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Summary The Oklahoma City VA Health Care System, Anatomic Pathology(AP) section of the Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service (P&LMS), is currently recruiting for one (1) Supervisory Cytotechnologist in Oklahoma City, OK. Responsibilities The incumbent at this level has full supervisory responsibility for a staff of non-supervisory personnel and performs a broad range of highly complex testing and procedures for the pathological diagnosis of various disease conditions from cellular samples of the human body, including rendering independent diagnosis on a subgroup of gynecologic specimens, and assisting in adequacy assessment of fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy specimens obtained from procedures performed in Interventional Radiology, Gastroenterology, Pulmonology, Endocrinology and others. The incumbent at this level has full supervisory responsibility for a staff of nonsupervisory personnel of Cytotechnologists, Histopathology Technicians, and Histopathology Technicians Major Duties and Responsibilities: Understanding of federal and state laws and regulations, laboratory accrediting and regulatory requirements sufficient to develop section plans and procedures consistent with requirements. Understanding of quality management principles sufficient to establish and monitor a laboratory quality management program, and/or education and training of laboratory staff. Experience in interpersonal relations and conflict resolution to deal with employees, team leaders, and managers. Performs the full range of supervisory duties and skill in supervising a group of individuals. Planning, organizing, set priorities, work as a team member, and effectively complete assignments. Understanding of specimen requirements for tests performed in-house and referred to reference laboratories. Setting short and/or long-term goals for the section and conduct studies on technical and administrative problems, including personnel shortages, organizational structure, new technology, etc. Plans and schedules on-going work. Adjusts staffing levels or work procedures. Writes and maintains Standard Operating Procedures to ensure all aspects of work functions are covered. Develops and maintains competency on all staff. Performs validations as required on new instrumentation for acceptability. Ensures compliance with OSHA and all other safety regulations and requirements. Ensures that adequate supplies are available to perform required testing. Ensures that maintenance is current and that all instrumentation is in working order or that work orders have been submitted to the appropriate service. Develops Statements of Work for all instrumentation and contracts under the Anatomic Pathology Division. Chooses methods for achieving work goals, objectives, and management strategies. Day-to-day supervision of highly complex test performance. Provides supervisory oversight and performs administrative reviews as required. Is responsible for monitoring test analyses and specimen examinations to ensure acceptable levels of performance. Assures corrective action is initiated when test performance deviates from established performance specifications. Assures orientation, training, competency, and appraisal assessment of staff. Implements and monitors quality management activities. Performs the full range of supervisory duties. Recommends appointment, plans and assigns work, gives advice and counsel, and evaluates work of subordinates. Develops and updates technical policy and procedure manuals. Ensures all staff are compliant with accrediting and regulating bodies, developing, and implementing the requirements for the Anatomic Pathology Quality Assurance Program Adjusts staffing levels or work procedures to accommodate resource allocation decisions made at the executive level Other required duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 7:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 635-52910-0 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: May be authorized according to agency policy. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized 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. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. 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. Must pass pre-employment physical examination / evaluation. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. Qualifications Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. Education: Individuals must have successfully completed a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college/university and successfully completed a Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs accredited cytotechnology program. Foreign Education: To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must have been submitted to a private organization approved by the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education must have been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. programs. Certification: Candidates must currently possess the Cytotechnologist (CT) (ASCP) or Specialist in Cytotechnology (SCT) (ASCP) certification given by the ASCP Board of Certification. Loss of Certification. An employee who fails to maintain the required certification must be removed from the occupation, which may also result in termination of employment. English Language Proficiency: Cytotechnologists must be proficient in spoken and written English. See 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria). Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates: GS-12 Supervisory Cytotechnologist Experience: At this level, the candidate must have one year of creditable experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level that is directly related to the position to be filled. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Demonstrated leadership and managerial skills, including interpersonal relations and conflict resolution to effectively interact with employees, team leaders, and managers. Ability to plan, organize, set short and/or long term goals, and conduct studies on technical and administrative problems, including personnel shortages, organizational structure, and new technology. Skill in communicating management goals with individuals to obtain the desired effect, while ensuring compliance with established policies and regulations. Ability to perform the full range of supervisory duties, which includes responsibility for assignment of work, performance evaluations, maintenance of staff competencies, selection of staff, recommendation of awards, advancements, and disciplinary actions, as appropriate. Knowledge of federal and state laws, regulations, and accrediting/regulatory requirements to develop plans and procedures for the laboratory. Knowledge of laboratory quality management procedures and principles sufficient to establish and monitor a laboratory quality management program and/or education and training of laboratory staff, including annual CLIA proficiency testing. Ability to rescreen previously screened negative cases, including those designated as "high risk" cases, before the diagnostic interpretation is released from the cytopathology laboratory. Preferred Experience: 5 years of cytology experience and 2 years of supervisor experience is preferred. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-12. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service. Education IMPORTANT: 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. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. 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.