About This Position
About the Position: This position is located within the Department of Pathology, Clinical Pathology at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, MD. 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.
Qualifications
Who May Apply: US Citizens In order to qualify, you must meet the 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. Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes performing blood collection procedures by venipuncture and capillary puncture techniques, preparing specimens for testing, and performing clerical duties related to handling of laboratory specimens. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-05). 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. Although not required, management prefers the candidate to possess a ASCP (American Society for Clinical Pathology) certification.
Major Duties
Serve as a phlebotomist performing blood collection, both in the phlebotomy room and in the main laboratory processing areas.
Have direct patient contact while performing blood collection procedures using venipuncture and capillary puncture techniques and obtain capillary blood samples based on the judgment of venous access and the requirements of the test.
Receive and process various laboratory samples and specimens, receiving specimens from remote sites for shipment to civilian or military reference laboratories.
Prepare shipping manifests, ensuring the integrity of documentation, logs, and specimens following regulatory guidelines.
Perform accessioning procedures using automated systems such as the Composite Health Care System (CHCS), ensuring timely distributions to laboratory sections.
Perform clerical duties related to the handling of laboratory specimens.
Under the direction of a training coordinator, instruct new laboratory hires, Military Medical Laboratory Technician (Phase II) students, and various other students in procedures, practices, and techniques.
Have direct patient contact while performing blood collection procedures using venipuncture and capillary puncture techniques and obtain capillary blood samples based on the judgment of venous access and the requirements of the test.
Receive and process various laboratory samples and specimens, receiving specimens from remote sites for shipment to civilian or military reference laboratories.
Prepare shipping manifests, ensuring the integrity of documentation, logs, and specimens following regulatory guidelines.
Perform accessioning procedures using automated systems such as the Composite Health Care System (CHCS), ensuring timely distributions to laboratory sections.
Perform clerical duties related to the handling of laboratory specimens.
Under the direction of a training coordinator, instruct new laboratory hires, Military Medical Laboratory Technician (Phase II) students, and various other students in procedures, practices, and techniques.
How You Will Be Evaluated
Once the announcement has closed, a review of your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Veterans and Military Spouses will be considered along with all other candidates.
Additional Information
Male applicants born after December 31, 1959 must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration. You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship. One year trial/probationary period may be required. Direct Deposit of Pay is required. Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees. Recruitment or relocation incentives MAY be authorized for highly qualified candidates. Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement. If you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant, see the information in the Reemployed Annuitant information sheet. Payment of Permanent Change of Station (PCS) costs is not authorized, based on a determination that a PCS move is not in the Government interest.
How to Apply
To apply for this position, you must complete the online questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 02/13/2026 to receive consideration. To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application (https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12881173). Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. As a reminder, your resume must be two pages or less and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. For additional information, refer to the 'Required Documents' section. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process. You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application. Your resume selected in USAJOBS will be included, but you must re-select other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application may be incomplete. It is your responsibility to verify that your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan. Additional information on how to complete the online application process and submit your online application may be found on the USA Staffing Applicant Resource Center. To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://www.usajobs.gov/applicant/profile/dashboard/), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status.
Required Documents
The documents you are required to submit vary based on whether or not you are eligible for preference in federal employment. A complete description of preference categories and the associated required documents is in the Applicant Checklist for Public Announcements. As described above, your complete application includes your resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which prove your eligibility to apply. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further. 1. Your resume: Your resume must be two pages or less and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. For each relevant work experience, make sure you include the employer's name, job title, start and end dates (include month and year), for qualifications purposes, the number of hours worked per week, and a brief description that show you can perform the tasks at the required level listed in the job announcement. If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as incomplete, and you may not receive consideration for this position. Use plain language. Avoid using acronyms and terms that are not easily understood. The hiring agency will not make assumptions about what's in your resume. If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations, and you may not be considered for this vacancy. For additional information, to include formatting tips, see: What to include in your resume. 2. Other supporting documents: Cover Letter, optional Most recent Performance Appraisal, if applicable. NOTE: Documents submitted as part of the application package, to include supplemental documents, may be shared beyond the Human Resources Office. Some supplemental documents such as military orders and marriage certificates may contain personal information for someone other than you. You may sanitize these documents to remove another person's personal information before you submit your application. You may be asked to provide an un-sanitized version of the documents if you are selected to confirm your eligibility.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the salary for the Health Technician position at Military Treatment Facilities under DHA?
The salary range for this position is $51,957 - $67,543/yr. This is a GS-6 position on the General Schedule pay scale. Actual pay may vary based on locality adjustments.
Where is the Health Technician job located?
This position is located in Bethesda, Maryland. This is an on-site position.
What qualifications do I need?
Who May Apply: US Citizens In order to qualify, you must meet the 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; st...
How do I apply for this position?
Apply through USAJobs.gov by clicking the 'Apply on USAJobs' button. You'll need a USAJobs account, a federal-style resume, and supporting documents. The deadline is Feb 13, 2026.
Is a security clearance required?
No security clearance is required for this position.
What does GS-6 mean?
GS-6 refers to the General Schedule grade level. Higher grades require more experience and offer higher pay. Visit our GS Pay Scale page for full salary tables by grade and locality.
What benefits do federal employees receive?
Federal employees receive comprehensive benefits including health insurance (FEHB), retirement through FERS, Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) with government matching, paid annual and sick leave, paid parental leave, life insurance, and student loan repayment programs.