Lead Clinical Lab Scientist - Microbiology/Molecular

About the role

The incumbent serves as a Lead Clinical Laboratory Scientist (CLS) within the Microbiology/Molecular section of the Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service at Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center - performing key duties in the clinical laboratory.

Responsibilities

• Develops, performs, evaluates, interprets, correlates, and validates the accuracy of laboratory procedures and results in line with current laboratory regulatory requirements.
• Tests procedures on a variety of biological specimens and/or environmental samples using manual or automated methods.
• Correlates abnormal lab data with pathological states, determines the validity of test results, and the need for additional tests.
• Provides guidance and technical direction to accomplish the work of the specific laboratory section.
• Maintains and demonstrates knowledge of professional clinical laboratory science principles, practices, concepts, and theories that support sound, independent work.
• Demonstrates comprehensive knowledge of laboratory quality control and quality assurance procedures and principles of performance improvement.
• Utilizes comprehensive knowledge of laboratory equipment and maintains, troubleshoots, and repairs instrumentation and demonstrates proper documentation of corrective action.
• Applies new scientific/technical developments to develop procedures for new tests and modify existing procedures and methods to resolve problems relative to complex and difficult situations.

Requirements

• Education: Bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university in medical laboratory science, medical technology, clinical laboratory science, or a related science.
• Certification: Generalist certification as an MLS given by ASCP BOC or AMT, Generalist certification as an MT given by ASCP BOR or AMT.
• Experience: 1 year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-11) is required.

Qualifications

• Knowledge and understanding of concepts, principles, methodology of medical laboratory technology, regulatory and accrediting agency requirements, medico-legal requirements, and pertinent statistics sufficient to perform complex diagnostic tests.
• Knowledge of instructional techniques to instruct newly hired clinical laboratory scientists and clinical pathology residents in proper performance of tests and applications of laboratory procedures.
• Skill to apply new scientific/technical developments to develop procedures for new tests and modify existing procedures and methods to resolve problems relative to complex and difficult situations.
• Ability to provide guidance and technical direction to accomplish the work of the specific laboratory section.

Skills

• Knowledge of one or more advanced clinical laboratory functions.
• Ability to provide guidance and technical direction to accomplish the work of the specific laboratory section.
• Ability to provide guidance and technical direction to accomplish the work of the specific laboratory section.

Benefits

Competitive salary and regular salary increases
Paid time off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave - 13 days of sick leave - 11 paid Federal holidays per year)
Parental leave: After 12 months of employment - up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child
Child care subsidy: After 60 days of employment - full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66
Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA
Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)

Pay

Competitive salary and regular salary increases

Schedule

7:30a-4:00p or 8:00a-4:30p - Monday-Friday - Full-Time