Duties

Summary

This position is located in the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Center for Clinical Standards and Quality (CCSQ), Quality Safety & Oversight Group (QSOG).

As a Clinical Laboratory Scientist, GS-0644-13, you will oversee the development, evaluation, implementation, and monitoring of health quality and safety standards for laboratories under Medicare & Medicaid and the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA).
Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

• Ensure comprehensive compliance with applicable quality control and proficiency testing programs, wide-ranging safety standards, and any and all agency policies.
• Develop new or revised operational instructions, forms and policies necessitated by changes in the law and/or regulations.
• Prepare responses to technical and controversial inquiries concerning standards and procedures in the CLIA program.
• Represent CMS in conferences and discussions with professional or private organizations and individuals or committees to further the understanding of the CLIA program in order to encourage a coordinated approach in areas of mutual interest.

Travel Required

Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel up to 5% for this position.

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
13

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen or National to apply for this position.
• You will be subject to a background and suitability investigation.
• Time-in-Grade restrictions apply.

Qualifications

ALL QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS MUST BE MET WITHIN 30 DAYS OF THE CLOSING DATE OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.

In order to qualify for the GS-13, you must meet the following: You must demonstrate in your resume at least one year (52 weeks) of qualifying specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal government, obtained in either the private or public sector, to include: 1) Developing, evaluating, or implementing activities of health quality and safety standards for laboratories under CLIA; and 2) Providing guidance to stakeholders regarding quality practices in a clinical laboratory focusing on Cytology/Histology, Quality Assurance/Improvement, or Chemistry.
.

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; religious; 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.

Time-in-Grade: To be eligible, current or former Federal employees and current or former Federal employees applying under the VEOA eligibility who hold or have held a permanent General Schedule position in the previous year must have served at least 52 weeks (one year) at the next lower grade level from the position/grade level(s) to which they are applying.

Education

Education Requirement: In addition to meeting the qualification requirements, all candidates must have the following educational requirements:
A) Bachelor's or graduate/higher level degree from a regionally accredited college/university including courses in biological science, chemistry and mathematics, AND successful completion of a Medical Laboratory Scientist/Clinical Laboratory Scientist program accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS) or an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained.
-OR-
B). A full 4-year course of study that included 12 months in a college or hospital-based medical technology program or medical technology school approved by a recognized accrediting organization. The professional medical technology curriculum may have consisted of a 1-year post- bachelor's certificate program or the last 1 or 2 years of a 4-year program of study culminating in a bachelor's in medical technology.
-OR-
C). A Bachelor's or graduate/higher level degree from an accredited college/university, including 16 semester hours (24 quarter hours) of biological science (with one semester in microbiology), 16 semester hours (24 quarter hours) of chemistry (with one semester in organic or biochemistry), one semester (one quarter) of mathematics, AND five years of full time acceptable clinical laboratory experience in Blood Banking, Chemistry, Hematology, microbiology, Immunology and Urinalysis/Body Fluids. This combination of education and experience must have provided knowledge of the theories, principles, and practices of medical technology equivalent to that provided by the full 4-year course of study described in A or B above.

TRANSCRIPTS are required to verify satisfactory completion of the educational requirement listed above. Please see "Required Documents" section below for what documentation is required at the time of application.

Click the following link to view the occupational questionnaire: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/10611241

Additional information

Bargaining Unit Position: Yes
Tour of Duty: Flexible
Recruitment/Relocation Incentive: Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure: Not Required

CMS employees currently participating in 100% Full-Time Telework Program may be eligible to remain in the program. If an employee in this program is selected, the pay will be set in accordance with the locality pay for the applicable duty station. The listed salary range reflects the locality pay assigned to the duty location(s) listed in the vacancy announcement. For more information about pay based on locality, please visit the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Salaries & Wages Page .

Additional Forms REQUIRED Prior to Appointment:

• Optional Form 306, Declaration of Federal Employment and the Background/Suitability Investigation - A background and suitability investigation will be required for all selectees. Appointment will be subject to the successful completion of the investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet these requirements may be grounds for appropriate personnel action. In addition, if hired, a reinvestigation or supplemental investigation may be required at a later time. If selected, the Optional Form 306 will be required prior to final job offer. Click here to obtain a copy of the Optional Form 306.
• Form I-9, Employment Verification and the Electronic Eligibility Verification Program - CMS participates in the Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify). E-Verify helps employers determine employment eligibility of new hires and the validity of their Social Security numbers. If selected, the Form I-9 will be required at the time of in-processing. Click here for more information about E-Verify and to obtain a copy of the Form I-9 .
• Standard Form 61, Appointment Affidavits - If selected, the Standard Form 61 will be required at the time of in-processing. Click here to obtain a copy of the Standard Form 61 .

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced federal employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit the required documentation and be rated well-qualified for this vacancy. Click here for a detailed description of the required supporting documents . A well-qualified applicant is one whose knowledge, skills and abilities clearly exceed the minimum qualification requirements of the position. Additional information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp .

Additional selections may be made from this announcement for similar positions within CMS in the same geographical location. For Central Office vacancies, the "same geographical location" includes Baltimore, Maryland; Bethesda, Maryland; and Washington, D.C.

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 .

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Once the announcement has closed, your online application, resume, transcripts and CMS required documents will be used to determine if you meet eligibility and qualification requirements listed on this announcement. If you are found to be among the top qualified candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):

• Oral Communication
• Organizational Awareness
• Project Management
• Written Communication

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Not Required

Drug test required
No

Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)

Trust determination process
Credentialing , Suitability/Fitness

Required Documents

The following documents are REQUIRED:

1. Resume showing relevant experience; cover letter optional. Your resume must indicate your citizenship and if you are registered for Selective Service if you are a male born after 12/31/59. Your resume must also list your work experience and education (if applicable) including the start and end dates (mm/dd/yy) of each employment along with the number of hours worked per week. For work in the Federal service, you must include the series and grade level for the position(s). Your resume will be used to validate your responses to the assessment tool(s). For resume and application tips visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/faq/application/documents/resume/what-to-include/

2. CMS Required Documents (e.g., SF-50, DD-214, SF-15, etc.). Required documents may be necessary to be considered for this vacancy announcement. Click here for a detailed description of the required documents . Failure to provide the required documentation WILL result in an ineligible rating OR non-consideration.

3. College Transcripts. Since this position requires specific education, you must submit a transcript attesting to your possession of the required education. You may submit an unofficial transcript or a list of college courses completed indicating course titles, credit hours, and grades received. An official transcript is required if you are selected for the position. If selected, you must provide an original document before the final job offer may be extended. If you do not submit a transcript indicating your possession of the required education, you will not be considered for this position.

College Transcripts and Foreign Education: Applicants who have completed part or all of their education outside of the U.S. must have their foreign education evaluated by an accredited organization to ensure that the foreign education is comparable to education received in accredited educational institutions in the U.S. For a listing of services that can perform this evaluation, visit the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services website. This list, which may not be all inclusive, is for informational purposes only and does not imply any endorsement of any specific agency.

If you are applying for a position for which a state license is issued (e.g., physician, engineer, attorney) possession of a valid and current U.S. professional license by a graduate of a foreign professional school or program is sufficient proof that the foreign education has been determined to be equivalent to the requisite U.S. professional education in that occupational field.

PLEASE NOTE: A complete application package includes the online application, resume, transcripts and CMS required documents. Please carefully review the full job announcement to include the "Required Documents" and "How to Apply" sections. Failure to submit the online application, resume, transcripts and CMS required documents, will result in you not being considered for employment.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

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. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education .

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.