Health Technician-Intermittent

Summary

The Health Technician provides medical and adminstrative support in the primary care clinic Lab to support Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Serviice (P&LMS). The technician performs phlebotomy services, point of care testing, and specimen processing.

Duties

Duties will include, but are not limited to: Collects and processes blood and body fluid specimens, ensuring safety and non-traumatic processes are used with critical concern for the patient and the quality of the specimen with a minimal number of failures, patient bruising, or required re-sticks. Demonstrates knowledge of principles, techniques, and practices of phlebotomy and requirement of blood collection for the various tests performed in the laboratory. Adheres to safety, infection control and universal precautions always while collecting samples. Processes specimens received for testing, which involves accessioning the specimens, determining the appropriate specimen preparation, and creating the manifest for specimens sent to main laboratory. Uses laboratory equipment such as centrifuges, refrigerators, and freezers, in addition to consumables such as transfer pipettes, laboratory pour-off tubes and reference laboratory specimen containers. Reviews orders in CERNER (PATHNET) to ensure all necessary orders are drawn. Prepares specimens for pickup to ensure delivery of specimens and supplies arrive at the testing facility at the correct temperature for testing, intact in the container, without breakage or leakage, in the shortest possible time and in compliance with all applicable regulations. Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level GS-6 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 thru Friday 7:00am-3:30pm intermittently Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Health Technician-Intermittent/PD80397A and PD80399A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized. Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/30/2026. 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. Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR): ALL applicants must meet the IOR. An IOR is a basic requirement that must be met in order to qualify for the 0640 occupational series. You may meet this by: Specialized Experience: Positions in this series range widely in type and include support duties to medical or health personnel such as audiologists, speech pathologists, medical officers, and optometrists. Therefore, technician experience is experience that required application of the knowledge, methods, and techniques of the position to be filled. OR, Education and Training (For positions at the GS-5 level only): 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 directly related to the position.(Transcripts Required) In addition to meeting the Basic Requirements you must also meet the Special Experience or Education requirement for the Health Technician Position. GS-5 Qualifications: You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-4 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: I 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: Demonstrates the ability to manage patient service requests, review medical records, and schedule eligible clinic appointments efficiently, possesses a solid understanding of laboratory terminology, specimen requirements, and anatomical factors that influence safe and accurate blood collection; maintains professional, effective communication with patients, families, and team members to support positive care outcomes; observes patient responses and provides clear, understandable explanations of tests and procedures to patients and families. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree, with major study or at least 24 semester hours in subjects directly related to the position. (Transcripts Required). OR, Combination: For GS-5 level positions, 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. Two full academic years of study, or 60 semester hours, beyond the second year is equivalent to l year of specialized experience. (Transcripts Required) GS-6 Qualifications: You may qualify based on your experience as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-5 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Demonstrates the ability to manage patient service requests, review medical records, and schedule eligible clinic appointments; possesses a solid understanding of laboratory terminology, specimen requirements, and anatomical factors that influence safe and accurate blood collection; applies a broad range of phlebotomy techniques safely and correctly while ensuring high-quality specimen collection; effectively follows standard procedures, utilizes specialized laboratory equipment, and accurately manages lab orders within electronic medical record systems; maintains professional, effective communication with patients, families, and team members to support positive care outcomes; observes patient responses and provides clear, understandable explanations of tests and procedures to patients and families. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

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: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.