Clinical Laboratory Scientist (Quality Manager)

VA Careers - Microbiology/Molecular Medical Technologist: Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

The Clinical Laboratory Scientist (CLS) (Quality Manager) 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).

Duties may include but are not limited to:

• Ensures the laboratory maintains continuous readiness and supports the organizations performance improvement and patient safety programs.
• 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.
• Develops implements and performs quality management policy review.
• Advises lab management on quality management concerns that could impact other services and assists with the necessary follow ups.
• Identifies current lab functions needing improvement and develops a plan with associated individuals to implement change and monitor improvement.
• Uses comprehensive knowledge for statistical evaluation and analysis and understands laboratory operations and the laboratorys relationship to the organization.
• Follows laboratory quality control/assurance practices based on policies procedures and principles. 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.
• Provides oversight guidance and advice to develop required quality assurance monitors and focused reviews.
• Provides consultative services for laboratory-related root cause analysis health care failure mode effect analysis and sentinel events and develops action plans and outcome measures.
• Establishes processes to monitor compliance with policies identify patterns and/or trends and ensure findings from quality management activities and performance improvement initiatives are used to redesign systems to improve quality.
• Implements surveillance procedures to monitor variables that affect quality of services.
• Evaluates interprets and teaches others to use quality control procedures and implement corrective actions.

• 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.
• 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 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.

• 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.

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:

• 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)
• English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7403 (f).
• Education. A bachelors degree or higher from an accredited college or university.
• Certification.
  • Candidates must meet one of the certification options below.
    • 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.

• Certification cont.
  • Exception for Non-Certified.
    • Applicants who do not currently hold valid certification may be hired by VA and actively work toward their certification if they meet one of the routes identified in Appendix A that makes them eligible to take the MLS certification exam through the ASCP BOC or the MLS certification exam through AMT Certification Agency.
    • Non-Certified applicants who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements for licensure may be given a temporary appointment CLS under the authority of 38 U.S.C. 7405(c)(2).
    • Non-Certified individuals may only provide care under the supervision of a certified CLS at or above the FPL.
    • Non-certified individuals may only be appointed at the entry level and may not be promoted/converted until certification is obtained.
    • Temporary appointments of non-certified CLS may not be extended beyond 2 years or be converted to a new temporary appointment.

• If a CLS currently has or ever had their CLS certification revoked suspended denied restricted limited or issued/placed in a probationary status HR Office staff must appoint them according to the provisions in VA Handbook 5005 Part II Chapter 3 Section B paragraph 16.

• Employees may be reassigned promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level or be changed to a lower grade within the occupation but may not be promoted beyond the journeyman level or newly placed in supervisory or managerial positions.
• If an assignment above the FPL requires an additional certification over and above the basic requirements employees must meet the assignment-specific requirement before they can be promoted.
• Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed on a temporary or permanent basis until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.
• Employees retained in this occupation under this provision who subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of re-entry to the occupation.
• Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation who subsequently obtain certification that meets all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation.

• Knowledge of the concepts principles and practices of medical technology sufficient to perform the full range of duties involved in planning or coordinating and evaluation.
• 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.

• Possess skill knowledge and experience working in a Clinical Laboratory.
• Lean and/or Six Sigma training and certification.