Medical Technician

Summary

This position serves as a Medical Technician - Phlebotomy for the Pathology and Laboratory Service in the VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System (VA ECHCS) at Aurora, CO . This position uses knowledge of technical methods and procedures to independently carrying out a essential duties common to the Accessions/Phlebotomy section of the laboratory such as the collection and handling of laboratory specimens.

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Duties

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Duties include, but may not be limited to:

• Collects blood samples by venipuncture and accurately labels all blood tubes and other collection containers.
• Instructs patients on proper specimen collection procedures to ensure specimens are acceptable for testing.
• Receives, validates, processes and distributes specimens to the proper laboratory section for testing.
• Collects type and crossmatch specimens verifying the patient's identify, accurately completing the required forms, ensuring proper collector identification on tube(s) and all forms, and properly armbanding the patient.
• Prepares specimens to be sent to outside laboratories, including reference and sharing laboratories.
• Administers and collects specimens for employee drug screening program.
• Assists patients, visitors, and others requesting information, guidance or referral for special assistance.
• Provides excellent customer service.
• Communicates with the Ancillary Testing Coordinator(s) concerning all relevant point of care laboratory issues.
• Ensures all data entered into our automated data processing (ADP) system is accurate and secure.
• Follows proper infectious disease controls by following Standard Precautions and using correct Personnel Protective Equipment (PPE).
• Ensures patient results met required deadlines for timely patient treatment.
• The incumbent maintains a clean work environment.
• Assist in validations throughout the laboratory including validation of ancillary testing analyzers.
• Advises professional staff on Medical Center and lab policy and testing matters.
• Assists in training and competency assessments.

Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm (With Rotating Weekends and Holidays)

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Medical Technician/ PD11753A and PD11752A

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the 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
• Physical Requirements: The work requires walking through the clinic, occasionally requiring to lift objects, computer work, and operating office equipment. Additional physical requirements under the Qualifications section.
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements ( Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/09/2026.

Time-In-Grade Requirement : Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-05 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-04. For a GS-06 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.

Individual Occupational Requirements (IOR) for GS-05 grade

Specialized Experience

For positions at the GS-05 grade: (a) Technical medical laboratory support work such as performing laboratory tests and examinations (chemical, microbiologic, hematologic and blood banking) and preparing reports of findings or (b) technical support work in a closely related field, e.g., biological laboratory technician work, that required application of the methods and techniques for the position to be filled.

OR

Education and Training

For GS-05: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with major study or at least 24 semester hours in subjects appropriate to the position to be filled (Transcript Required) .

Individual Occupational Requirements (IOR) for GS-06 grade

Specialized Experience

For positions at the GS-6 grade: (a) Technical medical laboratory support work such as performing laboratory tests and examinations (chemical, microbiologic, hematologic and blood banking) and preparing reports of findings or (b) technical support work in a closely related field, e.g., biological laboratory technician work, that required application of the methods and techniques for the position to be filled.

In addition to meeting the Basic Requirements you must meet one of the following:

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

For GS-05 Grade:

• Specialized Experience (GS-05): You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-04 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Collects blood samples by venipuncture and accurately labels all blood tubes and other collection containers. Instructs patients on proper specimen collection procedures. Receives, validates, processes, and distributes specimens to the proper laboratory section for testing. Assists patients, visitors, and others requesting information, guidance or referral. Follows proper infectious disease controls (follows Standard Precautions and uses correct Personnel Protective Equipment (PPE)). Delivers STAT requests to all sections of the laboratory to ensure timely treatment. OR,
• Education (Transcript Required): Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 4-year course of study above high school leading to a bachelor's degree with courses related to the occupation. OR,
• Combination (Transcript Required): Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond the second year. Only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours of a course of study leading to a bachelor's degree is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirements.

For GS-06 Grade:

• Specialized Experience (GS-06): You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-05 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Collects blood samples by venipuncture and accurately labels all blood tubes and other collection containers. Instructs patients on proper specimen collection procedures. Receives, validates, processes, and distributes specimens to the proper laboratory section for testing. Assists patients, visitors, and others requesting information, guidance or referral. Follows proper infectious disease controls (follows Standard Precautions and uses correct Personnel Protective Equipment (PPE)). Delivers STAT requests to all sections of the laboratory to ensure timely treatment. Advises the professional staff on Medical Center and lab policy and testing matters. Assists in training and competency assessments.

Preferred Experience:

Phlebotomy Experience - Experience performing phlebotomy in a hospital setting

Communication - Expresses himself/herself clearly

Motivation and Persistence toward goals - Has plans for future / understands own role in organization

Technical Skills - Has experience in all areas of responsibility

Problem solving, analytical skills - Proposes specific solutions / prioritizes assignments

Emotional stability, self-confidence - Calm, poised, and appropriately confident

Knowledge of roles of position - Fully understands roles and responsibilities

Customer Service - Provides good customer service

Leadership/Teamwork - Has leadership and teamwork experience

Physical Requirements: The work requires walking through the clinic, occasionally requiring to lift objects, computer work, and operating office equipment. The position requires the ability to process written and electronic information. The work requires the ability to physically control or defend against emotionally distressed patients. The work requires above average agility and dexterity due to the fine skills of some of the point of care lab testing. The work may require heavy lifting of equipment or patients. The Medical Technician may be required to commute between two outpatient clinics within the workweek, depending on the clinic workload. A pre-placement physical examination is not required.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at

Education

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: 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:

Additional information

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.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave : Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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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.

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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.