Clinical Laboratory Scientist (Technical Specialist)

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.
Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS : To qualify for appointment to this position, all applicants must possess the following:

• United States Citizenship : Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• English Language Proficiency : Clinical Laboratory Scientists must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005/72, Part II, Chapter 2, Section D, 5a, and in accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7403(f).
• Education :A bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university.
• Foreign Education : To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must be deemed at least equivalent to that gained in a conventional U.S. program by a private organization specializing in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials. Graduates of foreign baccalaureate degree programs meet the educational requirements if they meet either of the following:
• Foreign transcripts are evaluated by an acceptable evaluation agency, and the degree is found to be equivalent to a NAACLS-approved U.S. clinical laboratory science degree program. -OR-
• The applicant submits a letter from ASCP BOC or AMT stating the individual is eligible to take the certification examination.
• NOTE : Possession of a certification identified in the Certification requirement below automatically determines the foreign education as creditable and no further documentation or proof of equivalency is needed.
• Certification :Candidates must meet one of the certification options below.
• Generalist certification as an MLS given by ASCP BOC or AMT.
• Generalist certification as an MT given by ASCP BOR or AMT.
• Categorical certification or Specialist certification by ASCP or AMT.
• NOTE : Categorical and specialist certifications are not acceptable for CLS Generalist positions or lab sections unrelated to the categorical or specialist certification held. Categorical or specialist certifications are acceptable for higher-graded positions within the relevant lab section or one of the non-section specific assignments (including, Ancillary Testing Coordinator, Education Coordinator, Laboratory Information Manager, Quality Manager, Laboratory Manager, Regional Technical Specialist, National Quality and Compliance Agent, Regional Program Manager, Regional Director, Laboratory Director, or National Quality and Compliance Officer).
• ADDITIONAL NOTE : Non-certified individuals may only be appointed at the entry level (GS-07) and may not be promoted/converted until certification is obtained.

Applicants may qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard - Clinical Laboratory Scientist - Qualification Standard - GS-0644 (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).

GRADE DETERMINATIONS : In addition to the basic requirements for employment, candidates must meet the following grade-determining criteria for placement at grade level specified.

Clinical Laboratory Scientist, GS-12, Assignments .

1. Assignments . For all GS-12 assignments above the Full Performance Level (FPL), the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty) and range of variety and be performed by the CLS at least 25% of the time. Candidates at this grade level are in one of the following assignments.
2. Experience . One (1) year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-11) is required for all GS-12 assignments.

Clinical Laboratory Scientist (Technical Specialist), GS-12

• Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
  • Knowledge and understanding of concepts, principles, methodology of medical laboratory technology, regulatory and accrediting agency requirements, medico-legal requirements, and pertinent statistics sufficient to perform complex diagnostic tests.
  • Knowledge of instructional techniques to instruct newly hired clinical laboratory scientists and clinical pathology residents in proper performance of tests and applications of laboratory procedures.
  • Knowledge of one or more advanced clinical laboratory functions.
  • Skill to apply new scientific/technical developments to develop procedures for new tests and modify existing procedures and methods to resolve problems relative to complex and difficult situations.
  • Ability to provide guidance and technical direction to accomplish the work of a clinical laboratory.
  • Ability to provide guidance and technical direction to accomplish the work of the specific laboratory section.
• Assignment. The CLS serves as a Technical Specialist CLS, providing expert authoritative advice and consultation for more markedly difficult, complex, unique and/or emerging tests that require special knowledge. Examples include, but are not limited to, molecular pathology, gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy, and flow cytometry. The CLS advises all organizational levels on various aspects of specialized testing, including appropriateness that takes into consideration clinical context. The CLS advises on alternate testing to overcome ambiguities in the clinical diagnoses and analyzes emerging trends and technology to adopt appropriate methods and testing. The CLS develops policies, precedents, regulatory, licensing, and accrediting requirements to establish, monitor, and maintain the specialized testing. The CLS assumes responsibility for training and competency assessment of staff and students within the area assigned. The technical specialist often works independently and is given freedom of action under the general guidance of a pathologist or other laboratory practitioner.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit the CLINICAL LABORATORY SCIENTIST QUALIFICATION STANDARD - GS-0644 .

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-12.

Physical Requirements : See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements. The incumbent must be able to perform moderate lifting up to 20 lbs., straight pulling, pushing, reaching above the shoulder, use of fingers and both hands, walking, standing for up to 4 hours, kneeling, repeated bending, use of both arms and legs. Specific visual requirements include use of both eyes, depth perception, ability to distinguish colors and shades of colors, hearing (aids are permitted), clear, high cognitive function and emotional stability; ability to read ordinary type without strain.
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: . 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: .