application/status/ Agency contact information Army Applicant Help Desk Website https://portal.
chra.
army.
mil/hr_public?id=app_inq Address JT-DHA-DD83DY DHA TIDEWATER MARKET DO NOT MAIL Various Locations, VA 00000 US Next steps If you provided an email address, you will receive an email message acknowledging receipt of your application.
Your application package will be used to determine your eligibility, qualifications, and quality ranking for this position.
If you are determined to be ineligible or not qualified, your application will receive no further consideration.
Fair and Transparent The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent.
Please read the following guidance.
Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy Reasonable accommodation policy Financial suitability Selective Service New employee probationary period Signature and false statements Privacy Act Social security number request Required Documents The documents you are required to submit vary based on whether or not you are eligible for preference in federal employment.
A complete description of preference categories and the associated required documents is in the Applicant Checklist for Public Announcements.
As described above, your complete application includes your resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which prove your eligibility to apply.
If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further.
1.
Your resume: Your resume may be submitted in any format and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement.
If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations and you may not be considered for this vacancy.
For qualifications determinations your resume must contain hours worked per week and the dates of employment (i.
e.
, HRS per week and month/year to month/year or month/year to present).
If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as incomplete and you may not receive consideration for this position.
For additional information see: What to include in your resume.
2.
Other supporting documents: Cover Letter, optional Most recent Performance Appraisal, if applicable This position has an individual occupational requirement and/or allows for substitution of education for experience.
If you meet this requirement based on education you MUST submit a copy of your transcript with your application package or you will be rated ineligible.
See: Transcripts and Licenses.
License/Certification: This position requires a job-related license or certification.
You MUST submit a copy of your license or certification with your application package or you will be rated ineligible.
See: Transcripts and Licenses.
NOTE: Documents submitted as part of the application package, to include supplemental documents, may be shared beyond the Human Resources Office.
Some supplemental documents such as military orders and marriage certificates may contain personal information for someone other than you.
You may sanitize these documents to remove another person's personal information before you submit your application.
You may be asked to provide an un-sanitized version of the documents if you are selected to confirm your eligibility.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements: Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.
S.
Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications.
Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.
S.
Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Help This job is open to The public U.
S.
Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.
S.