Summary

The position is located in the Nuclear Medicine Service at the John D. Dingell VA Medical Center. Incumbent performs administrative and technical work in support of Nuclear Medicine.

Duties

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The Supervisory Nuclear Medicine Technologist works under the direction of the ACOS of Radiology. The employee and supervisor, in consultation, develop the deadlines, projects, and work to be done. The incumbent is assigned continuing responsibility for independently planning and carrying out the duties and resolving most of the conflicts which arise; coordinating the work with others as necessary; and interpreting policy in terms of established objectives and determines the approach to be taken and the methodology to be used. The supervisory nuclear medicine technologist will work independently with input from the Chief when necessary. The supervisor nuclear medicine technologist will keep the Chief of the service and other nuclear medicine physicians informed of important issues and potentially controversial matters.

The incumbent will also:

• Oversee and plan monthly staff meetings
• Write and maintain functional statements for all Hybrid Title 38 staff members
• Research and respond to patient safety, equipment issues and recalls involving the Nuclear Medicine Service
• Manage procurement and contracting for Nuclear Medicine Service
• Provide budgetary analysis and projection for the service
• Ability to acknowledge and resolve customer, employee complaints
• Skill in providing administrative reports to management both orally and in writing
• Skill in writing and researching new nuclear medicine protocols
• Request, evaluate and recommend replacement nuclear medicine equipment
• Responsible for initiating changes in personnel status, hiring, promotions, awards, discipline
• Interview candidates for vacancies within the service, recommend appointments, advancements, or, when appropriate, disciplinary actions; evaluate performance; and identify continuing education and training needs
• Provide annual performance appraisal and semiannual progress reports for nuclear medicine staff
• Responsible for collecting and reporting of quality management data
• Acting as the COTR for the Nuclear Medicine Service
• Provide instruction to clinical staff, patients and family members
• Instruct nursing students, radiology students, new technologists, residents and others on techniques, procedures, equipment
• Develop and initiate new protocols which apply to current research findings
• Analyze dosimetry reports and institute or recommend additional radiation safety precautions as necessary to reduce exposure levels
• Perform required technical procedures for safe receipt, handling, transport, usage and disposal of radioactive material, assuring compliance with Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), National Health Physics Program (NHPP), Department of Transportation (DOT) and license conditions.
• Recognize potential radiation contamination by visual and mechanical methods
• Schedule patient procedures, taking into consideration camera availability, scan length, patient condition, the need for multiple nuclear medicine studies, other clinic appointments of the patient, contraindications for the test and urgency of the request.
• Prepare studies for nuclear medicine physician's interpretation by insuring completeness of all forms involved in the procedure.
• Record appropriate data and related information on the proper patient worksheet and images.
• Perform radionuclide therapy in collaboration with the nuclear medicine physician.
• Receive and assay prescribed therapeutic doses.
• Monitor and properly store any radioactive waste for disposal
• Skill in providing complex nuclear medicine patient procedures
• Perform a full range of nuclear medicine diagnostic imaging, non-imaging, in-vitro and therapeutic procedures
• Prepares and administers radiopharmaceuticals/pharmaceuticals through various routes of administration, including, but not limited to; oral, inhalant, intravenous, intramuscular, subcutaneous and intradermal (under the direction of an authorized user)
• Provide clinical instruction to student nuclear medicine technologists from affiliated programs and facilitate the attainment of established program objectives

Work Schedule: 8:00 am to 4:30 pm

Telework: Not Available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 943660

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

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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.
• 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.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 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 trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

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 master's 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. NOTE: Technologists functioning as multi-modality technologists require additional specific certifications as stated in assignment descriptions below.]
• English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C.7403(f).

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.

Grade Requirements:

• Experience: For assignments above the journey level, the candidate must have 1 year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS11) directly related to the position being filled, and must fully meet the KSAs at that level.
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate all the following technical KSAs and demonstrate the potential to acquire the assignment specific KSAs as designated by an asterisk (*):
  
  • *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.
  • Skill in providing complex nuclear medicine patient procedures. iii.
  • *Ability to develop and initiate new protocols which apply to current research findings
  • *Skill in providing administrative reports both orally and in writing [with higher level authorities (i.e., NHPP, TJC, NRC, Inspector General, executive leadership)].
  • *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.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is the GS12.

Physical Requirements: The Nuclear Medicine Technologist's work requires long periods of standing, sitting and walking up to 8 hours. There is repeated bending, pushing/pulling, reaching above shoulders, use of both hands (hands and fingers), twisting and carrying of moderately heavy articles weighing from 15-44 pounds such as shipping containers that contain shielded patient doses, phantoms, flood source, lead lined items that included but not limited to sharps container, syringe shields, L-Shield, and radioactive waste barrels. Positioning of patients who are disabled may require considerable effort and working in awkward positions. Heavy lifting of incapacitated patients who are disabled may require considerable effort and working in awkward positions. Heavy lifting of incapacitated patients is done only with help of the overhead patient lift. The only exception is imaging room 2C-249. Imaging room 2C-249 does not have an overhead patient lift. Sliding board and/or several staff members are required to safely move a patient if this particular room is used. Near vision correctable at 13 inches to 16 inches to Jaeger 1-4 and far vision correctable in one eye to 20/50 and to 20/100 in the other is acceptable. Hearing aids are permitted. Nuclear Medicine Technologists must display emotional and mental stability.

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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Additional information

The Department of Veterans Affairs is implementing a streamlined 30-Day Hiring Model designed to accelerate hiring while maintaining the highest standards of merit-based selection. This improved process reduces traditional hiring timelines by integrating early coordination, faster assessments, and efficient pre-employment actions. Applicants can expect a more transparent, predictable, and efficient hiring journey from announcement to entry on duty.

What Applicants Can Expect

• Expedited Candidate Review Once the announcement closes, Human Resources will quickly review applications, issue certificates of eligible candidates the day after the announcement closes and refer applicants for hiring manager consideration.
• Quick Interviews & References

HR may arrange interviews and will request references within 3-5 days after the announcement closes.

• Streamlined Pre-Employment Requirements: Following a tentative offer, applicants should be prepared to complete required steps, such as fingerprinting and background check, credentialing, and medical examination within 2 days of the offer.
• Clear and Timely Communication: Applicants will receive clear communication at key milestones, including referral, tentative offer, and onboarding instructions.

After meeting pre-employment requirements, candidates will receive a final job offer and start date. Onboarding tasks may continue after starting, with HR ensuring timely completion for a smooth transition into VA service.

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.