Pathology Specialist

Summary This position is located in the VA Medical Center in San Diego, CA. The Pathology Specialist is an allied health professional, qualified by academic and practical training to assist in providing technical and administrative assistance, oversight and coordination of all services in Anatomic Pathology. The purpose of this position is to manage the operations of the Anatomic Pathology section within a large, high complex medical center laboratory. Duties ***The closing date of this announcement has been extended until Wednesday, March 18th**** ***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION*** The purpose of this position is to manage the operations of the Anatomic Pathology section within a large, high complex medical center laboratory. Major duties include, but may not be limited to the following: Performs daily surgical pathology functions; works independently to perform these highly complex functions, or in collaboration with one or more physicians, pathology residents, medical students, technicians, and technologists. Performs all elements of gross examination and sectioning of every type of surgical pathology specimens. Performs or requests specialized test including histochemical and immunohistochemical stains and cytometry, and interpreting the results. Photographs gross specimens and maintains a file of gross photographs for teaching purposes. Reviews regulatory criteria, ensuring all procedures and protocols are maintained up to date with regulatory criteria, prepares work areas for inspection, and participates in the inspection process. Plays a leading role in the education and training of residents in pathology, other medical specialties, and medical students, regarding the practice of Anatomic Pathology and Autopsy. Assists in the collection, reporting and interpretation of data for Anatomic Pathology Quality Assurance programs, participates in Quality Assurance committee, making recommendations as needed. Performs autopsies, with or without an autopsy assistant, upon review of the medical record, correlation of the gross pathology with the patient's clinical presentation, preparation of external and internal descriptions. Performs duties such as stains and labels specimens of routine histology as needed. Prepares frozen tissue sections and other tissue sections within or outside of the histology department. Performs other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:30am-5:00pm Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Requirements Conditions of employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). 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) 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 interest. In 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 period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications Preferred Experience/Certification: Specialized training and graduate degree with recognized programs by National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS) of Pathology Assistant is highly desired. BASIC EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENT: Bachelor's or higher level degree with a major study in an academic field related to the medical field, health sciences or allied sciences appropriate to the work of the position (i.e. pathology, histopathology, etc.). This degree must be from an educational program from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained. NOTE: Transcripts are required at the time of application. ~AND~ SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: One year of specialized experience that equipped you with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-11 grade level. Specialized experience includes: performing gross examination and sectioning of every type of surgical pathology specimens and preparing specimens for microscopic examination and pathologic diagnosis; removing and dissecting organs to demonstrate the presence or absence of disease and/or atomic variation; sectioning tissues and body fluids for further examination; performing autopsies and frozen tissue sections; and educating/training residents/ students in Anatomic Pathology and Autopsy procedures. (Resume must clearly support responses to this online questionnaire to received credit. We will not make assumption regarding experience.) A Quality Ranking Factor* has also been requested by the facility to help determine which of the basically qualified applicants are likely to be better qualified for a position. The quality ranking factor for this position is: Highly qualified candidates are ASCP Certified (American Society for Clinical Pathology). *Quality Ranking Factors are skills, knowledge, abilities, or other worker characteristics which could be expected to result in superior performance on the job. Quality ranking factors will not be used for screening but may be used as ranking criteria. Applicants with higher proficiency levels may rank above those with lower proficiency levels on a quality ranking factor. You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: Organizational Performance Analysis Pathophysiology Quality Ranking Factor Teaches Others Technical Competence IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. 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. 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; 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. Physical Requirements: The work requires long periods of standing while performing gross examinations and teaching others to do so, recurrent bending when performing frozen sections and autopsies, sitting, intense concentration in noisy and congested areas, and walking moderate distances between alternate work sites. It occasionally involves moving human bodies and lifting objects under 50 pounds. Performance of duty requires above average manual dexterity in dissecting specimens and cutting frozen sections good, hand-eye coordination, and normal color vision in order to properly interpret specimens with regard to staining, etc. The work involves regular and recurrent exposure to irritating and/or toxic chemicals, volatile organic solutions, disagreeable odors, and potentially infectious material. Protective gear and special safety precautions are required and include protective agents such as laboratory coat, gloves, mask, respirator, and eye protective devices, as necessary. Incumbent may be required to work in contaminated and infectious areas, wards, and laboratories. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/. Education IMPORTANT: 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: http://ope.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: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov). Additional information Note: Per "Executive Order 14251: Exclusions from Federal Labor-Management Relations Programs", this position is no longer eligible for bargaining unit participation. 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. Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution. Benefits 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. Review our 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.