Supervisory Clinical Laboratory Scientist - Microbiology

Summary

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application.

Duties

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional The incumbent will perform duties in the Philadelphia VAMC Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service which performs of 2.5 million tests, at a 1B complexity level hospital. The incumbent has full supervisory responsibility of non-supervisory personnel, including GS-11 and GS-12s Clinical Laboratory Scientists (CLS), in their designated section/s of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. The supervisory CLS exercises a full range of supervisory responsibilities in planning, directing, and assessing work of subordinate staff. The incumbent recommends appointment, plans, and assigns work, gives advice and counsel, and evaluates work of subordinates. Is responsible for monitoring test analyses and specimen examinations to ensure acceptable levels of performance. Assures corrective action is initiated. Assures orientation, training, and competency assessment of assigned staff. Develops and updates technical policy and procedure manuals. Ensures all staff and affiliate staff are following accrediting and regulating bodies. Adjusts staffing levels or work procedures to accommodate resource allocation decisions made at the executive level. This assignment requires specialized training and experience. Employees must have advanced knowledge of specialized and complex subject matter extending beyond the duties of test performance. They have wide latitude for exercising independent judgment. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty), and range of variety, and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. Duties include, but not limited to: - Plans and schedules on-going work for their section/s. - Adjusts staffing levels or work procedures to accommodate resource allocation decisions made at the executive level. - Chooses methods for achieving work goals, objectives, and management strategies. - Day-to-day supervision of highly complex test performance. - Is responsible for monitoring test analyses and specimen examinations to ensure acceptable levels of performance. - Assures corrective action is initiated when test performance deviates from established performance specifications. - Assures orientation, training, and competency assessment of staff. - Plans and executes performance and quality improvement projects. - Collaborates with other sections/services as necessary for quality improvement projects and quality management processes. - Performs the full range of supervisory duties. Recommends appointment, plans, and assigns work, gives advice and counsel, and evaluates work of subordinates. - Verifies orientation, training, and competency assessment of assigned staff. - Develops and updates technical policies and procedure manuals. - The supervisory CLS ensures all staff and affiliate staff comply with accrediting and regulating bodies. - Manages document control, develops performance standards, position descriptions, and functional statements and is responsible for technical and administrative management of an assigned area including budget execution. - The supervisory CLS interacts with administrative and clinical onsite personnel and exercises significant independent decision-making authority. - Other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 0800-1630. Telework: Not authorized. Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Qualifications

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: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. Education. A bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university. Certification. Candidates must meet one of the certification options below. (a) Generalist certification as an MLS given by ASCP BOC or AMT. (b) Generalist certification as an MT given by ASCP BOR or AMT. (c) 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). Grandfathering Provision. Employees in VHA in this occupation under a permanent, appropriate, and legal placement on the effective date of this qualification standard, are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade and/or assignment held, including positive education and certification where applicable. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements of this standard but met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed, the following provisions apply: (1) Employees may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level, or be changed to a lower grade within the occupation but may not be promoted beyond the journeyman level or newly placed in supervisory or managerial positions. (2) If an assignment above the FPL requires an additional certification over and above the basic requirements, employees must meet the assignment-specific requirement before they can be promoted. Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements. English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403 (f). GRADE DETERMINATIONS. In addition to the basic requirements for employment, candidates must meet the following grade-determining criteria for placement at grade levels specified. Supervisory Clinical Laboratory Scientist (Microbiology), GS-13 . (1) General. For all GS-13 assignments above the 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. 1 year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level is required for all GS-13 assignments. The CLS has full supervisory responsibility in a laboratory where at least three of the five following conditions are met outlined below in (A) - (E). (A) Lab is a complexity level index group 1 or 2 based on the Hospital Complexity Level as designated in Office of Productivity, Efficiency, and Staffing (OPES) VHA Facility Complexity Model History. (B) The laboratory performs at least one million standard billable tests annually (as reported to the Laboratory Management Index Program). (C) The CLS supervises a staff of non-supervisory personnel including at least one GS-12 subordinate. (D) Lack of on-site pathologist. (E) Oversight of more than one laboratory specialty. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KS