Summary This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply. Responsibilities This Clinical Laboratory Scientist is in the Pathology and Laboratory Service at the VA Medical Center, West Haven, CT campus. This position is a full-time at 40 hours per week. GS-0644-12 Clinical Laboratory Scientist (Quality Manager) Duties include but are not limited to the following: Serves as a consultant, facilitator, trainer, and technical advisor to staff at all levels to ensure facility compliance with clinical laboratory accreditation and regulatory standards that include, but are not limited to, Joint Commission (JC), College of American Pathologists (CAP), and the Office of the Inspector General (OIG). Ensures the laboratory maintains continuous readiness and supports the organization's performance improvement and patient safety programs. Maintains a laboratory performance improvement program, ensures monitoring of components and customer feedback, and interacts with management officials and organizations involved in inter-laboratory quality assurance and proficiency testing. Develops, implements, and performs quality management policy review. Advises lab management on quality management concerns that could impact other services and assists with the necessary follow ups. The CLS identifies current lab functions needing improvement and develops a plan with associated individuals to implement change and monitor improvement. The CLS uses comprehensive knowledge for statistical evaluation and analysis and understands laboratory operations and the laboratory's relationship to the organization. The CLS follows laboratory quality control/assurance practices based on policies, procedures, and principles. Evaluates and implements new techniques and procedures to address laboratory quality including development of validation plans in terms of equipment, method comparison, and establishment of reference intervals using statistical methods and theoretical knowledge. Provides oversight, guidance, and advice to develop required quality assurance monitors and focused reviews. Provides consultative services for laboratory-related root cause analysis, health care failure mode effect analysis, and sentinel events and develops action plans and outcome measures. Establishes processes to monitor compliance with policies, identify patterns and/or trends, and ensure findings from quality management activities and performance improvement initiatives are used to redesign systems to improve quality. Implements surveillance procedures to monitor variables that affect quality of services. Evaluating, interpreting, and teaching others to use quality control procedures and implement corrective actions. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm Compressed/Flexible Work Schedule: May be authorized at supervisor's discretion. Telework: Not Available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: PDF08024 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized. Financial Disclosure: Not required. EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact VISN1EDRPSupport@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized. Notifications: This is not a Bargaining Unit Position. This position is covered by special salary rate table. Current and former Federal employees must submit copies of their most recent SF-50 (Notice of Personnel Action). The SF-50 must identify the position, title, series, grade, step, tenure and @type of service (competitive or excepted). In some cases, more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held. 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. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. You may be required to serve a trial period. 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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). 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. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). 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: Citizenship: Be a citizen of the United States (U.S.). Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with38 U.S.C. § 7407(a). English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403 (f). Certification: Candidates must meet one of the certification options below: Generalist certification as an MLS given by ASCP BOC or AMT. Generalist certification as an MT given by ASCP BOR or AMT. 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). Exception for Non-Certified: (a)Applicants who do not currently hold valid certification may be hired by VA and actively work toward their certification if they meet one of 4 the routes identified in Appendix A that makes them eligible to take the MLS certification exam through the ASCP BOC or the MLS certification exam through AMT Certification Agency. (b)Non-Certified applicants who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements for licensure may be given a temporary appointment CLS under the authority of 38 U.S.C. § 7405(c)(2). (c)Non-Certified individuals may only provide care under the supervision of a certified CLS at or above the FPL. (d)Non-certified individuals may only be appointed at the entry level and may not be promoted/converted until certification is obtained. (e)Temporary appointments of non-certified CLS may not be extended beyond 2 years or be converted to a new temporary appointment. Education: A bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university. Foreign Graduates: To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must be deemed at least equivalent to that gained in a conventional U.S. program by a private organization specializing in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials. Graduates of foreign baccalaureate degree programs meet the educational requirements if they meet either of the following: Foreign transcripts are evaluated by an acceptable evaluation agency, and the degree is found to be equivalent to a NAACLS-approved U.S. clinical laboratory science degree program. OR The applicant submits a letter from ASCP BOC or AMT stating the individual is eligible to take the certification examination. NOTE: Possession of a certification identified in 4c above automatically determines the foreign education as creditable and no further documentation or proof of equivalency is needed. May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria). Grade Determinations: Clinical Laboratory Scientist (Quality Manager) GS-12 Assignment: The CLS serves as a consultant, facilitator, trainer, and technical advisor to staff at all levels to ensure facility compliance with clinical laboratory accreditation and regulatory standards that include, but are not limited to, Joint Commission (JC), College of American Pathologists (CAP), and the Office of the Inspector General (OIG). The CLS ensures the laboratory maintains continuous readiness and supports the organization's performance improvement and patient safety programs. This incumbent develops, implements, and performs quality management policy review. Experience: 1 year of creditable experience at or equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-11) is required for all GS-12 assignments. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: (A) Knowledge of the concepts, principles, and practices of medical technology sufficient to perform the full range of duties involved in planning, coordinating, and evaluating laboratory services. (B) Knowledge of accrediting agencies and regulatory requirements pertaining to laboratory operations. (C) Knowledge of laboratory operations and relationships to the organization. (D) Skill in applying laboratory quality control/assurance policies, procedures, and principles and safety practices and regulations. (E) Ability to apply quality management performance improvement principles, methodology, and processes to develop and manage a clinical laboratory quality management program. (F) Ability to apply statistical evaluation and analysis to quality assurance data and implement corrective actions when indicated. Additional Functions include but are not limited to the following description: A. TECHNICAL RESPONSIBILITIES: Maintain a laboratory performance improvement program, ensures monitoring of components and customer feedback, and interacts with management officials and organizations involved in inter-laboratory quality assurance and proficiency testing. Advise lab management on quality management concerns that could impact other services and assists with the necessary follow ups. Use comprehensive knowledge for statistical evaluation and analysis and understands laboratory operations and the laboratory's relationship to the organization. Evaluate and implement new techniques and procedures to address laboratory quality including development of validation plans in terms of equipment, method comparison, and establishment of reference intervals using statistical methods and theoretical knowledge. Provide oversight, guidance, and advice to develop required quality assurance monitors and focused reviews. This individual provides consultative services for laboratory-related root cause analysis, health care failure mode effect analysis, and sentinel events and develops action plans and outcome measures. Monitor compliance with policies, identify patterns and/or trends, and ensure findings from quality management activities and performance improvement initiatives are used to redesign systems to improve quality. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements. 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: 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/. Additional Information Receiving Service Credit or 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. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. 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.
