Lead Clinical Laboratory Scientist

Quick Facts

• Role: Lead Clinical Laboratory Scientist (GS-12)

• Focus: Complex clinical laboratory testing, instrument maintenance, quality control/assurance, and validations

• Schedule: 12:00 PM – 8:30 PM; evenings/nights/weekends/holidays possible for coverage

Description

The Lead Clinical Laboratory Scientist serves as a clinical laboratory scientist responsible for operations within a specialty area, including maintaining records/reports, analyzing testing methodologies, training staff, managing instrumentation, and ensuring compliance. This position performs advanced and complex lab procedures, troubleshoots and corrects problems using scientific principles, and ensures preventive maintenance and quality activities are completed. The scientist also validates new reagent lots/shipments and develops/implements new techniques and procedures using statistical methods.

Responsibilities

• Perform a broad range of laboratory procedures, including advanced and complex testing

• Recognize deviations from expected results and analyze/correct problems

• Complete preventive maintenance, calibration/standardization, troubleshooting, and minor repairs; coordinate external service when needed

• Perform and document quality control/assurance, corrective actions, and performance improvement activities using statistical principles

• Ensure data transmission and calculation validation checks are completed within required timeframes

• Complete validations for new reagent lots and shipments

• Follow biosafety and biosecurity practices and regulations

• Identify discrepancies, solve problems, and present solutions

• Provide guidance on test results and methodology; interpret results and recommend follow-up testing

• Evaluate and implement new techniques/procedures, including method comparison, validation, QC range establishment, instrumentation updates, reagent lot validation, and reference interval establishment

• Maintain QC files and upload monthly QC data to a quality assurance program

• Provide or ensure training for new employees, students, and residents (theory, technical skills, safety protocols, and lab procedures)

• Answer inquiries regarding testing factors (specificity/sensitivity and other influences) that affect results

Benefits

• Competitive salary with regular salary increases

• Paid Time Off: 37–50 days annually (annual leave, sick leave, and paid federal holidays)

• Paid parental leave after 12 months of employment (up to 12 weeks)

• Child care subsidy after 60 days for eligible full-time employees (up to 25% of eligible childcare costs, with a stated monthly maximum)

• Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions

• Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care insurance options (may carry into retirement)

• Telework: Not available

Requirements & Qualifications

• U.S. citizenship required

• Subject to drug testing (testing-designated positions)

• English language proficiency (spoken and written)

• Background/security investigation

• Complete online onboarding and pre-employment requirements; driver’s ID must be REAL ID compliant (effective May 7, 2025)

• Pass pre-employment physical evaluation

• Participate in seasonal influenza vaccination program

• Education: bachelor’s degree or higher; foreign education must meet equivalency requirements

• Certification (ASCP/AMT) must meet the specified options for generalist (MLS/MT) or categorical/specialist certification as applicable; CLS generalist roles require generalist certification

• GS-12 experience requirement: 1 year of creditable experience equivalent to GS-11

• Physical/work environment: largely sedentary with standing/walking/bending/twisting/carrying light items; office/clinic setting with occasional lab environment requiring standard precautions and PPE