Therapeutic Radiologic Technologist

Summary This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. 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 examination. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. 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. Education: Individuals must have successfully completed a program in therapeutic radiologic technology, evidenced by a certificate or an associate's or higher degree accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology or other accrediting bodies recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and the subsequent completion of a 12-month ED accrediting body-approved program in therapeutic radiologic technology. Public Law 97-35 requires that persons who administer radiologic procedures meet the credentialing standards in 42 C.F.R. Part 75. They must have successfully completed an educational program meeting or exceeding the standards described in that regulation and is accredited by an organization recognized by the ED, and be radiation therapists certified by the ARRT in Radiation Therapy (T). Certification: All applicants must be certified in therapeutic radiologic technology by the ARRT in Radiation Therapy (ARRT) (T)). Exception: Non-certified applicants who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements for TRT certification may be given a temporary appointment under 38 U.S.C. 7405 (a)(1)(B) for up to one year at the entry level only as a graduate TRT under the authority of 38 U.S.C. 7405 (c)(2)(B). Graduate TRTs may only be appointed at the entry grade level and may not be promoted/converted until certification is obtained. Temporary graduate TRT appointments may not be extended beyond one year or converted to a new temporary appointment. Failure to Obtain Certification: In all cases, TRTs must actively pursue meeting the requirements for certification starting from the date of their appointment. Failure to become certified within one year from the date of appointment will result in removal from the GS-0648 TRT series and may result in termination of employment. Loss of Certification: Once certified, a TRT who fails to maintain the required certification must be removed from the occupation, which may result in termination of employment. 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). Grade Determinations: Grade Determinations for Therapeutic Radiologic Technologist GS-10: Experience. At least one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level directly related to the position being filled. Assignments. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity, range of variety and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. Employees at this level serve as advanced staff TRTs independently carrying out procedures which have varying assignments. This includes basic and advanced treatment modalities and procedures, which exceed the full performance level. Employee will be assigned the responsibility of emergency on-call treatments, if applicable, and perform simple Monitor Unit calculations. Other assignments include but, are not limited to performing CT simulations, troubleshooting for basic problems and machine issues, maintaining treatment rooms and equipment in a clean, neat and safe condition and assisting patients to and from the treatment room. Regardless of the nature of the specific assignment, the work must be of sufficient scope and complexity to meet the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform at this level. Candidates must demonstrate all the KSAs below: (a) Skill in independently performing machine warm up procedures and interpreting output levels compared with established thresholds adhering to the principles of radiation safety and all aspects of quality assurance. (b) Ability to independently perform patient chart reviews using an electronic medical record and the Record and Verify System or other similar treatment delivery systems. (c) Ability to independently perform all basic and complex CT simulations, including independently operating the CT equipment, following directives, designing custom immobilization for reproducible set-ups, obtaining optimal imaging, completing accurate data transfer for treatment planning and providing accurate and precise patient documentation. (d) Ability to utilize a Linac's On Board Imaging system to interpret complex images. 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-10. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service. 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. 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 applicant's 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. Read more Benefits A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new window Learn more about federal benefits. Review our benefits Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.