Clinical Laboratory Scientist

Summary

Work in a medical laboratory in an ambulatory health care center. Conduct testing to provide data to medical providers to make decisions about diagnosis and treatment of disease.

We are accepting applications year-round with eligible applicants being placed on a standing register and referred for consideration as vacancies occur with referral at multiple grade levels and locations. Referral is based on the date management request is received.

• Conducts routine and specialized tests including customer service and specimen collection.
• Reports test results and consults with medical providers on additional tests that may be useful or necessary to clarify problems.
• Contacts and evaluates reference testing.
• Designs and/or implements instrument, reagent and product check systems.
• Participates in Quality Assurance program.
• Establishes or follows a preventative maintenance program for all instruments.
• Calibrates or standardizes equipment, troubleshoots malfunctions, and makes simple repairs or identifies need for external services.
• Maintains a current procedural manual, reviewing and revising as needed.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

Must pass pre-employment examination.

Selectee may be subject to a probationary period

U.S. Citizenship is required

Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959

This is a designated position covered by Public Law 101-630, requiring contact or control over Indian children. Due to this requirement, the agency must ensure that persons hired for these positions have not been found guilty of or pleaded nolo contendere or guilty to certain crimes.

Measles and Rubella immunization required for selectees born after 1957 and seasonal influenza immunization is required for all staff working in Indian Health Service health care facilities.

COVID-19 vaccination is required for all selectees prior to entrance on duty.

Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit www.dhs.gov/E-Verify/.

You will need to set up direct deposit so we can pay you.

Background Investigation: If you are selected for this vacancy, you must undergo a pre-employment fingerprint check and background investigation. Fingerprint results and background investigation documentation must be cleared prior to hire. After you begin your employment, your continued employment is contingent upon the outcome of a complete background investigation as determined by the sensitivity level of your position. The investigation must find that you are suitable for Federal employment in your position. If you are found not suitable, you will be terminated after you begin work. If you make a false statement in any part of your application, you may not be hired; you may be fired after you begin work; or subject to possible criminal charges. You may be subject to a credit check as a part of the background investigation process.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, your resume must state sufficient experience and/or education, to perform the duties of the specific position for which you are applying.

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; religious; spiritual; community; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer and part time experience. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week.

Hiring Flexibility - Tentative Qualification: The Hiring Manager/Selecting Official elected to utilize an available flexibility wherein applicants who are actively completing a required professional training program and are expected to complete such program within 6 month(s) of applying, may be deemed tentatively qualified.

Individual Occupational Requirements: Listed below are the requirements e.g., experience or education, for a particular occupational series or positions. Note: Employees currently assigned to positions in this occupational series as of September 2017 will be considered to have met the basic requirements for the position occupied.

Education

BASIC REQUIREMENT(S):

• A. A Bachelor's or graduate/higher level degree from a regionally accredited college/university including courses in biological science, chemistry and mathematics, AND successful completion of a Medical Laboratory Scientist/Clinical Laboratory Scientist program accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS) or an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Educationat the time the degree was obtained.
• OR
• B. A FULL 4-YEAR COURSE OF STUDY that included 12 months in a college or hospital-based medical technology program or medical technology school approved by a recognized accrediting organization. The professional medical technology curriculum may have consisted of a 1-year post- bachelor's certificate program or the last 1 or 2 years of a 4-year program of study culminating in a bachelor's in medical technology.
• OR
• C. A Bachelor's or graduate/higher level degree from an accredited college/university, including 16 semester hours (24 quarter hours) of biological science (with one semester in microbiology), 16 semester hours (24 quarter hours) of chemistry (with one semester in organic or biochemistry), one semester (one quarter) of mathematics, AND five years of full time acceptable clinical laboratory experience in Blood Banking, Chemistry, Hematology, microbiology, Immunology and Urinalysis/Body Fluids. This combination of education and experience must have provided knowledge of the theories, principles, and practices of medical technology equivalent to that provided by the full 4-year course of study described in A or B above. All science and mathematics courses must have been acceptable for credit toward meeting the requirements for a science major at an accredited college or university. Acceptable experience is responsible professional or technician experience in a hospital laboratory, health agency, industrial medical laboratory, or pharmaceutical house; or teaching, test development, or medical research program experience that provided an understanding of the methods and techniques applied in performing professional clinical laboratory work. Certification/licensure as a medical technologist (generalist) obtained through written examination by a nationally recognized credentialing agency or State licensing body is a good indication that the quality of experience is acceptable.
  
  

Applicants who wish to qualify for positions at higher grade levels (generally grade GS-7 and above) must also meet the minimum qualifications, in addition to meeting the basic education requirements.

For positions GS-7 through GS-15 (or equivalent), experience or graduate education must have been in

• (1) the general field of medical technology;
• (2) one of the disciplines or specialized areas of medical technology; or
• (3) a field directly related and applicable to medical technology or the position to be filled.
  
  

NOTE: Clinical laboratory intern (student medical technologist) experience in an education program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) education program may be credited on a month-for-month basis toward meeting the GS-7 specialized experience requirement.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS For Grade GS-07

• Your resume must demonstrate you possess 1 year of specialized experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. This specialized experience must be related to the position and equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector performing the following type of work and/or tasks:
• Examples of Specialized Experience: Examples include performing duties such as assisting senior technologist in preparing reagents; assisting with performance of routine laboratory tests; following procedures to ensure quality control; using basic lab equipment/instruments; and performing phlebotomy.
  
  

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS For Grade GS-09

• Your resume must demonstrate you possess 1 year of specialized experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. This specialized experience must be related to the position and equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector performing the following type of work and/or tasks:
• Examples of Specialized Experience: Examples include: conducting testing by operating microscopes, complex electronic equipment, computers, and precision instruments in a hospital laboratory or medical laboratory that support health care facilities to provide accurate and precise data for doctors to make decisions about diagnosis and treatment of disease based on laboratory test results. Ranges of testing include pregnancy tests, monitoring antibiotic drug therapy, complex testing that uncovers disease like diabetes, AIDS, and cancer. At this level, professional knowledge and skill is used to apply the principles, concepts, and practices of medical technology; and knowledge of malfunctioning indicators of complicated instruments; mathematical and statistical processes; related disciplines; and medico legal and accrediting/regulatory agency requirements sufficient to: perform a full range of emergency tests, including complex and non-routine analyses; run quality controls; calculate and convert analytical data to test results; integrate and correlate test results with other laboratory data to draw conclusions; and ensure that work is consistent with standards.
  
  

You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement. Cut-off date(s) are established based on the date the human resources office receives management request for a list of eligibles or every 10 days thereafter. The job announcement is open continuous until the closing date.

Education

This position has an education requirement. You are strongly encouraged to submit a copy of your transcripts or a list of your courses including titles, credit hours completed, and grades. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted in the application package. Official transcripts will be required from all selectees prior to receiving an official offer.

Only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education may be credited. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: https://www.ed.gov/accreditation.

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 https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Additional information

Per IHS policy (SGM 21-04) IHS selectees to positions located in Federally operated hospitals, health centers, and clinics must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 before entry on duty or have IHS approve a medical or religious exemption. If an exemption is approved then wearing a face mask and regular testing for COVID-19 will be required. Your Human Resources Specialist will provide a list of documents acceptable as vaccination proof and instructions on how to submit your vaccination documentation or how to request a medical or religious exemption, if needed.

Additional selection(s) of candidates may be possible within 240 days from the date the certificate of eligibles was issued for this announcement.

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. IHS may offer newly-appointed Federal employees credit for their directly related previous non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave.

This position is covered by a Bargaining Unit at following servicing units.

• Western Oregon Service Unit, Salem, Oregon
• Yakama Service Unit, Toppenish, Washington
  
  

Recruitment or relocation incentives may be authorized. At least a 6 month service agreement will be required.

The Indian Health Service (IHS), National Health Service Corps (NHSC), And The Health Resources And Services Administration (HRSA) Have Student Loan Repayment Programs For Qualifying Health Disciplines. This Is a Competitive Process Separate From The Hiring Process. Opportunities For LRP Are Based On Agency Hiring Priorities And Availability Of Funds. For Additional Information Please Visit

For IHS - https://www.ihs.gov/loanrepayment/

For NHSC - https://nhsc.hrsa.gov/loanrepayment/

For HRSA Nurse Corps - https://bhw.hrsa.gov/loansscholarships/nursecorps

This position has promotion potential to the GS-09 grade level. Promotion to the next grade level is at management's discretion and is based on your demonstrated ability to perform the higher level duties, the continuing need for the higher level duties, and "Regulatory/Administrative" approval. Promotion to the next higher grade level is not guaranteed and no promise of promotion is implied.

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• Help A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
  
  

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

Portland Area Indian Health Service

1414 NW Northrup Street Suite 800

Portland, OR 97209

US

Salary : $58,832 - $79,655