Summary

This position, located within the VA Medical Center, Salem, Virginia, is a member of the Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Services (PALMS) team performing technical work in one or more areas of the Clinical Laboratory, such as phlebotomy, accessioning and processing, chemistry, hematology, coagulation, urinalysis, and microbiology.

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Overview

* Accepting applications

* Open & closing dates

04/26/2024 to 05/06/2024

* Salary

$39,576 - $51,446 per year

* Pay scale & grade

GS 5

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Location

1 vacancy in the following location:

* Salem, VA 1 vacancy

* Remote job

* Telework eligible

* Travel Required

Not required

* Relocation expenses reimbursed

* Appointment type

Permanent -

* Work schedule

Full-time -

* Service

Competitive

* Promotion potential

None

* Job family (Series)

0645 Medical Technician

* Supervisory status

* Security clearance

Not Required

* Drug test

Yes

* Position sensitivity and risk

Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

* Trust determination process

Suitability/Fitness

* Announcement number

CBTA-12398602-24-AL

* Control number

788548100

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This job is open to

* Internal to an agency

Current federal employees of this agency.

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Duties

* THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION*

Major Duties:

* Distribute and balance the workload among employees in accordance with established workflow, assure timely completion of the assigned workload, and assure that each employee has enough work to keep busy.

* Keep in touch with the status and progress of work and make day- to- day adjustments in accordance with established priorities.

* Obtain assistance from the supervisor on problems that may arise, such as backlogs which cannot be resolved promptly.

* Estimate and report on expected time of completion of work and prepare workload reports as requested.

* Instruct employees in specific tasks and job techniques and make available written instructions, reference materials and supplies.

* Give on the job training to new employees in accordance with established procedures and practices.

* Maintain a current knowledge and answer questions of other employees on procedures, policies, directives, etc. and obtain needed information or decisions from supervisor on problems that arise.

* Monitor area physical facilities (ventilation and lighting) and equipment to ensure a safe, clean, presentable work environment.

* Approve leave for a few hours or for emergencies.

* Inform employees of available services and employee activities.

* Resolve simple, informal complaints of employees and refer others to supervisor.

* Report to supervisor on performance, progress and training needs of employees, and on conduct problems.

* Provide information to supervisor as requested concerning promotions, reassignment, recognition of outstanding performance, and personnel needs.

* Perform routine and specialized venipunctures

* Assign priority to test requests such as STATS, LTEs (life threatening emergencies), times tests or routine collections

* Accession laboratory orders for blood collection using multiple computer sysems

* Provide training and guidance in phlebotomy techniques to externs, students, nursing staff, medical technologists and/or new phlebotomy employees

* Perform specimen processing functions

* Prepare samples for referral laboratory testing

* Reconcile and verify patient orders

* Maintain records and files related to phlebotomy

* Performs all other duties as assigned

DESIGNATED DRUG-TESTING POSITION: 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. Applicants will not be appointed to the position if a verified positive drug test result is received.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-3:30pm-Midnight and Rotating Weekends and Holidays, Occasional Evening Shift Coverage

Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized

Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved

Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required

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Requirements

Conditions of Employment

* You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this 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

* You may be required to serve a probationary period

* Subject to background/security investigation

* Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process

* Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)

* Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.

Qualifications

In order to qualify for this position at the GS-5 grade level, applicants must meet at least one of the following:

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Possess one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-4 level in the Federal service, that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) needed to successfully perform the duties of the position and that is typically in or related to this Medical Technician position to be filled. Specialized experience for the position includes (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~

SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION FOR EXPERIENCE: Successfully completed one-half year (9 semester hours) of graduate level education in subjects directly related to the position. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business or technical school, junior college, college or university for which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite. Education cannot be credited without documentation. (COPY OF TRANSCRIPTS ARE REQUIRED AT TIME OF APPLICATION)

~OR~

COMBINATION OF EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION: Possess equivalent combinations of successfully completed graduate education and specialized experience, as described above, to meet total qualification requirements at the GS-5 level. (THIS EXPERIENCE MUST BE SUPPORTED BY YOUR RESUME TO BE CREDITABLE AND COPY OF TRANSCRIPTS ARE REQUIRED AT TIME OF APPLICATION)

~AND~

In addition to the requirements above, the following is also required:

ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY: In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), No person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. You must be proficient in basic written and spoken English in order to meet the requirements of this position.

~AND~

SELECTIVE PLACEMENT FACTOR: This position includes a Selective Placement Factor (skill, knowledge, ability, or other worker characteristic basic to - and essential for - satisfactory performance of the job). Selective Placement Factors are a prerequisite to appointment and represent minimum requirement for a position. Applicants who do not meet it are ineligible for further consideration.

* The Selective Placement Factor for this position is: Experience performing phlebotomy/blood draws on human patients.

You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position:

* Computer Skills

* Customer Service (Clerical/Technical)

* Patient Care

* Quality Assurance

* Specimen Collection

IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

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). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Physical Requirements: The work requires regular and recurring physical exertion; standing for prolonged periods of time; bending and lifting moderate to heavy supplies (15-25 pounds); rapid walking (occasionally long distances) to meet STAT and life-threatening demands of critical patients; good manual dexterity and coordination for specimen collection and processing; high anxiety (stress) level tolerance to meet the life-threatening situations of critical care demands.

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

Education

IMPORTANT: 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: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov).

Additional information

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. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. 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.

Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities (i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities), and/or disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. For more information on how to apply using this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator within the office, contact the facility Human Resources Department at (540) 982-2463.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation and be found well-qualified (have a final rating of 85 or more before any Veterans preference points) for this vacancy. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at

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

Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process.

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.

* Benefits

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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.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.

Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.

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

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.