Summary The Marion VA Medical Center is currently seeking a Histopathology Technician. Responsibilities Serves as Histopathology Technician in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine in a medical system with state-of-the-art instrumentation and methodologies for laboratory analysis. The incumbent prepares sections of human tissues for immediate examination, using rapid tissue processing and frozen section techniques to freeze, cut, mount and stain specimens received from surgery, etc. In addition, the incumbent operates computerized laboratory equipment to fix, dehydrate and infiltrate with wax tissue specimens to be preserved for study by pathologists.Duties include but are not limited to: Maintains laboratory supplies and equipment in such a manner as to provide safety and efficiency of laboratory operations. Recommends changes in procedure to improve efficiency, accuracy and safety. Follows regulatory safety requirements, establishing inventory and equipment maintenance requirements. Maintains appropriate inventories and maintenance schedules. Ensures that sufficient supply of reagents, standards and controls are available at all times. Is responsible for preparation of special stains or reagents as required. Ability to monitor specimens, equipment and the environment for contamination. Maintains the laboratory in a clean and safe condition according to agency or accreditation requirements. Performs calibration and maintenance of laboratory instrumentation on timely intervals to minimize breakdown and delay of procedures. Assists in training personnel or students in laboratory safety and laboratory procedures with Histology laboratory documents accordingly. Follows established procedures for calibrations, controls and maintenance of a variety of instrumentation and laboratory equipment. Maintains and controls laboratory records according to established protocols and procedures. Records workload. Records information pertaining to the storage of specimens or reagents and completes appropriate tracking/inventory system information. Performs work in the testing and examination procedures carried out in the laboratory. Uses standard aseptic procedures and safeguards. Controls contaminated or potentially dangerous specimens in accordance with all regulatory requirements. Determines validity of results and the potential causes for invalid tests. Established minimum acceptable criteria for control/documentation/protocol/pertaining to test or examination procedures. Performs tests that are new and involve very fine distinctions. Typically, many extremely delicate and exacting steps are required and the instrumentation is elaborate and complex. Work Schedule:0700a.m.-3:30p.m. Monday-Friday Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Financial Disclosure Report: Not required 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. 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. 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). Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications Applicant's requirements must be met at the closing date of this announcement. 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. Experience and Education: Experience. One year of experience in a health care field that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work or provides an understanding of the work such as but not limited to a medical or clinical laboratory assistant (or technician) or health technician. OR, Education (a) Four academic years above high school leading to a bachelor's degree with courses related to the occupation such as biological science or chemistry; or (b) Successful completion of two academic years of study above high school that included at least 24 semester hours in Chemistry and/or in appropriate fields of biological science and successful completion of a 12-month program of education and training in histopathology or cytotechnology. OR, Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable. Examples are listed below: (a) Six months of experience in the health care field and two years of education above high school that included at least six semester hours in health care related courses such as biological science, surgical technician courses or other courses related to the position; or an associate's degree in a health care related field. (b) Six months of experience in the health care field and successful completion of a course for health care technicians, hospital corpsmen, medical service specialists, or histopathology technicians given by the U.S. Armed Forces. 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). GS-6 (Full Performance Level): Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level.Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs.(a) Knowledge of professional anatomic pathology principles, practices, concepts, and theories providing for sound independent work.(b) Knowledge of laboratory quality control and assurance procedures, principles of performance improvement, reagent management, inventory supply systems, and document control systems.(c) Knowledge of anatomic pathology laboratory equipment and ability to operate, maintain, and troubleshoot instrumentation.(d) Ability to plan, organize, set priorities, work as a team member, and effectively complete assignments.(e) Ability to use independent technical judgment to analyze and evaluate laboratory results. References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II Appendix G55The full performance level of this vacancy is GS6. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS5 to GS6. Physical Requirements: The work requires regular physical exertion that consists of mainly long periods of standing, some bending and lifting as required for the handling of supplies and equipment, lifting of weight 15-44 lbs., pushing of weight 15-44 lbs., as well as long periods of sitting. In addition, manual skills are required to be able to perform delicate procedures and fine manual dexterity procedures and requires eye-hand coordination for multiple repetitive motion activities of the hands, wrists, and arms. Requires ability to distinguish basic colors and shades of color and ability to see in both eyes as depth perception is required. 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 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. 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. 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.
