About this role
Job SummaryThis position is located within the Chief of Staff, Community Based Outpatient Clinic in Lufkin, Texas, and is affiliated with the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center. The Medical Technician (Phlebotomist) performs a variety of clinical and administrative functions in support of patient care.
QualificationsTo qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/09/2026. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR): Applicants must meet the Individual Occupational Requirements described below in addition to the GS-4 qualification requirements. Specialized Experience: (a) Technical medical laboratory support work such as performing laboratory tests and examinations (chemical, microbiologic, hematologic and blood banking) and preparing reports of findings or (b) Technical support work in a closely related field, e.g., biological laboratory technician work, that required application of the methods and techniques for the position to be filled. OR, Education and Training: Successful completion of (a) an associate-degree course of study of which the 2nd year of the 2-year program included successful completion of a training course of approximately a year's duration in a certified laboratory assistant school approved by a nationally recognized accrediting agency; (b) 1 year of study that included 6 semester hours in chemistry and/or the biological sciences, plus successful completion of the training course as described in (a) above for GS-3; or (c) 2 years of study that included at least 12 semester hours of chemistry and/or biological science course work that must have been directly related to the specialization of the position to be filled.(Transcript Required) In addition to meeting the above Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR), applicants must also meet the below general and specialized experience and/or directly related education relevant to this position. You must have 6 months of specialized experience and 6 months of generalized experience and/or meet educational requirements or a combination of specialized experience and education. General Experience is: Any type of work that demonstrates the ability to perform the work of the position, or (2) experience that provided a familiarity with the subject matter or processes of the broad subject area of the occupation. Specialized Experience is: performing or assisting with blood collection procedures, such as venipuncture or capillary collection; preparing, labeling, handling, or processing patient specimens for testing; verifying patient identification and following established procedures to ensure accurate specimen collection; entering, retrieving, or maintaining patient or laboratory information in electronic systems or records; and providing customer service and communicating with patients, clinical staff, or other healthcare personnel. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 2 years above high school with courses related to the occupation.(Transcript required) OR, Combination of Experience and Education : Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and 2 years above high school with courses related to the occupation. Determine the total qualifying experience as a percentage of the 1 year of experience required for GS-4; then determine the education as a percentage of the 2 years of education that meets the requirements for GS-4. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for GS-4. (Transcript 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 DutiesMajor Duties: Adheres to safety, infection control, and universal precautions always while drawing specimen samples. Keeps area clean and hazard free. Performs all types of specimen collection in a courteous manner. Familiar with tests performed throughout the laboratory, i.e. chemistry, hematology, urinalysis, coagulation, microbiology, and cytology. Follows standard procedures and applies a practical knowledge of the properties of the specimens to ensure effective presentation of the qualities or characteristics critical for accurate testing or examination. May perform selected low complexity tests and provide technical support and assistance to the Medical Technologists in the Laboratory. Prepare test orders including manual order entry and extraction of patient data from the electronic health information system. Verify accuracy and completeness of test requests, sample requirements and conditions. Verify accuracy and completeness of test requests, sample requirements/conditions in the computer. Draw blood by venipuncture methods for a variety of test procedures. Provide proper post-venipuncture care to patient. Collect blood cultures using proper protocol to avoid skin contaminations. Work Schedule: Monday- Friday, 7:00am - 3:30pm (Subject to change based on the needs of the Agency) Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Medical Technician/PD04176A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Physical Requirements: The work requires extensive and recurring physical exertion such as standing for long periods of time, bending, lifting, walking, stooping and stretching. The work requires manual dexterity and a large degree of concentration. Work Environment: The work is performed in a medical laboratory with daily exposure to patients and materials carrying infectious diseases and hazardous chemicals. Proper precautions are practiced. The employee has the potential to be exposed to communicable disease. The work involves regular and recurring moderate risks or discomforts which require special safety precautions, e.g., working around carts, or machines; with bio-hazardous samples, contagious diseases or irritant chemicals, and some risk of needle stick. Employees are required to use protective clothing or gear such as masks, gowns, coats, goggles, gloves or shields to biohazard risks. This close date of this announcement has been extended to 9/9/2026.RequirementsYou must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the 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 Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required. Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial 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.