About the Position: This is a Direct Hire Authority (DHA) solicitation utilizing the DHA for Certain Personnel of the DoD to recruit and appoint qualified candidates to positions in the competitive service. Work schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM (work hours are non-negotiable), with occasional schedule flexibility to support urgent operational needs. This is a Direct Hire Solicitation
Who May Apply: US Citizens In order to qualify, you must meet the education and/or experience requirements described below. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document. Basic Requirement for Molecular Scientist: Degree: Bachelor's or graduate (or higher level) degree with major study in an academic field related to the medical field, health sciences or allied sciences appropriate to the work of the position. This degree must be from an educational program accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained. In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below: Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes independently conducting molecular diagnostic procedures such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR), next generation sequencing (NGS), or fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH); contributing to assay validation, quality control and quality assurance; drafting or revising procedures and protocols; providing training and mentorship to laboratory staff or technologists; and contributing to research projects, method development, or publications. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-13). Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience in order to qualify. For this job, you must meet the qualification requirement using experience alone--no substitution of education for experience is permitted. Certification Preferred: Certification by a nationally recognized board such as MB (ASCP) - Molecular Biology or MLS( ASCP) - Medical Laboratory Scientist.
Leading and supporting routine high-complexity molecular diagnostic testing—primarily next-generation sequencing (NGS) and/or PCR—to ensure accurate, timely, and reliable results.
Designing, validating, and optimizing new molecular assays in compliance with CLIA, CAP, and institutional standards.
Clinical service: Routinely perform one category of molecular testing, PCR or NGS assay.
Maintaining and improving quality control (QC) and quality assurance (QA) programs, and supporting the Medical Director in ensuring regulatory compliance and inspection readiness.
Supervising laboratory staff, managing performance (including addressing under-performance), and ensuring appropriate on-boarding, training, and mentorship.
Investigating test failures or instrumentation issues, leading root cause analysis, and implementing corrective actions to maintain laboratory efficiency and reliability.
Working closely with physician pathologists, IT, and quality teams to implement laboratory initiatives and technical improvements that support clinical and research missions.
Supporting research and development efforts, contributing to publications or presentations, and providing subject matter expertise in molecular diagnostics.