Physician - Service Chief (Pathology and Laboratory Medicine)

Summary

This is an open continuous announcement until May 25, 2026. Qualified applicants will be considered and referred as vacancies become available. Announcement may be extended if the applicant pool is limited or closed earlier if no longer needed.

Announcement has been extended to June 10, 2026.

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this occupational series. PLEASE REFER TO REQUIRED DOCUMENTS SECTION FOR DIRECTIONS ON HOW TO UPLOAD RESUME/CV THAT IS LONGER THAN 2 PAGES.

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Duties

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Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (P&LM) Service provides a broad range of testing and consultative services in laboratory medicine, anatomic and clinical pathology, every day, at the Seattle Campus. Services for the American Lake campus laboratory which offers access to the same pathology services and clinical laboratory onsite. Overall, P&LM offers client services, chemistry, toxicology, hematology, coagulation, urinalysis, transfusion, serology, microbiology, molecular microbiology, cytology, including fine needle aspiration, autopsy, surgical pathology, including immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy, and point of care testing oversight at multiple locations.

Duties include but are not limited to:

• Supervising the work of subordinate staff engaged in professional, managerial, technical, and other lab support activities; monitoring work performance; delegating work effectively.
• Analyzing a variety of complex laboratory issues and making sound clinical recommendations.
• Planning, developing, and coordinating quality control and quality improvement programs.
• Utilizing technology tools, including computer hardware and software, to efficiently perform duties; assisting with and coordinating the improvement of such tools.
• Overseeing activities of clinical laboratory medicine, both anatomic and clinical pathology sections, and providing supervision of the Laboratory Manager, Quality Manager, and Section Chiefs.
• Overseeing the quality of services performed by contracted commercial reference laboratories.
• Defining metrics and ensuring a program of routine monitoring and quality improvement for processes, both internal and external to P&LMS.
• Ensuring P&LM staff receive adequate initial and periodic training and proficiency or competence assessment.
• Providing consultation and guidance to health care providers regarding matters pertaining to pathology and laboratory medicine and the medical significance of laboratory findings.
• Identifying and overseeing all testing performed within the facility and outreach clinics, and providing assistance and oversight to ensure that any testing performed complies with existing VHA policies, to include oversight responsibility for Ancillary Testing Sites, and participating in the evaluation of test appropriateness for the institution regardless of the testing site. The VA Medical Center's Ancillary Testing Coordinator or other staff appointed by the Laboratory Director must provide quality improvement oversight in each Ancillary Testing Site.
• Performing site visits of the American Lake Laboratory and community-based outpatient clinics where laboratory services are offered at least quarterly and as needed to maintain high-quality services.
• Other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00AM to 4:30PM.

Telework: Not authorized.

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: May be authorized for highly qualified, eligible applicants.

Permanent Change of Station (PCS) : Not authorized.

Pay: Competitive salary, annual performance bonus, regular salary increases

Paid Time Off: 50-55 days of paid time off per year (26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year and possible 5 day paid absence for CME)

Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA

Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)

Licensure: 1 full and unrestricted license from any US State or territory

CME: Possible $1,000 per year reimbursement (must be full-time with board certification)

Malpractice: Free liability protection with tail coverage provided

Contract: No Physician Employment Contract and no significant restriction on moonlighting

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• U.S. Citizenship; non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• 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.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• 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 dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.
• Must have an unrestricted State Driver's License and be cleared upon hire to drive a government vehicle.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, you must meet the basic requirements as well as any additional requirements (if applicable) listed in the job announcement. Currently employed physician(s) in VA who met the requirements for appointment under the previous qualification standard at the time of their initial appointment are deemed to have met the basic requirements of the occupation.

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.
• Degree of doctor of medicine or an equivalent degree resulting from a course of education in medicine or osteopathic medicine. The degree must have been obtained from one of the schools approved by the Department of Veterans Affairs for the year in which the course of study was completed.
• Current, full and unrestricted license to practice medicine or surgery in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia.
• Residency Training: Physicians must have completed residency training, approved by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in an accredited core specialty training program leading to eligibility for board certification. (NOTE: VA physicians involved in academic training programs may be required to be board certified for faculty status.) Approved residencies are: (1) Those approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), b) OR
  [(2) Those approved by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA),OR
  (3) Other residencies (non-US residency training programs followed by a minimum of five years of verified practice in the United States), which the local Medical Staff Executive Committee deems to have provided the applicant with appropriate professional training and believes has exposed the physician to an appropriate range of patient care experiences.
  Residents currently enrolled in ACGME/AOA accredited residency training programs and who would otherwise meet the basic requirements for appointment are eligible to be appointed as "Physician Resident Providers" (PRPs). PRPs must be fully licensed physicians (i.e., not a training license) and may only be appointed on an intermittent or fee-basis. PRPs are not considered independent practitioners and will not be privileged; rather, they are to have a "scope of practice" that allows them to perform certain restricted duties under supervision. Additionally, surgery residents in gap years may also be appointed as PRPs.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• Current, valid state-issued Driver's License is required for this position. Proof of license and insurance will be required.

Additional Requirement:

• Must be board-certified in Anatomic Pathology or Anatomic Pathology and Clinical Pathology.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit

Preferred Experience:

• Experience in leadership roles involving operations, planning, and supervision within a tertiary care environment.
• Demonstrated expertise in the academic mission of education and research is preferred.

Physical Requirements: Moderate lifting, 15-44 pounds; use of fingers; both hands required; walking (4 hours); standing (4 hours); repeated bending (2 hours); operation of crane, truck, tractor, or motor vehicle; ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4; depth perception; ability to distinguish basic colors; ability to distinguish shades of colors; hearing (aid may be permitted); mental and emotional stability.

Education

Degree of Doctor of Medicine or an equivalent degree resulting from a course of education in allopathic medicine or osteopathic medicine. The degree must have been obtained from an institution whose accreditation was in place for the year in which the course of study was completed. Approved schools are:

1. Schools of medicine accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) for the year in which the degree was granted, or
2. Schools of osteopathic medicine approved by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation of the American Osteopathic Association for the year in which the degree was granted.
3. For foreign medical graduates not covered in (1) or (2) above, facility officials must verify with the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) that the applicant has met requirements for certification, and must obtain a copy of the ECFMG certificate, if claimed by the applicant. [If the applicant does not claim an ECFMG certificate, facility officials must still confirm that the medical school meets (or met) ECFMG eligibility requirements for the year the candidate graduated.]

NOTE: The Under Secretary of Health or designee in the VHA Central Office may approve the appointment under authority of 38 U.S.C. 7405 of a physician graduate of a school of medicine not covered above if the candidate is to be assigned to a research, academic, or administrative position with no patient care responsibilities. The appointment will be made only in exceptional circumstances where the candidate's credentials clearly demonstrate high professional attainment or expertise in the specialty area.

Additional information

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

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

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.

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.

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.

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.