The VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System is recruiting for a Supervisory Chemist. The Supervisory Chemist will function in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service (P&LM;). The Supervisory Chemist provides professional/scientific expertise to the developing area of Molecular Diagnostics and consults with the Chemistry Supervisors in complex areas such as mass spectrometry when requested. The incumbent also provides scientific and professional assistance to the Office of the Chief of the service.
Providing professional/scientific expertise to the developing area of Molecular Diagnostics
Reviewing, planning and directing developmental approaches to new automated and manual Molecular Diagnostic testing, utilizing extensive knowledge of advanced technology and "High-Tech" techniques including but not limited to PCR, Next Generation Sequencing, and bioinformatics
Developing new complicated laboratory procedures and devises modifications to current procedures to correct problems or to further improve methods of analysis
Performing cost versus benefit analysis on laboratory testing and makes recommendations to the Assistant Chief (Administration)/Chief, to reduce testing sent to referral laboratories
Implementing the new method or instrumentation in accordance with regulatory requirements
Overseeing complex and sophisticated diagnostic and prognostic services
Teaching and training the Medical technologist in this highly sophisticated, highly complex testing and may at times have to perform analysis
Reviewing all the results for correctness as required by regulatory agencies (CAP, TJC, AABB, FDA) and directs involved technicians/technologists/ operators in the correction of errors, and notifies attending physicians as appropriate
Writing and updating procedure manuals applicable to the assigned laboratory section
Reviewing all proficiency testing reports, including corrective actions prepared by the Lead Medical Technologist
Formulating quality improvement plans and implements them to correct areas of identified deficiencies or weaknesses
Maintaining the status of full compliance with regulatory and accrediting agencies' requirements, e.g., CAP, JCAHO, ODH and OSHA
Responsible for the day to day operation and supervision of the Molecular Laboratory Section
Assuring that all standards of the American College of Pathologists (CAP) are practiced at all times in the Section, and that the section will qualify for accreditation by CAP
Responsible for implementing and monitoring the compliance of mandatory safety programs within the Section, and provides recommendations for improvement of the safety programs to the Laboratory Safety Officer
Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position Position Description/PD#: 05394-O Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required
Designated and/or random drug testing may be required
Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
You may be required to serve a probationary period
Subject to background/security investigation
Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
Qualifications
In order to qualify for this position, you must meet the following requirements within 15 calendar days of the closing date listed on the announcement:
Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.
Applicants must be eligible under the VA Interchange Agreement, having served continuously for at least one year in the other merit system under this interchange agreement. For more information regarding the VA Interchange Agreement please visit: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-authorities/competitive-hiring/.
All Title 38 Veterans Canteen Service (VCS) employees must have served in their Excepted Service position for at least 90 days in order to be eligible for a position within the Competitive Service.
Applicants who were previously selected under a Competitive Delegating Examining Unit (DEU) announcement must have served in their position for at least 90 days prior to being eligible for other positions within the Competitive Service.
Selective Placement Factor:
This position includes a Selective Placement Factor (SPF), which is a knowledge, skill, ability or other worker characteristic basic to - and essential for - satisfactory performance of the job. Selective Placement Factors are a prerequisite to appointment and represent minimum requirements for a position. Applicants who do not meet it are ineligible for further consideration. The Selective Placement Factor for this position is: experience performing Molecular Diagnostic techniques, including but not limited to Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) and bioinformatic as well as proficient in NGS data analysis pipeline design and implementation.
This position has an Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR). All applicants must meet one of the following to meet the basic requirement of the position:
Must have successfully completed a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree that included a major study in physical sciences, life sciences, or engineering that included 30 semester hours in chemistry, supplemented by course work in mathematics through differential and integral calculus, and at least 6 semester hours of physics. (Transcripts required). OR
Must have a combination of education and experience -- course work equivalent to a major as shown above, including at least 30 semester hours in chemistry, supplemented by mathematics through differential and integral calculus, and at least 6 semester hours of physics, plus appropriate experience or additional education in the chemistry field.
In addition to the IOR you must also meet the grade level requirements of the position; you may qualify based on your experience as described below:
Specialized Experience: Must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level to qualify at the GS-12 level. Examples of specialized experience include: providing technical guidance and instructions with regards to Molecular Diagnostic testing and clinical analysis of hospital samples with respect to chemistry approaches; clinical experience with in vitro molecular diagnostic testing, molecular method development and instrument validation; analyzing difficult, complex, and unusual human samples received in the molecular laboratory; determining the validity of molecular test methods and results and recommends acceptance or rejection; selecting and supervising molecular tests in a laboratory to determine operating performance of equipment and employees for conformance with specifications; performing the full range of specialized molecular analyses and tests in the laboratory of a large hospital; receiving samples or analytical requests that consist primarily of difficult or unusual molecular problems presented by the professional medical staff of the hospital; determining the molecular approach and methods to use, taking into consideration the chemistry and biological characteristics of the substances; modifying methods to meet the specific assignment requirements; and evaluating and interpreting a wide variety of material and determines if the data is complete and valid.
Preferred Qualifications:
PhD in Chemistry
Proficiency in Linux and Python highly desirable
You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:
Technical Competence
Quality Assurance
Decision Making
Analytical Reasoning
Diagnostic Medical Testing
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: Work requires occasional standing and regular and recurrent exposure to biohazard material under controlled conditions.
Education
There is no educational substitution at this grade level.
A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.
PLEASE NOTE: Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications (particularly positions with a positive education requirement). Therefore, applicants must report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html. All education claimed by applicants will be verified by the appointing agency accordingly. 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.
Additional information
Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities [i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities], and/or Disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. Contact the Agency Contact for information on how to apply under this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator.
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 (have a final rating of 85 or more) for this vacancy. 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.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.
Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview.Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
Resume (when listing previous employment please include month and year).
Your most recent Within Grade Increase SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility.
If you have previously held a higher grade and are applying based on that grade, you must provide a copy of the SF-50 showing you held the higher grade in addition to your last or most recent SF-50 indicating proof of status. Note: Your SF-50 must reflect the grade and step information equivalent to or greater than the grade lower than the position you are applying to. This may not always be your most recent SF-50. You may need to submit more than one SF-50.
If prior military service, include all copies of your DD-214 or proof of service as well as proof of disability, if applicable. You must submit your documentation showing character of discharge.
If you are claiming reinstatement eligibility, you must provide a copy of your separation SF-50 or equivalent personnel action form reflecting you permanent status.
Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
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. Learn 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.
All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 12/06/2018 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/10362596.
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Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.
NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.
To verify your application is complete, log into your USA JOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Application page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. To return to an incomplete application, log into your USA JOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USA JOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. After we receive application packages (including all required documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we will review applications to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email. Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made.
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Areas of Consideration - Applicants will be considered based on the following areas of consideration.
First Area of Consideration (facility employees) - Current, permanent VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System employees (this includes Outpatient Clinics, permanent employees of the Veteran Canteen Service assigned to this facility, Office of Information & Technology employees assigned to this facility, CPAC bargaining unit employees located at the Cleveland VAMC, and Virtual CBOPC bargaining unit employees under station 741 located at the Cleveland VAMC.
Second Area of Consideration (other VA employees) - Current, permanent Department of Veterans Affairs Employees (VA employees who are located at other VA medical centers).
Third Area of Consideration (status candidates) - Current, permanent Federal employees, former Federal employees with reinstatement rights, and VEOA eligible (separated under honorable conditions after three or more years of continuous active service or preference eligible).
The Federal hiring process is setup to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
Equal Employment Opportunity Policy
The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor.
Federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process should follow the instructions in the job opportunity announcement. For any part of the remaining hiring process, applicants should contact the hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.
A reasonable accommodation is any change to a job, the work environment, or the way things are usually done that enables an individual with a disability to apply for a job, perform job duties or receive equal access to job benefits.
Under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodations when:
An applicant with a disability needs an accommodation to have an equal opportunity to apply for a job.
An employee with a disability needs an accommodation to perform the essential job duties or to gain access to the workplace.
An employee with a disability needs an accommodation to receive equal access to benefits, such as details, training, and office-sponsored events.
You can request a reasonable accommodation at any time during the application or hiring process or while on the job. Requests are considered on a case-by-case basis.
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Learn more about
Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration
OUR MISSION: To fulfill President Lincoln's promise "To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan" - by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's Veterans. How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate care to Veterans?
Focusing on treating the whole Veteran through health promotion and disease prevention, the VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System provides comprehensive, seamless health care and social services for more than 112,000 Veterans across Northeast Ohio. With 18 locations of care, including a 674-bed tertiary medical center, 13 outpatient clinics, two community resource and referral centers, a psychosocial rehabilitation and recovery center, a chronic dialysis center and an ambulatory surgery center, the VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System's quality services are easily accessible to Veterans in 24 counties.
The healthcare system's hub, the Cleveland VA Medical Center, is a national and regional referral center providing a full range of patient care services with state-of-the-art technology, medical education, research, and general acute and psychiatric emergency rooms. The medical center has been recognized for more programs of excellence than any other VA medical center and is home to two VA research centers, the Cleveland FES Center and the Advanced Platform Technology Center.
With us, you will find a challenging, yet rewarding career experience.
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