Biological Science Laboratory Technician

Full Job Description

The position is in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Health Administration (VHA), at a VA Medical Center (VAMC) in the Research and Development (R&D) Service.

As a Biological Science Laboratory Technician, the employee is fully responsible to ensure biomedical laboratory processes and procedures in a comprehensive research setting, providing day-to-day laboratory management and site support for the VA Research Program.

IN ORDER TO QUALIFY FOR THIS POSITION AT THE GS-9 LEVEL YOU MUST MEET THE FOLLOWING: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: You must possess one year of specialized experience, equivalent to the GS-7 grade level in the Federal service, that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position, and that is typically in or related to the work of this position.

The specialized experience required for some positions in this series is normally work performed in a controlled environment.

Examples of qualifying specialized experience include: research activity or control program work; nursery work that required the growing and maintenance of plants in a controlled environment; work comparable to that with a large dairy farm where production records, animal environment, and sanitary conditions were kept in accordance with modern dairy practice.

Farming experience that was not performed in a controlled environment, or experience as a laborer who was not responsible for planning and scheduling his/her own work, but only performed assigned tasks, would not qualify as specialized experience.

ADDITIONAL SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE INCLUDES: Designing, coordinating, and executing experimental projects including scheduling of experiments, ordering of laboratory supplies, tracking chemical inventory and waste, and general laboratory maintenance; performing a large variety of experimental procedures and techniques to test research hypotheses including biochemical, molecular, cellular, animal and/or human tissue samples.

(THIS EXPERIENCE MUST BE SUPPORTED BY YOUR RESUME TO BE CREDITABLE.) ~OR~ SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION FOR EXPERIENCE: You must have successfully completed two (2) years of progressively higher-level graduate education or a master's degree in a field directly related to the work of this position.

One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study.

If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement.

Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended.

(COPY OF TRANSCRIPTS ARE REQUIRED AT TIME OF APPLICATION) ~OR~ COMBINATION OF EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION: You must possess combination of successfully completed graduate education and specialized experience directly related to the work of this position to meet total qualification requirements.

(THIS EXPERIENCE MUST BE SUPPORTED BY YOUR RESUME TO BE CREDITABLE AND COPY OF TRANSCRIPTS ARE REQUIRED AT TIME OF APPLICATION) 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/.

Major Duties:

***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION*** NOTE: This is a full-time, TEMPORARY (not-to-exceed 1 year) position.

This appointment may be renewed for additional service in accordance with Agency needs.

Temporary positions do not offer health or life insurance benefits and may be terminated at any time before the expiration date.

The appointment to a temporary position does not confer eligibility for promotion or reassignment to other positions or the ability to be non-competitively converted to permanent employment.

Major duties and responsibilities include: Managing the laboratory, including scheduling of experiments, ordering of laboratory supplies, tracking chemical inventory and waste, and general laboratory maintenance.

Using technical methods and procedures, management practices, agency policies and programs, and extensive familiarity with the methods and practices of the science(s) or discipline(s) supported to design, coordinate.

Collaborating with the Principal lnvestigator (PI) in most phases of the research process (development of original hypothesis and proposal excepted) and assuming full technical and operational responsibility for three or more phases.

Development of a study plan, e.g., establishment of a procedure, outline of the methods to be used, and citation of the anticipated outcomes.

Ensuring proper day-to-day operation of an individual laboratory or a multiphase project wherein recurring types of tests are performed, and sufficient precedent exists to obviate the need for the on-site, day-to-day presence of the Pl.

Creating experimental plans and procedures to provide clear, unbiased guidance to principal investigators and laboratory staff performing a wide range of experimental laboratory techniques.

Performing a large variety of experimental procedures and techniques to test research hypotheses including biochemical, molecular, cellular, animal and/or human tissue samples.

Maintaining an accurate, organized, and up-to-date laboratory records. Organizing and evaluating data across multiple experiments, technicians, and/or techniques/instrumentation.

Keeping Principal Investigator apprised of laboratory function and efficiency, providing guidance and suggestions for troubleshooting, new experimental techniques and approaches.

Providing technical training to other laboratory staff and guidance to graduate students and post-doctoral fellows in the laboratory.

Conducting library research on theoretical and scientific aspects of the experiments.

Initiating and participating in grant and manuscript preparation and writing, with commensurate recognition with authorship.

Resolving of any administrative concerns and otherwise planning for and organizing the practical aspects of the study or experiment. Performing other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not authorized