Clinical Laboratory Scientist (Quality Manager) - EDRP

Clinical Laboratory Scientist (Quality Manager) - EDRP

Department: Department of Veterans Affairs

Location(s): El Paso, Texas

Salary Range: $90847 - $118106 Per Year

Job 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.

Major Duties:

• Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Serves as the lab Clinical and Quality Management Technologist. This includes a large variety of reports and statistics generated monthly, quarterly and on an annual basis for the clinical lab. Serves as a recognized expert and provides authoritative consultative services to management at all levels of the organization. Serves as the point of contact for the Joint Commission (JC) accreditation program. Keeps all JC readiness documents current. Creates, applies and teaches reengineering and continuous performance improvement initiatives, both within the laboratory and/or the organization. Is considered a subject matter expert in performance improvement and the requisite tools used to demonstrate improvement. Attends performance improvement training offered by the VA. Maintains a laboratory performance improvement program and ensures monitoring and audits of components and customer feedback Identifies, defines and resolves issues associated with complex aspects of the collected data. Provides authoritative representation and interaction with management officials, test reagent and instrumentation manufacturers and with organizations involved in inter- laboratory quality assurance and proficiency testing. Applies concepts of quality design that are consistent with current and future series of standards for quality management. Maintains Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service (P&LMS) proficiency testing records and reports of contact. Ensures proper enrollment and tracking of proficiency testing required by regulatory agencies. Serves as back-up to the Ancillary Testing Coordinator/Point of Care Coordinator. Assists the Ancillary Testing Coordinator with non-laboratory staff training and competency assessment. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 4:45 p.m. Recruitment/Relocation Incentive: Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact vhaedrpprogramsupport@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases 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) 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. Child Care 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) Telework: Ad-hoc Available Virtual: This is not a virtual/remote position. Functional Statement #: 53750-F Preferred Experience: 3-5+ years of recent, full-time experience performing high-complexity testing in core laboratory, including chemistry, hematology, urinalysis, coagulation, molecular, point of care and in phlebotomy in a CLIA-certified lab. At least 1 year of experience maintaining compliance with CAP, CLIA, TJC and related accreditation/regulatory standards, including preparing and presenting QA/QI metrics (e.g., turnaround times, critical values, delta checks, specimen rejection rates). At least 1 year of experience in a lead, senior, or technical specialist role providing technical guidance, training, and competency assessment for staff in core laboratory. Demonstrated ability to develop, implement, and monitor section policies, procedures, and quality improvement plans, often across multiple sites or disciplines. Experience correlating abnormal results with clinical conditions and determining when additional or reflex testing is indicated.

Qualifications: To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 01/26/2026. 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 with 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a). 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). Foreign Education. 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: (1) 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 (2) 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 above automatically determines the foreign education as creditable and no further documentation or proof of equivalency is needed. English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403 (f). 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: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, candidates must meet the following grade-determining criteria for placement at grade levels specified. Clinical Laboratory Scientist (Quality Manager), GS-12 Experience. 1 year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-11) is required for this GS-12 assignment. Experience includes independently carrying out the day-to-day operations in the laboratory. The CLS develops, performs, evaluates, interprets, correlates, and validates the accuracy of laboratory procedures and results in line with current laboratory regulatory requirements. The work performed may be in a variety of laboratory specialties such as chemistry, microbiology, immunology, hematology, and immunohematology. Testing procedures are performed on a variety of biological specimens and/or environmental samples using manual or automated methods. In addition to routine testing, the CLS conducts quality control and routine maintenance of instrumentation and troubleshooting. The CLS correlates abnormal lab data with pathological states, determines the validity of test results, and the need for additional tests. Specific targeted laboratory responsibilities or projects may include laboratory safety officer, analyzer specialist, primary operator on new test systems, quality control specialist, supply control, and/or coordinator for the laboratory competency assessment or proficiency/survey program. This assignment may include limited duties in areas such as lab information management and ancillary testing. These tasks require a broad exercise of independent judgment and responsibility, including organizing and setting priorities with minimal technical supervision. The CLS assesses a situation, considers the options, and formulates an appropriate course of action. This assignment includes monitoring quality control systems and measures, collaborating in the diagnosis and treatment of patients, and providing education for laboratory health care professionals and the public in a professional, courteous, and effective manner. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: 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. Knowledge of accrediting agencies and regulatory requirements pertaining to laboratory operations. Knowledge of laboratory operations and relationships to the organization. Skill in applying laboratory quality control/assurance policies, procedures, and principles and safety practices and regulations. Ability to apply quality management performance improvement principles, methodology, and processes to develop and manage a clinical laboratory quality management program. Ability to apply statistical evaluation and analysis to quality assurance data and implement corrective actions when indicated. 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. The CLS 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. This individual develops, implements, and performs quality management policy review. The CLS 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. The individual 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. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. Physical Requirements: Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation and would generally not require a pre-placement examination.

How to Apply: All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the full questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 01/26/2026 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12866113. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package. NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.

Application Deadline: 2026-01-26