Supervisory Health Technician

About the role

Serves as the Supervisory Health Technician responsible for overseeing the Phlebotomy and Processing Section within the Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service at the Jack C. Montgomery VA Medical Center in Muskogee (Tulsa), Oklahoma.

The position reports to the Supervisory Clinical Laboratory Scientist (Assistant Laboratory Manager) and provides first-line technical and administrative supervision to a staff of GS-0640-05/06 Health Technicians.

What you will do

• Oversees the daily operations of the section, ensuring that agency policies and priorities are followed, reviews the incomplete pending list to ensure all specimens are collected and accounted for.
• Develops performance standards and communicates these standards to subordinates and evaluates employee performance.
• Supervises the day-to-day operation of the specimen processing area for all specimens received into the laboratory and all specimens sent from the laboratory.
• Plans and assigns work based on established priorities, the difficulty and requirements of assignments, and employee capabilities.
• Prepares work schedules to ensure the efficient and timely collection and processing of specimens.
• Gives advice, counsel, and instruction to employees on both work and administrative matters.
• Reviews and approves leave of subordinate employees as appropriate, ensuring minimal necessary coverage of the area is always maintained.
• Identifies and provides for training needs and evaluates processes to identify ways to improve efficiency, production, cost-effectiveness, and quality of the section.
• Administers competencies as needed for all employees in the section.
• Oversee inventory processes and assignments for maintaining supplies in the department.
• Utilizes system for ordering supplies such as special collection containers, special media, aliquot tubes, shipping bags, labels, forms,etc. Maintains a list and inventory of supplies for the section to ensure adequate supplies are available and places emergency orders when appropriate.
• Escalates supply deficiencies that may result in inability to collect or perform testing.
• Receives specimens into the laboratory area in accordance with applicable policies and procedures.
• Verifies patient identification and specimen labeling before accepting specimens into the laboratory.
• Recognizes emergency testing situations, directs specimens to the appropriate laboratory location, and notifies laboratory staff of the need for emergent testing.
• Processes samples for reference laboratory testing and prepares required shipping manifests.
• Packages specimens in accordance with applicable policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements.
• Uses laboratory equipment, including centrifuges, refrigerators, and freezers, and consumable materials such as transfer pipettes, aliquot tubes, and specimen containers.
• Ensures equipment is in proper working condition before use.
• Maintains records of specimens submitted to reference laboratories, including accession forms and shipping manifests.
• Provides information, guidance, and technical advice to clinical staff regarding test ordering and specimen collection and submission requirements.
• May perform waived testing as needed by the service.
• Performs, evaluates and monitors the performance of test procedures using manual and/or instrumental techniques in accordance with established protocols.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.
• Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:00 - 3:30pm Position Description Title/PD#: Supervisory Health Technician/PD148990 Physical Requirements: The work requires regular and recurring standing and walking within the laboratory and between laboratory work areas.
• Frequently uses a computer and laboratory equipment and must have sufficient visual acuity and manual dexterity to read specimen labels and computer screens, enter information accurately, and handle specimens, containers, and laboratory materials.
• The work also requires intermittent bending, stooping, kneeling, reaching, and lifting or carrying laboratory supplies, specimens, and equipment, with assistance or appropriate lifting equipment when necessary.
• Work Environment: The work is performed in a laboratory environment and involves regular and recurring exposure to blood, body fluids, clinical specimens, potentially infectious materials, chemicals, and biohazardous waste.
• The work may also involve exposure to sharps and laboratory equipment.
• The incumbent follows established safety and infection-control procedures and uses appropriate personal protective equipment, including laboratory coats, gloves, face protection, or other protective equipment appropriate to the task.
• Chemical and biohazardous materials are handled and disposed of in accordance with applicable safety requirements.

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: ***

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.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 (TJO).

Please visit the Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP), va.gov/EMPLOYEE/docs/The-Fair-Chance-to-Compete-Act.pdf for more information.

How you will be evaluated

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC.

WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

Applicants will be referred in the order in which they were received.

Documents you must provide

• Documents Accepted: Cover Letter DD-214/ Statement of Service Disability Letter (Schedule A) Disability Letter (VA) License Other (1) PCS Orders Performance Appraisal Professional Certification Resume Separation Notice (RIF) SF-15 SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action Transcript Documents Required: Resume Please review the above list(s) to ensure you have included all necessary documents required for your application.
• Not every applicant will require the same documents, therefore it is the applicants responsibility to ensure that their application package includes all necessary documents to determine qualifications and eligibility for appointment, such as a copy of your SF-50, transcript, ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees).
• You will not be contacted for additional information.
• Applicants will be deemed ineligible if supporting documentation is not submitted.
• Beginning September 27, 2025, Federal agencies will only accept resumes up to two pages in length to comply with the Merit Hiring Plan.
• Resumes longer than two pages will result in ineligibility for further consideration for the position.
• USAJOBS will not allow you to upload or build resumes longer than two pages, and you will need to update the resumes in your profile before applying for a job.
• Resumes should include information relevant to the knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies of the position to which you are applying.
• VA is unable to make assumptions about qualifications if not clearly listed.
• Resumes must be legible so they can be reviewed for eligibility, minimum qualifications and other position requirements listed in the job announcement.
• Your resume must be 5MB or less.
• We recommend saving and uploading your resume as a PDF to maintain formatting and number of pages.
• We also accept GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, TXT, PDF, ODT or Word (DOC or DOCX).
• We do not accept PDF portfolio files.
• We recommend using a sans-serif font size like Lato, if available.
• Other widely available options are Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open San Source Sans Pro, Roboto or Noro Sans.
• Make your page margins 0.5 inches.
• Consider using 14-point size font for titles and 10-point for the main text in your resume.
• The resume builder can help you create a resume using these recommendations and uses the information in your USAJOBS profile to help you get started.
• As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary 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, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
• Veterans' Preference: Since the Direct-Hire Recruitment Authority is being used, traditional Veterans' Preference rules do not apply.
• Qualified veterans will, however, be given full consideration for this position.
• Applications are accepted online.
• Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application.

What to expect next

After the vacancy announcement closes, applicants are evaluated to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email.

Additional information

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 (TJO). Please visit the Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP), va.gov/EMPLOYEE/docs/The-Fair-Chance-to-Compete-Act.pdf for more information.

The following will be communicated to applicants for VA employment in a testing designated position and will also be included in all VA vacancy announcements for such positions: All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drugs use prior to appointment.

Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies.

To be well-qualified, applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors if applicable, and must be proficient in most of the requirements of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website which can be found at ***

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. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service.

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.