"Alerted.org

Summary This position is in the Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration (VHA), South Central VA Health Care Network (VISN 16), Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center (MEDVAMC) in Houston, Texas, under Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service (PLMS) in the Outpatient Specimen Acquisition section. The MEDVAMC is a complexity 1A facility, classified as the highest in complexity within the Veterans Health Administration, and is one of the largest physical facilities in the VA system. Responsibilities Major Duties: Responsible direct management of blood drawing and accessioning/processing personnel. Promotes efficient delivery of laboratory specimens, services, and information. Reports statistics on specimen collection workload, to update phlebotomy policies and procedures. Oversee the performing of all inpatient specimen-logins, production and distribution of all work lists and specimens. Draw blood on patients using aseptic venipuncture techniques. Performs glucose tolerance tests following procedures, utilizing timing interval computations. Oversee the processing of a wide variety of complex specimens from hospitalized patients and patients from inpatient and community-based clinics. Reviews how the health techs receive, route and store specimens. Reconciles and verifies sample types and volumes with electronic orders and hard copy requisitions. Ensures samples have the correct UID accession number label as appropriate and that label is placed so bar codes are instrument ready. Ensures correct routing of clinical samples to laboratory sections, informing other staff of sample urgency as necessary. Ensure staff are familiar with tests performed throughout the laboratory, i.e. chemistry, hematology, urinalysis, coagulation, microbiology, and cytology. Utilizes computer system to acknowledge specimen receipt and orders and accessions all specimens correctly and ensures all specimens are recorded accurately in computer system as well as proper documentation performed by all staff involved. Ability to verify and evaluate a variety of physician generated test orders for these specimens in computer system generates bar coded patient identification labels with laboratory testing accession numbers, affixes the labels to the correct specimens. Trains health technicians and other employees as requested in phlebotomy techniques, equipment use, test requirements, etc. Controls personnel matters such as leave schedules, attendance certification, performance standards and evaluation of job performance. Assigns and adjusts work assignments providing specimen acquisition coverage. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 5:30am-2:00pm (Subject to change based on the needs of the Agency) Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Supervisory Medical Technician/PD04165A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Announcement closing date has been adjusted to 1/26/2026. Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. 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) Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial 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 or trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 01/26/2026. 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-7 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-6. 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. You may qualify based on your experience as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-6 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Management of day-to-day workload; Management of day-to-day operations; Management of disruptive behavior; Team Building; Outpatient specimen-logins, production, distribution of work lists and specimens; Processing for correctly identifying patient information according to regulatory agencies; Collecting and maintaining statistics on specimen collection workload; Greeting, receiving and checking in patients; Computerized Patient Records; Using aseptic venipuncture techniques and specimen labeling; Proper techniques for accessioning, processing and storage of specimens; Performing glucose tolerance testing following procedure and utilizing timing interval computations; and Techniques for successfully completing difficult and/or hard sticks. Note: This experience must be supported by your resume to be creditable. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Administration and Management Planning and Evaluating Specimen Collection Technical Competence 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 performed by the Supervisory Medical Technician requires the ability to move around the office and clinic and requires some standing, walking, bending and carrying of light items up to 20 pounds such as office files, copy paper, supplies, etc. 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 There is no educational substitution at this grade level. Additional Information Receiving Service Credit for 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.