Nuclear Medicine Technologist (Supervisor)

Summary As the Supervisory Nuclear Medicine Tech. of the Nuclear Medicine Section of the Imaging Service, the incumbent manages clinical/administrative operations to provide patient-centered care with an emphasis on efficient patient flow, high quality work, financial stewardship, and compliance with regulatory policy. Also, uses leadership and managerial skills combined with technical proficiency in advanced nuclear medicine applications to ensure diagnostic studies. and promote effective operations. Responsibilities Serve as the primary quality manager for the Nuclear Medicine Section. Functions or duties of this position include but are not limited to: Employ HPDM II leadership principles to supervise all nuclear medicine technologist staff at or below GS-12 in the Nuclear Medicine Section. Ensure high quality diagnostic exams using planar and SPECT techniques, and advanced, integrated CT fusion techniques for attenuation correction and anatomic reference. Maintain a Nuclear Medicine Section that is effective, efficient, and has staff achieve their optimal level of performance. Develop standard operating procedures, guidelines, checklists, and best practices and promote briefings and other tools of Clinical T earn Training to foster an effective care team. Use leadership skills to sustain efficient processes and engage staff to implement new procedures and techniques. Uphold the standards, goals and mission of the Medical Center. Make significant contributions to direct patient care with personal mastery of processes and advanced imaging techniques. Provide technical review of contract services to ensure compliance with terms of the contract, quality, service and compliance with regulatory standards. Verify and maintain staff competencies, to include training, continuing education, coaching and mentoring. Staff competencies include both knowledge and skills related to the duties of a nuclear medicine technologist, and general competencies of a VA employee. Provide oversight of technical and clinical quality with monitors and indices of quality, and initiate corrections as needed. Facilitate and oversee performance improvement activities, including study design, data collection, analysis, corrective actions, and follow-up. Oversee completion of the annual Society of Nuclear Medicine phantom study, and performance testing mandated by the VA Nuclear Medicine Program Office. Monitor equipment maintenance and service, ensuring that equipment is maintained within optimal specifications. Serve as liaison to in house Biomedical Engineering, vendor service engineers, vendor account executives to address equipment repair, scheduled maintenance, technical upgrades and enhancements, and any other aspects of service to achieve optimal equipment performance. Collaborate with the Administrative Officer or equivalent in managing the budget of the Nuclear Medicine Section. Provide input into the annual budget, and assist in the budget implementation, helping to monitor expenditures, and to anticipate unbudgeted costs. Provide oversight of the ordering of radiopharmaceuticals and supplies. Determine inventory levels and develop processes to minimize wasted material or capital tied up in excess purchases. Review invoices to help reconcile expenditures and credits. Serve as a technical consultant to help manage contracts related to the Nuclear Medicine Section. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 7:00am – 4:30pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 60098-F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this 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. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. You may be required to serve a probationary period. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Qualifications Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. Certification. All applicants must be certified in nuclear medicine technology by the Nuclear Medicine Technology Certification Board (NMTCB) or the American Registry of Radiologic Technology (ARRT) (N). NMTCB or ARRT (N) certification eligibility requirements are normally satisfied by one of the following: (1) Completion of a NMTCB-recognized nuclear medicine technology program, OR (2) Completion of a nuclear medicine technology program accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Educational Programs in Nuclear Medicine Technology (JRCNMT), or other accrediting agencies as recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), culminating in a certificate, associate, baccalaureate, or masters degree. Educational programs must have structured clinical training sufficient to provide clinical competency in radiation safety, instrumentation, clinical procedures, and radio-pharmacy, as deemed acceptable by the NMTCB. Failure to Obtain Credential. In all cases, NMTs must actively pursue meeting certification requirements starting from the date of their appointment. Failure to become certified within 1 year from date of appointment will result in removal from the GS-0601 NMT occupation and may result in termination of employment. Loss of Credential. Once certified, NMTs must maintain a full, valid, and unrestricted certification. Loss of credential will result in removal from the GS-0601 NMT occupation and may result in termination of employment. For occupations which require an active certification at all grade levels, at the discretion of the appointing official, an employee may be reassigned to another occupation for which he/she qualifies if a placement opportunity exists. For occupations which require an active credential (licensure/certification/registration) in assignments above the journey level only, at the discretion of the appointing official, an employee may remain at an appropriate lower grade level in the occupation when both of the following apply: the credential is not a requirement and a placement opportunity exists. English Language Proficiency. NMTs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 2, Section D, Paragraph 5a. May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).Grandfathering Provision. All persons employed in VHA as a NMT on the effective date of this qualification standard (December 10, 2019) are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including positive education and certification that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply: Such employees in an occupation that requires a certification, may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the journey (full performance) level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions. Such employees in an occupation that requires a certification only at higher grade levels must meet the certification requirement before they can be promoted to the higher-grade levels. Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard. Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or certification that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation. If an employee who was in the NMT occupation listed in 38 U.S.C. § 7401(3) under this provision leaves that occupation, the employee loses protected status, and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation. Grade Determinations:GS-12 (a) Experience. For assignments above the journey level, the candidate must have 1 year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level directly related to the position being filled, and must fully meet the KSAs at that level. (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. NMTs at this level are fully functional as an advanced NMT and carry out their assigned tasks independently. Individuals in this assignment assume full administrative and professional responsibility for planning and directing the nuclear medicine program and technologists above the journey level at a medical center or independent outpatient clinic. They also have supervisory responsibility over a program. (c) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. The candidate must demonstrate all the following technical KSAs: i. Ability to assign and evaluate work of subordinate staff as well as resolve problems that may interfere with the delivery of nuclear medicine services by staff members. ii. Skill in providing complex nuclear medicine patient procedures. iii. Ability to develop and initiate new protocols which apply to current research findings. iv. Skill in providing administrative reports both orally and in writing [with higher level authorities (i.e., NHPP, TJC, NRC, Inspector General, executive leadership)]. v. Ability to interview candidates for positions in the section; recommend appointments, advancements, or, when appropriate, disciplinary actions; evaluate performance; and identify continuing education and training needs. Preferred Experience: Nuclear Medicine Supervisor experience preferred. References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II Appendix G19, Nuclear Medicine Technologist Qualification Standard. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-11 to GS-11. Physical Requirements: See VA Handbook 5019 Education IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on 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: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. 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. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html. Additional Information Receiving Service Credit or 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. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. 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. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. 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. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicants criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.