Pathology Specialist

Full Job Description

This position is located in the Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Service Line at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, TX.

This position serves as a Pathology Specialist in the Anatomic Pathology area. To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 02/20/2026.

Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

For a GS-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service.

An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials.

If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement.

In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade.

Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.

Individual Occupational Requirement: Applicants who meet the Individual Occupational Requirements described below are fully qualified for the specified entry grade and must also meet the specialized experience and/or education requirements.

Bachelor's or graduate/higher level degree: major study in an academic field related to the medical field, health sciences or allied sciences appropriate to the work of the position.

This degree must be from an educational program from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (external link) at the time the degree was obtained.

(Transcript is required) You may qualify based on your experience as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-11 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.

Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Performing biopsy and organ grossing. Completing post-mortem/autopsy procedures.

Applying knowledge of biological and environmental safety regulations, medico-legal requirements, and acceptable practices. Distinguishing normal versus disease states.

Performing frozen sections and staining. Correlating gross pathology with clinical presentation Providing training in pathology laboratory procedures.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Communication Medical Information Quality Assurance Technical Competence 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; religions; 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. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week.

Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities.

Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

Physical Requirements: The work requires regular and recurring physical exertion such as prolonged standing, bending over microscopes, reaching for supplies or materials, and lifting heavy items such as centrifuges and record boxes or occasionally lifting heavier items such as bodies.

The work may require specific physical characteristics and abilities such as above average dexterity to perform intricate collection or analysis procedures. Good color vision is required.

Fine muscle movements of the hands may also be required.

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:

Major duties include, but are not limited to the following: Performs or requests specialized tests including histochemical and immunohistochemical and stains and flow cytometry as well as performing QC on the samples.

Investigates and resolves problems including quality control and assurance activities related to surgical pathology.

Assists in the collection and interpretation or data for Anatomic Pathology QA programs.

Performs the autopsy after review of the medical record, correlation of the gross pathology with the patient's clinical presentation, preparation of external and internal descriptions, sections preparation and release of the body for pickup by a funeral home.

Oversees and performs work in the accessioning and grossing area to assure proper processing of tissue specimens, especially those requiring special handling (i.e.

kidney biopsies, muscle biopsies, frozen sections, immunohistochemistry, special histologic technique, immunofluorescence, molecular pathology, and electron microscopy).

Performs complex and highly exacting technical work that involves preparing human biological material for specialized microscopic, cellular, serologic, molecular, genetic, and image analysis.

Represents committees and task forces. Educates and trains residents in pathology, other medical specialties, and medical students, regarding the practice of Surgical Pathology and Autopsy.

Maintains regulatory compliance by reviewing regulatory criteria, insuring all procedures and protocols are maintained up to date with regulatory criteria, preparing work areas for inspection, and participating in the inspection process as required by the supervisor.

Embeds cuts, stains and labels routine histology as needed including performing aspirate smears and clot sections for bone marrow biopsies. Oversees and performs work in the frozen section room.

Assures proper processing of tissue specimens, especially those requiring special handling. Oversees and performs work in the accessioning and grossing areas.

Examines and describes, using dictation equipment and dissection tools, both standard and powered, all types of gross surgical specimens, noting size, color, consistency, and anatomic orientation, identifying abnormalities, and removing appropriate sections, according to published criteria.

Assures proper processing of tissue specimens, especially those requiring special handling (i.e. kidney biopsies and muscle biopsies).

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm (Subject to change based on the needs of the Agency) Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Pathology Specialist/PD03972A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized