Lead Medical Technician

***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION***

DESIGNATED DRUG-TESTING POSITION: 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. Applicants will not be appointed to the position if a verified positive drug test result is received.

The Lead Medical Technician has the responsibility of leading the GSMedical Technician employees and contractors assigned to the Communications Unit. These duties include planning the work to be accomplished setting priorities mapping schedules for completion of work and an overall review of tasks to be completed by these employees. Major duties and responsibilities include but not limited to:

• Distributing and balancing the daily workload among Medical Technicians and assigned contractors and instructing employees in specific tasks procedures work methods and techniques while providing training reference materials supplies and technical guidance
• Reviewing work for compliance with established procedures quality standards deadlines safety requirements and providing the supervisor with information and recommendations regarding employee performance training needs conduct recognition staffing selection and routine complaints
• Coordinating daily Communications Unit operations and preparing work schedules and assigning or reallocating tasks based on workload employee availability competency specialization absences and changing priorities
• Monitoring laboratory resources equipment supplies and work areas and addressing routine operational needs to support continuous unit operations
• Providing daily direction during supervisory absences by communicating priorities coordinating assignments resolving routine problems and maintaining continuity of laboratory operations
• Training employees and students in laboratory methods procedures equipment instrumentation safety practices and technical requirements while completing competency assessments and documentation
• Evaluating technical problems involving orders specimen identification specimen quality and workflow and resolving issues using established procedures and authorized practices
• Monitoring quality assurance activities and analyzing performance data to identify trends deficiencies corrective actions and opportunities for process improvement
• Developing quality reports inspection documentation performance measures and corrective action recommendations while maintaining records supporting the Service Quality Management Plan
• Performing venipuncture finger sticks blood cultures STAT and timed collections drug levels tolerance testing and other required blood collection procedures
• Verifying patient identification and specimen labeling while following safety and infection control procedures and providing instructions for required specimen collection
• Receiving laboratory test requests and specimens verifying requirements accessioning and processing specimens documenting conditions and preparing specimens for testing or referral
• Performing manual and automated laboratory procedures preparing reagents calibrating equipment evaluating test validity and completing proficiency testing and quality control activities
• Maintaining laboratory equipment facilities reagents consumables and supplies while performing preventive maintenance quality control and routine troubleshooting activities
• Maintaining laboratory records spreadsheets tracking systems inventory data and send-out information while monitoring communications and providing accurate information or referrals

Work Schedule: Monday to Friday: 06:00 a.m. to 02:30 p.m.
Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved

• 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
• Physical Requirements: The work requires extensive and recurring physical exertion such as prolonged standing bending lifting (less than 25 pounds) walking stooping and stretching.
  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) - See Required Documents below for details.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public 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 Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification in writing that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Minimum Requirement: The following are minimum requirements for appointment as a Lead Medical Technician in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). One of the following minimum requirement criteria must be met to be qualified for this position.

• Specialized Experience (GS-07): You must have at least 1 year of specialized experience that equipped you with the particular knowledge skills and abilities (KSAs) to perform successfully the duties of the position and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. To be creditable specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (i.e. GS-06). Specialized experience is defined as (a) Technical medical laboratory support work such as performing laboratory tests and examinations (chemical microbiologic hematologic and blood banking) and preparing reports of findings or (b) technical support work in a closely related field e.g. biological laboratory technician work that required application of the methods and techniques for the position to be filled. At this level specialized experience should include experience performing a variety of relatively standardized tests examinations and determinations. The procedures and techniques are well-established but involve many meticulous sequential steps to complete a test; and following written procedures which give carefully detailed instructions on each step of the assigned test and examinations. (CLEAR DETAILS OF EXPERIENCE REQUIRED: Your resume must show complete information for each job entry such as beginning and ending dates of employment duties performed and/or total hours worked per week.) OR
• Education (GS-07): Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have one (1) full year of successful completion of graduate education where it is directly related to the work of the position. NOTE: One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended. (UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED: If you do not submit your transcript your application may not be reviewed.) OR
• Combination (GS-07): Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and graduate education as described above. If education is used to meet specialized experience requirements then such education must include courses directly related to the work of the position. (UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED: If you do not submit your transcript your application may not be reviewed.)

AND

ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY: In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d) No person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. You must be proficient in basic written and spoken English in order to meet the requirements of this position.

AND

SELECTIVE PLACEMENT FACTOR: This position includes a Selective Placement Factor (skill knowledge ability or other worker characteristic basic to - and essential for - satisfactory performance of the job). Selective Placement Factors are a prerequisite to appointment and represent minimum requirement for a position. Applicants who do not meet it are ineligible for further consideration.

• The Selective Placement Factor for this position is: Experience performing phlebotomy/blood draws on human patients.

For more information on these qualification standards please visit the United States Office of Personnel Managements website at

Required Experience:

IC