Medical Laboratory Technician

Summary The incumbent serves in the Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Service (P&LMS) at the Audie L. Murphy VA. The position is that of a Medical Laboratory Technician that performs phlebotomy and provides technical support to medical center and clinic providers that utilize P&LMS services. The incumbent in this position performs a variety of duties which are interrelated to ensuring the timely and proper procurement and processing of specimens for analysis in the laboratory. Responsibilities The Medical Laboratory Technician performs venipuncture on both inpatients and outpatients utilizing age and gender specific skills to the young adult, the adult, and geriatric patient. Primary duties are the reception of the patients, performing positive patient identification procedures, verifying test orders in VISTA, organizing patient workflow based on patient needs, and processing orders correctly. The incumbent performs venipuncture according to well documented guidelines and protocols with minimal discomfort to the patient. The incumbent identifies unusual discrepancies/conditions that can cause erroneous results. The incumbent accurately accessions specimens into VISTA and is the primary source of determining the acceptability, integrity, proper labeling, and volume of specimens for testing. The technician and distributes specimens to the proper laboratory section as he/she deems appropriate. Work Schedule: 0830-1700 Monday-Friday Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Medical Laboratory Technician/PD00717A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Requirements 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 You may be required to serve a probationary/trial period 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, driver's 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) Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 07/14/2025. 0645 series requires candidates must meet the following Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR) for positions at GS-4 and above: Specialized Experience: (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. OR Education and Training: Successful completion of (a) an associate-degree course of study of which the 2nd year of the 2-year program included successful completion of a training course of approximately a year's duration in a certified laboratory assistant school approved by a nationally recognized accrediting agency; (b) 1 year of study that included 6 semester hours in chemistry and/or the biological sciences, plus successful completion of the training course as described in (a) above for GS-3; or (c) 2 years of study that included at least 12 semester hours of chemistry and/or biological science course work that must have been directly related to the specialization of the position to be filled. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) In Addition to the IOR mentioned above you must also meet one of the following: Specialized Experience: You must have 6 months of general experience, and 6 months of specialized experience. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Specialized experience includes: knowledge of approved venipuncture specimen collection techniques and laboratory test requirements, knowledge of processing and storage requirements and procedures for laboratory specimens, knowledge of patient identification methods, and knowledge and technical skill to perform patient testing and quality control procedures, verify the accuracy of results obtained and reporting results as required by policy. OR Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have possess 2 years above high school with courses related to the occupation. Note: At grades GS-4 and above, a portion of the education is usually directly related to the work of the position to be filled. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) OR Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education beyond a high school diploma.(TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Specimen Collection Computer Skills Patient Care Quality Assurance Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Physical Requirements: The work requires regular and recurring physical exertion such as standing, bending, and working for long periods of time. Mental stress is also involved due to requirements for accuracy coupled with a limited time frame in which to work. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at Education A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: NOTE: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application. If your school was accredited at the time of graduation but is no longer listed on the website, you must provide documentation of accreditation with your application packet. Additional Information Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.