Veterans Health Administration Logo
Position Title
Cytotechnologist GS-11
Agency
Veterans Health Administration
Announcement Number
CBTA-11271828-21-CLS Opens in new window
Open Period
Friday, October 29, 2021 to Monday, November 15, 2021
For preview purposes only. To apply, please return to the USAJOBS announcement and click the Apply button.
Eligibilities
1. Are you currently employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs?
This includes: Career/Career Conditional or Excepted Service (i.e. Canteen, Hybrid, Title 38, etc. and meets interchange agreement requirements). This does not include temporary, term or temporary intermittent.

To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your most recent Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50).  Your SF-50 must include enough information to be able to determine that time-in-grade requirements have been met (if applicable) and include your position title, pay plan/series/grade, tenure and the type of appointment (i.e. Competitive or Excepted).  Please be aware that award SF-50's do not always include this pertinent information.
(limit characters)
2. Are you an employee of the department/service line indicated for this position?
This includes: Career/Career Conditional or Excepted Service (i.e. Canteen, Hybrid, Title 38, etc. and meets interchange agreement requirements). This does not include temporary, term or temporary intermittent.

To verify your eligibility, you may be required submit a copy of your most recent Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50).  Please review the instructions in the announcement.  Your SF-50 must include enough information to be able to determine that time-in-grade requirements have been met (if applicable) and include your position title, pay plan/series/grade, tenure and the type of appointment (i.e. Competitive or Excepted).  Please be aware that award SF-50's do not always include this pertinent information.
(limit characters)
3. Are you an employee of the facility indicated for this position?
This includes: Career/Career Conditional or Excepted Service (i.e. Canteen, Hybrid, Title 38, etc. and meets interchange agreement requirements). This does not include temporary, term or temporary intermittent.

To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your most recent Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50).  Your SF-50 must include enough information to be able to determine that time-in-grade requirements have been met (if applicable) and include your position title, pay plan/series/grade, tenure and the type of appointment (i.e. Competitive or Excepted).  Please be aware that award SF-50's do not always include this pertinent information.
(limit characters)
4. Are you a current permanent Federal employee from an agency other than Department of Veterans Affairs?

To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your latest Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50) or equivalent personnel action form.
(limit characters)
5. Are you a current Federal employee in the excepted service in an agency covered by an Interchange Agreement with at least one year of service in that position?  

For more information, review Interchange Agreements with Other Merit Systems

-OR-

Are you a current:
• Postal Career Service Employee;
• Postal Rate Commission Employee;
• Government Accountability Office (GAO) Employee; or,
• Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts Employee?

For more information, review Miscellaneous Authorities Not Regulated By U.S. Office of Personnel Management

To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form (SF-50) reflecting your status.
(limit characters)
6. Are you currently employed as a civilian employee in the competitive service in a federal agency other than the Department of Veterans Affairs?
 
To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your latest Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50) or equivalent personnel action form reflecting your permanent, competitive status. Your SF-50 (or equivalent personnel action form) must reflect:
  • career or career-conditional (Tenure field is 1 or 2); AND,
  • your status is in the competitive service (Position Occupied field is 1).
(limit characters)
Preferences
1. Which of the following items describes your current or recent (within the last five years) political appointee service?

If you responded yes to any of the items below, you will need to include a SF-50 specifying your prior service.
(limit characters)
Resume Reminder- Your resume must include the following information for each job listed:
  • Job title Duties (be as detailed as possible)
  • Month & year start/end dates (e.g. June 2007 to April 2008)
  • Full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week)
  • Series and Grade, if applicable, for all Federal positions you have held
Please be aware that your answers will be verified against information provided on your resume. Be sure that your resume clearly supports your responses to all of the questions by addressing your work experience in detail.

Recommended: Even though we do not require a specific resume format, your resume must be clear so that we are able to fully evaluate your qualifications. To ensure you receive appropriate consideration, please list the duties you performed under each individual job title. If we are unable to match your experiences with the positions held, you may lose consideration for this vacancy. We cannot make assumptions regarding your qualifications.
(limit characters)
Assessment 1
Select the appropriate answer to each of the following questions based on your current level of education and/or experience that demonstrates your ability to perform the duties of this position. When answering the questionnaire, remember that your experience and education are subject to verification by investigation. You may be asked to provide specific examples or documentation of experience or education as proof to support your answers, or you may be required to verify a response by a practical demonstration of your claimed ability to perform a task. You may be asked to provide specific examples or documentation of experience or education as proof to support your answers, or you may be required to verify a response by a practical demonstration of your claimed ability to perform a task. (limit characters) . Select the appropriate answer to each of the following questions based on your current level of education and/or experience that demonstrates your ability to perform the duties of this position. When answering the questionnaire, remember that your experience and education are subject to verification by investigation. You may be asked to provide specific examples or documentation of experience or education as proof to support your answers, or you may be required to verify a response by a practical demonstration of your claimed ability to perform a task. (limit characters)
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS (limit characters)
Select “Yes” or “No” to the following question(s). (limit characters)
1. English Language Proficiency: Cytotechnologists must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7403(f).


Do you meet the spoken and written English language proficiency requirements?
(limit characters)
2. 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.

Transcripts Required

Do you meet the above education requirements?
(limit characters)
3. CERTIFICATION: Candidates must currently possess the Cytotechnologist (CT) (ASCP) or Specialist in Cytotechnology (SCT) (ASCP) certification given by the ASCP Board of Certification.
Certification(s) must be submitted.

Do you possess the above required ASCP Board Certification(s)?
(limit characters)
4. Citizenship: All applicants must be a United States Citizen or Naturalized Citizen.


Are you a United States Citizen or Naturalized Citizen?
(limit characters)
GRADE DETERMINATION (limit characters)
5. Cytotechnologist, GS-11

(a) Experience. The candidate must have one year of creditable experience equivalent to the journey level (GS-9) that is directly related to the position to be filled.

(b) Assignments. For all assignments above the journey level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty), range of variety, and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. At the advanced level, the cytotechnologist independently performs and monitors processes such as smear preparation, slide fixation, cell block preparation, monolayer filtration processing, and staining. If a discrepancy is identified with these processes, the cytotechnologist will troubleshoot and take corrective action. The cytotechnologist may act as a technical resource in writing and establishing new processes or procedures. The cytotechnologist performs a full range of specialized tasks, including collecting, compiling, and analyzing data according to the laboratory quality management program. The cytotechnologist uses these laboratory data to implement any needed quality improvement initiatives. The incumbent will research, test, validate, and implement new procedures and equipment.

NOTE: Advanced assignments may also include one or more of the tasks identified below. When these duties are required, the Advanced Cytotechnologist must also demonstrate the corresponding advanced KSAs as identified by the corresponding asterisk(s) below in KSA (c) v. - (c) viii. These KSAs are:
**Electron Microscopy (KSA (c) v.): Ability to utilize electron microscope, performance of ultrathin cryomicrotomy, and staining of ultrastructural components.
***Safety Coordination (KSA (c) vi.): Ability to oversee safe handling of specimens, chemicals, and equipment by all staff and ensures adherence to safety regulations.
****Laboratory Education (KSA (c) vii.): Ability to plan and administer an ongoing continuing education program for laboratory staff to meet accreditation requirements.
*****Automated Data Processing Applications Coordinator (KSA (c) viii.): Ability to carry out day-to-day operations related to laboratory information systems/computer use and system maintenance.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the KSAs i. - iv. and the advanced KSA as identified by the corresponding asterisk(s):
(limit characters)
Select “Yes” or “No” to the following question(s). (limit characters)
6. APPLICATION CERTIFICATION: I certify that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, all of the information included in this questionnaire is true, correct and provided in good faith. I understand that if I make an intentional false statement, commit deception, or fraud in this application and its surrounding materials, or any document, or interview associated with the examination process, my eligibilities may be cancelled; I may be denied an appointment or I may be removed and debarred from Federal service (5 C.F.R. part 731). I understand that any information I give may be investigated and that responding "No", or providing no response to this item, will result in my not being considered for this position.
(limit characters)
RESUME REMINDER: Your resume must include the following for each job listed: 1) Job title, Series and Grade level/salary. To show that you meet time-in-grade, you must document grades you have held and how long you have held them; 2) Duties (you must include enough detailed information to support your specialized experience); 3) Month and year start/end dates (e.g. 04/2007 to 04/2008); 4) Full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week); 5) Supervisor's contact information and whether or not the supervisor can be contacted. 6) Please be aware that your answers will be verified against information provided on your resume. Be sure that your resume clearly supports your responses to all of the questions by addressing your work experience in detail. Recommended: Even though we do not require a specific resume format, your resume must be clear so that we are able to fully evaluate your qualifications. To ensure you receive appropriate consideration, please list the duties you performed under each individual job title. If we are unable to match your experiences with the positions held, you may lose consideration for this vacancy. We cannot make assumptions regarding your qualifications. (limit characters)
Transcripts Reminder - If you are basing your qualifications on education (or a combination of education and experience) you must submit a copy of your transcripts (official or unofficial) with your application. Be sure your name, name of the school attended, dates attended, and any degree conferred, or certificate issued is stated on the transcript. (limit characters)