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Summary The Pathology Specialist position is in the Pathology and Laboratory Department at the VA Boston Healthcare System, located at the West Roxbury MA location. This position is Full Time at 40 hours per week. Responsibilities The Pathology Specialist position provides technical and administrative assistance, oversight, and coordination of all the grossing areas, frozen section areas and autopsy suite in Anatomic Pathology Service.. Duties include, but are not limited to: Responsible for coordinating daily Surgical Pathology functions, working independently to perform these high complexity functions, or in collaboration with one or more pathologists. Oversees and performs work in the grossing areas, frozen section areas and autopsy suite to ensure proper processing of tissue samples, especially those requiring special handling. Functions independently to monitor workflow, designs and implements new processes and procedures, evaluates outcomes and implements improvements. Maintains, develops, and participates in the development of up-to-date anatomical pathology protocols. Independently determines the appropriate triage of patient biopsy material for additional testing and uses judgment on the correct additional tests to apply to limited sample. Provides oversight of quality assurance functions to ensure the quality of technical work performed. Prepares work areas for all inspections and participates in all internal, regulatory, safety and accreditation inspection processes as required by the Chief of the Service. Works closely with the attending pathologist and participates in the teaching of residents and medical students. Develops policies and procedures for autopsy protocol, specimen grossing, frozen section procedures, morgue set up and supplies. Performing initial examination and processing of pathology specimens including fixing, gross examination, orientation, cutting and dissecting, photographing, and sectioning of patient autopsy, biopsy and surgical specimens. Accessioning biopsy and surgical specimens with the occasional assistance of the histotechnologists/histotechnicians to the Laboratory Information system and ensuring that requisitions are properly completed, and that specimen containers, and cassettes are properly labeled. Addressing clinician/provider inquiries concerning autopsy and surgical cases. Assisting in setting up for gross specimen conferences, such as the autopsy or brain cutting conferences. Assisting pathologists, residents, and medical students in completing autopsies, lifting bodies from the stretcher to the table, in handling surgical instruments such as knives, saws, scaffolds, forceps, etc. Assisting, on occasion, in the collection of fluids or tissue specimens for approved research projects, under direct or indirect supervision by the pathologists according to department protocols. Assuring that the morgue and cutting room are properly supplied, maintaining inventory and reporting items to be ordered to the anatomic pathology manager. Developing, reviewing and revising procedures in anatomic pathology. Ensuring that anatomic pathology equipment is functioning properly and will take appropriate action when there is an equipment malfunction. Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level. Work Schedule: Full-Time Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm Compressed/Flexible: Not authorized Telework: Not authorized Virtual: This is not a virtual position Position Description# 03345A/02017A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not authorized Financial Disclosure: Not required NOTIFICATIONS: This position is in the Competitive Service. This position is covered by a special rate. Potential travel to other BHS Lab sites for various Pathology duties. Veterans' preference does not apply for internal or other current permanent Federal agency employees. Current and former Federal employees must submit copies of their most recent SF-50, (Notice of Personnel Action). The SF-50 must identify the position title, series, grade, step, tenure and type of service (Competitive or Excepted). In some cases, more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held. 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 You may be required to serve a probationary/trial period 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) Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/09/2025. 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 9 level you must have served 52 weeks at the GS 7 level. For a GS 11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS 9 level. 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. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. 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. Individual Occupational Requirements - The General Medical and Healthcare Series 0601 required specific education to be met in order to be appointment into a position of this series. Basic Requirements: Education: Bachelor's or graduate/higher level degree: major study in an academic field related to the medical field, health sciences or allied sciences appropriate to the work of the position. This degree must be from an educational program from an accrediting body recognized by the US Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained. GRADE DETERMINATIONS. In addition to the Individual Occupational Requirements listed above, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience GS 9: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-07, Experience includes but is not limited to: This is a developmental level. Provides technical and administrative assistance, oversight, and coordination of all the grossing areas, frozen section areas and autopsy suite in Anatomic Pathology Service. Serves as technical consultant and advisor to pathologists, laboratory managers, laboratory supervisors, medical staff, (both local and at other health care facilities) regarding policies, procedures, and practices related to anatomic pathology. OR; Two (2) years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree OR; A combination of Education and Experience. Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond progressively higher-level graduate education (beyond the second year), as described above, which meet the total experience requirements for this grade level. The education portion must include graduate courses that demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. Experience must be clearly indicated in your resume. Specialized Experience GS 11: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-9, Experience includes but is not limited to: Responsible for coordinating daily Surgical Pathology functions, working independently to perform these high complexity functions, or in collaboration with one or more pathologists. Oversees and performs work in the grossing areas, frozen section areas and autopsy suite to ensure proper processing of tissue samples, especially those requiring special handling. Functions independently to monitor workflow, designs and implements new processes and procedures, evaluates outcomes and implements improvements. OR; Three (3) years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree. OR; A combination of education and experience. Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond progressively higher-level graduate education (beyond the second year), as described above, which meet the total experience requirements for this grade level. The education portion must include graduate courses that demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. Experience must be clearly indicated in your resume. Preferred Experience: Experience working in a Hospital Pathology setting. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Communications Diagnostic Medical Testing Infection Control Quality Management 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: The work requires long periods of standing, bending over instruments, counters and tables (cryostat, autopsy table, cutting benches), as well as, heavy lifting (bodies and supplies). The work procedure requires manual dexterity and depth perception for determining depth and angles of cuts into human tissue. Work Environment: The work requires regular and recurring exposure to infectious agents such as, tuberculosis, hepatitis, HIV and other agents; to body fluids and tissues; and to caustic, flammable, noxious, toxic and/or carcinogenic chemical reagents and solutions. The incumbent is required to utilize personal protective equipment including gloves, goggles, laboratory coats and masks; chemical disposable barrels; and fume hoods. The work includes the use of extremely sharp cutting instruments in difficult conditions with limited visibility. The work involves exposure to potentially dangerous situations such as using a bone saw to resection bone tumor specimens and during post mortem examination. The work requires the incumbent to follow all established safety policies and procedures, as written to the medical center safety manual as well as the anatomic pathology procedure manuals. These policies address a wide range of issues, including chemical hygiene, infection control, and personal safety, minimizing hazards, and accident reporting. 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. 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. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. 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. 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.