Summary This position is located in the Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service at the VA St. Louis Health Care System. The incumbent serves as a Lead Medical Technician-Phlebotomist in the Central Receiving Unit and the Core laboratory sections of the P&LMS. Responsibilities The incumbent will perform point of care testing, phlebotomy, accession specimens, and perform other procedures necessary to ensure appropriate specimen receipt, handling, and processing to ensure accurate, reliable laboratory results. The incumbent will perform a variety of complex tests and examinations and use of complex equipment. Major Duties include but are not limited to: Incumbent performs blood collection and specimen labeling: Performs routine venipuncture specimen collections from inpatient, outpatient, and ambulatory inpatients. Required to remain at a minimum of ten patient draws per hour. Correctly identifies each patient using at least two valid, acceptable patient identifiers as required by The Joint Commission, College of American Pathologists (CAP) and other regulatory agencies. Maintains patient confidentiality. Correctly identifies acceptable venipuncture site or finger stick site (for bleeding times). Maintains sterile technique and performs venipuncture according to guidelines. Determines appropriate number and type of tubes of blood, ensuring that tubes meet quality and volume standard required for optimum clinical sampling. Labels each and every tube as required and instructed with all necessary identifiers and information, in the presence of the patient and before proceeding. Ensures that the organization's strategic plan, mission, vision and values are communicated to the team and integrated into the team's strategies, goals, objectives, work plans and work products and services. Monitors the status and progress of work, and make day- to- day adjustments in accordance with established priorities, obtaining assistance from the supervisor on problems that may arise, such as backlogs which cannot be disposed of promptly. Instruct employees in specific tasks and job techniques and make available written instructions, reference materials and supplies. Participates in job interviews and selection of applicants for vacant positions and also in the training and on-boarding of new employees in accordance with establish procedures. The incumbent is responsible for performing a limited amount of patient testing in different sections of the laboratory which includes, but is not limited to, urinalysis, coagulation, chemistry, microbiology, serology and immunology. The incumbent assists with performance of complex test procedures such as urinalysis, basic metabolic panel, urine pregnancy testing, Prothrombin time, INR, chemistry testing of ionized calcium through point of care analyzer, biochemical and serological procedures such as serological test for treponemal infection (syphilis), plating of microbiology specimens and preparing smears for gram stain to identify pathogenic organisms and protein electrophoresis. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday - Dayshift with rotating weekends and holidays. The service is flexible on the tour of duty times. Some shift times include: 5:30am-2pm, 7am-3:30pm, 8:30am-5pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Lead Medical Technician - Phlebotomist/PD08002A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: A recruitment incentive may be paid to a Highly Qualified candidate. Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required 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 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 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, 09/04/2025. 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. If you are a GS-01 or GS-02, for a GS-05 position you must have served 52 weeks in the position to meet the requirement. 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: Specialized Experience: For positions at GS-4 and above: (a) Technical medical laboratory support work such as performing laboratory tests and examinations (chemical, microbiologic, hematologic and blood banking) and preparing reports of findings or (b) technical support work in a closely related field, e.g., biological laboratory technician work, that required application of the methods and techniques for the position to be filled. or Education and Training: For GS-5: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with major study or at least 24 semester hours in subjects appropriate to the position to be filled. In addition to the individual occupational requirement, you must meet one of the following qualifications below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-4 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: blood collections and specimen labeling; routine venipuncture specimen collections from inpatient, outpatient, and ambulatory inpatients; ensure samples are delivered to the clinical laboratory with the least possible delay; determine the appropriate number and type of tubes of blood, ensuring that tubes meet quality and volume standard required for optimum clinical sampling; and labels each and every tube as required and instructed with all necessary identifiers and information, in the presence of the patient and before proceeding to the next patient. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have taken a 4-year course of study above high school leading to a bachelor's degree with courses related to the occupation, if required. (Transcripts are required). OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond high school. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Computer Skills Leadership Quality Assurance Specimen Collection 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: Physical demands may involve minimal lifting, extensive standing, extensive walking, extensive bending, or sitting. The incumbent must have the digital dexterity and adequate vision to perform safe venipuncture procedures. Lifting will not exceed a weight of 10 pounds. The incumbent must fully utilize all safety practice and equipment provided by the medical center, and in compliance with local and accrediting agency requirements. 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. 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. 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. 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/. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application. The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act (or the Act) prohibits the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) from requesting applicant criminal history record information before extending a conditional or tentative offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S.C § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Act, may submit a written complaint within 30 calendar days of the date of the alleged non-compliance to VA at vacofairchanceact@va.gov. Applicant written complaints should include the following: Administration name: Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), Veterans Health Administration (VHA), National Cemetery Administration (NCA) or VA Central Office (VACO) (for example, Human Resources Service Center). Office name, employee name and contact information or contractor who made contact (if known). Date of contact. Details regarding the job opportunity announcement applied to, and copies of any documents or other evidence related to the complaint. Visit Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer (OCHCO) (va.gov) for more information.