Summary This position is located in the Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center in San Diego, CA. The Pathology Specialist is an allied health professional, qualified by academic and practical training to assist in providing technical and administrative assistance, oversight and coordination of all services in Anatomic Pathology. The purpose of this position is to manage the operations of the Anatomic Pathology section within a large, high complex medical center laboratory. Responsibilities 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 include but are not limited to the following: Performs all elements of gross examination and sectioning of every @type of surgical pathology specimens. Provides description of tissue received from surgery (includes noting size, color, consistency and anatomic orientation). Cuts specimens to preset optimal specimen detection for microscopic examination, pathologic diagnosis and cancer staging. Removes and dissects visceral organs, brain and spinal cord in order to demonstrate the presence or absence of disease and/or anatomic variation by sectioning various tissues and body fluids for further examination. Performs autopsies, with or without an autopsy assistant, by correlating the gross pathology with the patient's clinical presentation and preparing external and internal descriptions. Prepares the body for pickup by a funeral home; orders special studies (such as cultures, histochemical and immunohistochemical stains, electron microscopy) and provides interpretation. Prepares frozen tissue sections and other tissue sections within or outside of the histology department. Performs on complex instruments such as cryostat, cameras, and automatic tissue processor, including Immunohistochemistry, with knowledge sufficient to locate and correct technical and mechanical malfunctions. Maintains regulatory compliance related to his or her duties on a daily basis. Maintains regulatory compliance including reviewing regulatory criteria, ensuring all procedures and protocols are current with regulatory standards, preparing work areas for inspection, and participating in inspections as required. Develops and/or revises standard operating procedures by establishing performance standards to improve or extend test systems, including evaluating, modifying, or adapting new methods to meet testing requirements. Oversees the morgue for adherence to facility and regulatory safety, quality control, and privacy regulations. Assists in the collection, reporting, and interpretation of data for Anatomic Pathology Quality Assurance (QA) programs, participates in the Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service (PALMS) QA committee, makes recommendations, and directs and implements approved quality improvement initiatives. Provides instruction at the bench and through discussion of relevant topics, including evaluating, selecting, organizing, and adapting educational, training, and resource materials for teaching programs. Educates and trains residents in pathology, other medical specialties, and medical students regarding the practice of Anatomic Pathology and Autopsy, including creating special study rotations to introduce new technologies and processes and constructing learning modules. Participates in the orientation and training of new employees, residents, and students in Anatomic Pathology. Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:30am - 5:00pm Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: May be authorized for highly qualified candidates Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 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) - See "Required Documents" below for details. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary 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 probationary, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications PREFERRED EXPERIENCE/CERTIFICATION: Specialized training and graduate degree with recognized programs by National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS) of Pathology Assistant is highly desired. BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT: You much possess a bachelor's or graduate/higher level degree: major study in an academic field related to the medical field, health sciences or allied sciences appropriate to the work of the position (i.e. pathology, histopathology, etc.). This degree must be from an educational program from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. ~AND~ SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE GS-12 : You must possess one (1) year of specialized experience that equipped you with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-11 grade level. Specialized experience includes performing gross examination and sectioning of every @type of surgical pathology specimens; cutting specimens to preset optimal detection standards for microscopic examination, pathologic diagnosis, and cancer staging; performing autopsies, including the dissection of visceral organs, brain, and spinal cord to identify disease or anatomic variations; operating and troubleshooting complex laboratory instruments such as cryostats and automatic tissue processors; and ensuring compliance with safety, accreditation standards and guidelines. NOTE: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. ~AND~ A Quality Ranking Factor (QRF) has been requested by the facility to help determine which of the basically qualified applicants are likely to be better qualified for a position. The QUALITY RANKNG FACTOR for this position is: Highly qualified candidates are American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Certified. *Quality Ranking Factors are skills, knowledge, abilities, or other worker characteristics which could be expected to result in superior performance on the job. Quality ranking factors will not be used for screening, but may be used as ranking criteria. Applicants with higher proficiency levels may rank above those with lower proficiency levels on a quality ranking factor. Physical Demands: The work requires long periods of standing while performing gross examinations and teaching others to do so, recurrent bending when performing frozen sections and autopsies, sitting, intense concentration in noisy and congested areas, and walking moderate distances between alternate work sites. It occasionally involves moving human bodies and lifting objects under fifty (50) pounds. Performance of duty requires above average manual dexterity in dissecting specimens and cutting frozen sections, good hand-eye coordination, and normal color vision in order to properly interpret specimens with regard to staining, etc. The work involves regular and recurrent exposure to irritating and/or toxic chemicals, volatile organic solutions, disagreeable odors, and potentially infectious material. Protective gear and special safety precautions are required and include protective agents such as a laboratory coat, gloves, mask, respirator, and eye protective devices, as necessary. Incumbent may be required to work in contaminated and infectious areas, wards, and laboratories. 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 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 Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. 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. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. 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. 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 80 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 http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.
