Program Support Assistant

Biorepository Specialist

This position is located at the VA Central Biorepository Center within the VA Boston Healthcare System in Boston, MA. The biorepository processes and stores patient samples collected for the clinical trials conducted by the VA cooperative studies program (CSP program) and the Million Veteran Program (Epidemiology Research). Patient bloods collected nationally for these projects are shipped to the VA Central Biorepository for processing and long-term storage.

Major duties and responsibilities include (but are not limited to): Assists as with preparation of blood draw kits and shipping blood draw supplies to over 50 sites across the nation. Performs liaison and support duties to facilitate open communications with both internal and external customers. Acts as a liaison for the Project Manager and handles most communication with persons and/or groups within and outside of the organization or office pertaining to the study. Maintains contact with the sites, providing support and advice to site personnel. Provides administrative and technical support work to support the activities of the Biorepository. Assists the Project Manager in planning and preparing materials for study specimen collection. Fills supply orders. Creates UPS air bills for the supply orders. Prepares blood drawing kits and shipping boxes. Labels blood tubes and/or kits. Opens boxes and separates blood tubes by study and box. Accessions blood samples into the biorepository database. Sets up and maintains blood processing and DNA extraction robots. Creates and maintains physical and electronic study files. Fills cryotanks with liquid nitrogen weekly and keeps logs of the liquid nitrogen levels in the tanks. Follows lab safety rules. Performs other related duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Full Time, 7:00am - 3:30 pm with rotating Saturdays.

Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 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.

Qualifications To qualify for this position at the GS-5 level, you must meet one of the following requirements:

• SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must possess one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-4) in federal service. Qualifying specialized experience providing administrative and technical support work to support the activities of the Biorepository Lab such as planning and preparation of all materials for study specimen collection and accessioning the samples into the biorepository data base.
• OR EDUCATION SUBSTITUTION: Successfully completed 4 years of above the high school level in any field for which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite.
• OR COMBINATION: Possess equivalent combinations of experience and education as previously described to fully meet the requirements of this position.

You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: Communications Information Technology Research and Development Quality Assurance Technical Competence IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities.

Physical Requirements: The work requires some physical exertion like some walking; standing; bending; climbing and carrying of heavy to light items such as heavy shipping boxes filled with supplies, small parts; 50 lb of dry ice or 20 lb racks from freezers; or driving an automobile, etc. The arduous nature of the job requires frequent breaks.