Medical Instrument Technician (Echocardiography)

This announcement is open continuous. Certificates will be issued to the hiring manager on a biweekly basis until all positions have been filled. Announcement will remain open until all vacancies are filled and may close sooner than 2/18/2026.

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All qualifying experience you possess must be clearly described in your application package. We will not make assumptions when reviewing applications. Failure to clearly demonstrate your experience in your application package may result in disqualification. All applicants are encouraged to submit responses to each Knowledge Skill and Ability (KSA) on a separate document.

Major duties include but are not limited to the following:

• Performs cardiac ultrasound examinations and quantifies observed abnormalities including complex calculations of valve areas and alterations in function and ejection fraction with assistance as necessary. Confers with supervising MIT Echocardiography tech to resolve any issues and provide quality imaging. Measures pulmonary artery pressures valve areas cardiac output cardiac chambers gradients and flow assessments. Requires comprehensive knowledge of cardiac anatomy and disease states and the ability to skillfully use all echo modalities with assist as indicated.
• Makes initial interpretation of data to perform complete exams and alerts the physician if necessary. Enters the data in the cardiac echo reporting system.
• Maintains records of patients examinations and provides input for the scheduling of exams as necessary.
• Keeps current on continuing education and CPR. Reviews new developments in the field and participates in making recommendations on changes that would improve operation of the section.
• Cleans maintains prepares and calibrates the transesophageal echo probes and echo machines. Observes hospital policies related to isolation and universal body fluid precautions.
• Assist the physician during transesophageal echoes in Cardiology and in the Operating Room as requested. Assists during echo-guided pericardiocentesis. This procedure and presence in surgery requires knowledge of sterile technique.
• Makes multiple simultaneous changes in settings and adjustments in operation of equipment during an exam to ensure accurate results. On the basis of ultrasound findings individualizes exam with assistance as necessary.
• Requires travel of up to 25% to the other VA locations

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 ( Effective May 7 2025 drivers 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).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the Required Documents section of this announcement.

• 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.

Qualifications

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: There are no specific educational requirements for this occupation. Education may be substituted for experience only at the GS-4 and GS-5 levels. See the grade requirements part of this standard for information regarding educational substitutions.
• Licensure or Certification: Licensure or Certification is not required for this occupation; however it is strongly desirable at GS-6 or above as evidence of possession of the essential knowledge skills and abilities. For all specialties identified in this standard Basic and Advanced Cardiac Life Support certifications are desirable. Training which does not result in official certification does not meet this definition.
• Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.
• English Language Proficiency: Medical Instrument Technicians must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 2 section D paragraph 5a this part.

• Experience: At least 1 year of experience comparable to the next lower grade level which demonstrates the knowledge skills abilities and other characteristics related to the duties of the position to be filled. Six months of this experience may have been in medically related fields such as nursing assistant practical nursing or similar fields. The remaining six months must have been in operating diagnostic and therapeutic equipment covered by this occupation. Experience gained in the operation of equipment for animal diagnosis or treatment may be credited at this level. -OR-
• Education: Successful completion of two years of education above high school or an associates degree with a major field of study directly related to the medical instrument technician occupation.
• In addition the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
  1. Knowledge of basic medical terminology.
  2. Ability to learn the components operating characteristics and settings of the equipment to be used.
  3. Ability to learn typical patient reactions to the basic procedures involved and ability to recognize signs of distress.
  4. Ability to learn the standard positions for the procedure being conducted.
  5. Ability to communicate orally and in writing.

• Experience: At least 1 year of experience comparable to the next lower grade level which demonstrates the knowledge skills abilities and other characteristics related to the duties of the position to be filled. This would be experience in operating equipment related to the particular specialization for which application is made or in related functional areas. Experience gained in the operation of equipment for animal diagnosis or treatment may be credited through this grade level. -OR-
• Education: Successful completion of 4 academic years above high school leading to a bachelors degree with courses related to the occupation or a bachelors degree in a major field of study appropriate to medical instrument technician functions.
• In addition the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
  1. Knowledge of standard medical terminology to interpret physician orders or instructions.
  2. Knowledge of common physical disabilities and ability to position patients for the examination or treatment.
  3. Ability to learn the normal and abnormal results for routine procedures to recognize and report obvious abnormalities.
  4. Ability to operate the equipment to administer routine/standard diagnostic treatment or procedures.
  5. Ability to perform standard operator maintenance on the equipment including the ability to disassemble clean reassemble and calibrate the machine.

• Experience: At least 1 year of experience comparable to the next lower grade level which demonstrates the knowledge skills abilities and other characteristics related to the duties of the positions to be filled.
• In addition the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
  1. Knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the heart and great vessels.
  2. Knowledge of cardiac arrhythmias and their relationship to hemodynamic conditions of the cardiac cycle.
  3. Knowledge of basic cardiac ultrasound physics and the acoustic mechanisms by which high quality cardiac images are obtained.
  4. Ability to set up and adjust the ultrasound equipment to meet the conditions of the examination and the patient and to operate the equipment for standardized routine procedures.
  5. Ability to interact with patients explaining procedures and positioning the patient for the procedure.

• Experience: At least 1 year of experience comparable to the next lower grade level which demonstrates the knowledge skills abilities and other characteristics related to the duties of the positions to be filled. This would be experience which provided the individual with the knowledge skills and abilities to independently conduct difficult but standardized echocardiographic examinations.
• In addition the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
  1. Ability to scan transthoracic echocardiograms in all views with colorflow and some Doppler.
  2. Ability to conduct cardiac testing to determine the severity and variety of cardiac problems i.e. valvular dysfunction myocardial wall kinesia effusions endocardial lesions etc.
  3. Knowledge of the set-up for transesophageal echocardiograms.
  4. Ability to set up and adjust the ultrasound equipment to meet the conditions of the examination and the patient and to operate the equipment for more complex but standardized procedures.

• Experience: At least 1 year of experience comparable to the next lower grade level which demonstrates the knowledge skills abilities and other characteristics related to the duties of the positions to be filled. This would be experience which provided the overall knowledge skills and abilities to conduct diagnostic echocardiography examinations in complex and unusual cases.
• In addition the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
  1. Ability to produce diagnostic quality images and Doppler frequency shift recordings using M-mode two-dimensional pulsed and continuous wave Doppler spectral display and colorflow Doppler imaging.
  2. Knowledge of normal echocardiographic findings and deviations produced by a wide variety of cardiovascular diseases.
  3. Ability to perform complex procedures such as cardiac studies of the four chambers of the heart and valves using sector scanning techniques to detect stenotic and incompetent valves chamber enlargement and pericardial effusion and cardiovascular studies deriving pressure gradients across obstructed valves etc.
  4. Ability to perform complementary ultrasonic examinations (including noninvasive) transthoracic Bubble studies and contrast echocardiography (invasive) stress echocardiography and transesophageal echocardiography.
  5. Ability to adapt transducer positioning instrument controls and examination techniques to the individual patient being studied and the problem being evaluated including recognizing pertinent abnormalities and documenting abnormal findings.