Medical Laboratory Technician

Veterans Health Administration • Pittsburgh, PA

4d • Onsite

About The Position

The VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System is hiring an entry-level Medical Laboratory Technician for the Core Laboratory and Phlebotomy sections of the Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Program. The position is located at the Pittsburgh VA Medical Center—University Drive facility. The technician performs technical and non-technical duties under closer supervision at GS-05, in accordance with VA, CAP, TJC, FDA, and AABB requirements. The vacancy may be filled at GS-05 or GS-06; the full performance level is GS-05.

The role includes receiving and accessioning specimens, collecting blood from inpatients and outpatients, processing specimens, performing point-of-care tests, loading samples onto automated testing platforms, recording results in the laboratory information system, and providing clerical and customer-service support. The technician also supports specimen referrals and communicates with patients, providers, visitors, and staff.

The schedule is Monday through Friday, 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., with rotating weekends and holidays. Telework and virtual work are not available. This is a permanent federal position; recruitment and relocation incentives and permanent-change-of-station assistance are not authorized.

Requirements

• Meet applicable educational requirements for certification as a Medical Laboratory Technician.
• Currently hold an MLT certification from ASCP Board of Certification, ASCP Board of Registry, American Medical Technologists, or American Association of Bioanalysts; alternatively, eligible non-certified applicants may receive a temporary graduate MLT appointment of up to two years, subject to the stated conditions.
• Be a U.S. citizen, except that non-citizens may be appointed only when qualified citizens cannot be recruited in accordance with VA policy.
• Be proficient in spoken and written English.
• Pass a pre-employment physical evaluation and, for tentatively selected applicants in testing-designated positions, pre-employment urinalysis.
• Meet pre-employment background/security investigation, onboarding, identification, and application-document requirements.
• Register with Selective Service if a male born after December 31, 1959.
• Participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program.
• Serve a one- or two-year trial period, subject to written certification for continued employment.
• For selection at GS-06, have one year of experience equivalent to GS-05 and demonstrate the specified knowledge, skills, and abilities: MLT principles and practices; laboratory quality control and quality assurance and inventory/document control; maintaining, troubleshooting, and repairing instrumentation; teamwork; technical judgment in interpreting results; applying complex written laboratory instructions; and consulting with healthcare team members, patients, and external customers.
• Foreign MLT program graduates must have current certification as specified to meet the basic education requirements.
• Education used to qualify must be from an institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education; foreign education requires a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with the transcript.

Nice To Haves

• Clinical laboratory or reference laboratory technical experience is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Accession and receive laboratory specimens into the laboratory information computer system.
• Collect blood by venipuncture from inpatients and outpatients for requested tests.
• Verify specimen labeling, processing, and distribution; answer questions about specimen collection and instruct or assist patients.
• Process specimens and perform point-of-care testing, including urine pregnancy, COVID antigen, fingerstick glucose, and fingerstick protime/INR tests, as needed.
• Load specimens onto automated testing platforms.
• Maintain specimen-collection inventory and supplies, including containers, aliquot containers, requisitions, special kits, tubes, and computer supplies.
• Perform clerical duties, including answering and screening calls, directing calls, completing requisitions, and filing manifests and results according to record schedules.
• Document specimens rejected for testing with the reason and notify providers.
• Transcribe completed reference-laboratory reports into the laboratory information system.
• Record and report test results in the laboratory information system.
• Perform, review, and document quality control for point-of-care testing for which trained.
• Handle incoming patient and provider referrals and calls; provide customer service to veterans, visitors, and staff; and support laboratory specimen referrals.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and regular salary increases; a higher step rate may be considered based on higher or unique qualifications or VA needs.
• 37–50 days of annual paid time off per year, including 13–26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, and 11 paid federal holidays.
• Eligible employees may receive credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior work or military service, subject to approval.
• After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave for birth, adoption, or foster-care placement of a child.
• Eligible full-time employees may qualify for a childcare subsidy after 60 days of employment, subject to income and other eligibility limits.
• Traditional federal pension with five-year vesting and a federal 401(k), with VA contributions up to 5%.
• Federal health, vision, dental, term-life, and long-term-care insurance; many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed