Overview
The VA San Diego Healthcare System is seeking a highly skilled and experienced Anatomic Pathology Supervisor to lead our Anatomic Pathology team. This pivotal role involves overseeing laboratory operations, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards, and maintaining the highest quality of diagnostic services. The ideal candidate will possess extensive hands on experience and supervisory experience in a clinical anatomic pathology laboratory. The candidate will have knowledge to oversee the autopsy and surgical pathology services.
Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:00 am - 3:30 pm PST
Duties
Duties include but are not limited to the following:
- The incumbent supervises a large staff of nonsupervisory personnel, including at least one subordinate in the performance of complex anatomic pathology testing in multiple specialties, such as Mohs testing, cytology testing, immunohistochemistry, molecular testing, or electron microscopy. The supervisor performs the full range of supervisory duties for one or more sections of the anatomic pathology laboratory, including responsibility for assignment of work performed.
- Plans and schedules on-going work. Adjusts staffing levels or work procedures.
- Chooses methods for achieving work goals, objectives and management strategies.
- Responsible for monitoring test analyses and specimen examinations to ensure acceptable levels of performance; assures corrective action is initiated when test performance deviates from established performance specifications.
- Approves and certifies Annual Leave (AL) and Sick Leave (SL) for the Pay Period.
- Assures corrective action is initiated when test performance deviates from established performance specifications.
- Assures orientation, training and competency assessment of staff has been performed and appropriated documented.
- Implements and monitors quality management activities.
- Works in conjunction with the section Technical Specialist and Pathologist to analyze emerging trends and technology and adopts appropriate methods and testing.
- Applies laws, policies and precedents, regulatory, licensing, and accrediting requirements to establish, monitor, and maintain the specialized testing.
- Ensures compliance with rules and regulations of assorted regulatory agencies such as CAP, TJC, and OSHA.
- Performs the full range of supervisory duties, including but not limited to, recommendations for appointments; planning, scheduling and assigning work; setting priorities; evaluating the work of subordinates; performance evaluations; providing advice and counsel.
- Performs other related duties as assigned.
Requirements
- 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 dentification 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).
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.
- English Language Proficiency. Histopathology Technologists must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).
- Education. Individuals must meet one of the requirements below:
(1) Successful completion of a full four-year course of study from an accredited college or university, leading to a bachelor's or higher degree, that included a major study in an academic field related to health sciences or allied sciences appropriate to the work of a histopathology technologist, such as, but not limited to clinical biology, microbiology, physiology, pre-medical, medical lab technology, chemistry, immunology, physiology, anatomy; OR,
(2) Baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college/university with a combination of 30 semester hours (45 quarter hours) of biology and chemistry (must include credit hours in both); OR,
(3) Successful completion of two years of progressively higher level graduate education, leading to a master's degree or equivalent graduate degree, with a major study in an academic field related to health sciences or allied sciences appropriate to the position of histopathology technologist, such as clinical biology, microbiology, physiology, pre- medical, medical lab technology, chemistry, immunology, physiology, anatomy.
- 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.
- Certification.
- (1) Candidates must currently possess the Histotechnologist (HTL) certification given by the ASCP Board of Certification. The ASCP requires completion of one of the following for a candidate to be considered "board eligible" to take the certification exam:
- (a) Successful completion of a Histotechnician or Histotechnology program accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Science (NAACLS); OR,
- (b) One year of full time experience in all of the following: fixation, embedding, microtomy, processing, and staining in a histopathology (clinical, veterinary, industry, or research) laboratory.
Pay: $102,246.00 - $132,923.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Employee assistance program
- Health insurance
- Health savings account
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Retirement plan
Work Location: In person
