Lead Clinical Laboratory Scientist

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

• The Lead Clinical Laboratory Scientist position is in the Pathology and Lab Services at the VA Boston Healthcare System located at the Brockton, MA location.
• This position is full time at 40 hours per week.
• The Lead Clinical Laboratory Scientist position identifies, distributes, balances work, coaches, and facilitates with problem solving methods.
• Duties include, but are not limited to: Prepares reports and maintains records of work status; resolves simple, informal complaints; reports performance, progress, and training needs of the team.
• Provides information on promotion, reassignment, recognition of outstanding performance, and personnel needs.
• Develops protocols for performance of tests and evaluation of results.
• Ensures that laboratory tests and procedures are consistent with accrediting agencies standards and requirements.
• Performs validation/method verification studies for new systems.
• Consults with healthcare providers on logical protocol to follow in attempting to confirm the diagnosis or risk assessment of a patient.
• Functions as supervisor of the laboratory section in the absence or unavailability of the Laboratory Supervisor.
• Plans, schedules on-going work, and adjusts staffing levels or work procedures.
• Monitors the laboratory section quality control system.
• Ensures timely and thorough evaluation of data, ensures discrepancies are identified and attended by troubleshooting method performance.
• Documents reviews by initially and dating record sheets.
• Knowledgeable about inspection requirements, location and existence of records, reports and documents that are needed during a laboratory inspection.
• Any deficiencies identified in the laboratory section are evaluated and corrected for the laboratory section within the required time limits.
• Fills the role or method expert in areas of troubleshooting any system problem.
• Work Schedule: Full-Time Monday-Friday 7:00am-3:30pm Compressed/Flexible: Not authorized Telework: Not authorized Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
• Functional Statement# F08280 Relocation Incentive: Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized Financial Disclosure: Not Required
• Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade).
• Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year)
• Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience.
• Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.
• Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66.
• Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)?
• NOTIFICATIONS: This position is in the Excepted Service.
• This position is an AFGE Bargaining unit.
• This position is on a special salary rate.
• The incumbent may be required to travel to other VA campuses and CBOC's.
• Current and former Federal employees may 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.
• No award SF50s will be accepted.
• Narrative responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) may be required from the selectee in order to proceed with the appointment.

Requirements

• 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 identification 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).
• 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
• 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.

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/.

Required Documents

• To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
• Professional Certification Resume Special Note for
• Applications: To complete your application, please use the following link https://vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Resume.docx to download the standard Clinical Resume
• This one-page document does not need to be modified and must be uploaded into the two-page restricted 'Resume' document upload field.
• Your full resume/CV may be uploaded without page limitation into the 'Other' document upload field.
• The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position.
• Please ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former
• Federal employees), etc. Cover Letter
• DD-214/ Statement of Service Disability Letter (Schedule A) Disability Letter (VA) Other (1) Professional Certification Resume Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-15 SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action Transcript