Lead Clinical Laboratory Scientist

Lead Clinical Laboratory Scientist

Department: Department of Veterans Affairs

Location(s): Chillicothe, Ohio

Salary Range: $114210 - $148479 Per Year

Job Summary: This position is located in the Path and Lab Service at the Chillicothe VA Medical Center (VAMC). The incumbent in this position is a qualified and experienced Clinical Laboratory Scientist (CLS). It is the responsibility of this individual to perform procedures in the areas of Hematology, Coagulation, Chemistry, lmmunochemistry, Blood Bank and Urinalysis to include technical, administrative, and operational needs.

Major Duties:

• Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Duties include, but are not limited to the following: Oversees the day-to-day bench assignments and daily work activities, so that staff is utilized in an effective manner to meet workload needs. Coordinates inter-lab proficiency and competency assessments. Establishes a preventive maintenance program for all instruments. Calibrates or standardizes equipment, troubleshoots malfunctions, and makes simple repairs or identifies need for external services. Adheres to practices and regulations governing biosafety and biosecurity in the workplace. Identifies discrepancies, solves problems, and presents solutions. Answers inquiries regarding test results, methodology, test specificity, test sensitivity, and specific factors which influence test results. Participates in the performance of quality assurance programs, such as College of American Pathologist or other regulatory agencies in order to maintain accreditation, corrects deficiencies promptly and modifies instruments and methods to conform and keep laboratory standards at a high level. Maintains quality control records; collates and reviews all monthly QC for peer group evaluation, performs all preliminary reviews of all QC, maintenance, and corrective action lags before submitting to Supervisor for review and signature. Performs tests in Hematology, Coagulation, Chemistry, lmmunochemistry, Blood Bank and Urinalysis based on staffing patterns and as directed by the Supervisor and/or Laboratory Manager. Follows prescribed procedures, performs any tests in the unit to which Incumbent is temporarily or permanently assigned. Obtains blood samples by venipuncture or dermal puncture. Work Schedule: Monday- Friday, 7:30 am - 4:00 pm Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized 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) 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. 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: Not Authorized Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 93128-0 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. Education: A bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university. Certification: Must have one of the following certifications: 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. 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: To qualify for GS-12: You must have one year of creditable experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level of a Clinical Laboratory Scientist. Creditable experience is experience that has required the use of knowledge, skills, and abilities associated with current Clinical Laboratory Scientist practices. Examples of experience include, but is not limited to the following: independently carries out the day-to-day operations in the laboratory; conduct quality control and routine maintenance of instrumentation and troubleshooting; determine the validity of test results, and the need for additional tests; develop, perform, evaluate, interpret, correlate, and validate the accuracy of laboratory procedures; assess a situation, consider the options, and formulate an appropriate course of action. In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Knowledge of medical technology applicable to a wide range of duties to solve complex problems involving diverse aspects of clinical laboratory practice. Skill to maintain, troubleshoot, and repair laboratory instrumentation. Ability to develop procedures for new tests, and modify existing procedures and methods to resolve problems relative to complex and difficult situations. Ability to manage and coordinate daily work activities and assignments in a section. Ability to provide or coordinate staff development and training. Ability to provide guidance and technical direction to a wide variety of individuals including physicians, nurses, and other clinical staff regarding technical aspects of testing, specimen requirements and results. Preferred Experience: None 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. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-12. Physical Requirements: The incumbent's work is primarily sedentary. Occasionally, a moderate amount of walking or standing and/or carrying items up to 25 lbs.

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 12/22/2025 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12847739. 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: 2025-12-22