Health Technician (Pathology & Lab)

Summary The selectee serves as a Health Technician in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service at the Birmingham VA Medical Center, which provides acute tertiary medical and surgical care 24 hours a day, (7) days a week, including holidays. Learn more about this agency Duties Major duties and responsibilities will include: Specimen Processing/Processing Support. This person has the following major areas of responsibility: Receives all specimens delivered to the laboratory for processing; Accessions all specimens into the computer system, using both automated and manual methods/downtime; Transports specimens from the collection site to the respective department for testing; Unpackages specimens and creates a manifest for all specimens being sent between Birmingham and CBOC locations for testing; Answers questions relative to patient specimens and tests requested; Instructs and assists patients, physicians, and providers on specimen requirements; Ensures adequate usage of equipment and maintenance of all required records; The incumbent will also trouble shoot all specimen type discrepancies according to specimen requirements; Accession and properly handle specimens in preparation for packaging and shipping to reference laboratories; Aliquot and store sample according to specimen integrity; Load sample onto instruments; Multitask/prioritize and work independently ;Scan and file documents; Additional duties as assigned; Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 7:30 am to 4:00 pm or Midnight - 8:00 am. Compressed/Flexible: Not Available Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Health Technician (Pathology & Lab)/PD10201A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Requirements Conditions of employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job Designated and/or random drug testing may be required Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 Qualifications 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: Satisfactory physical examination as determined by the Employee Health Unit upon appointment only. The work is mostly sedentary and requires some standing, bending and carrying light items such as charts, papers, and books. Occasionally a piece of equipment would need to be moved. A significant amount of walking is also required to interact with patients and other services. 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 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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html. 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. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related 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. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal/VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/. Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position. It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members. For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document. If you are unable to apply online view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application. Expand Hide  additional information 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 Review our benefits