Therapeutic Radiologic Technologist

Summary

This position is for a Therapeutic Radiologic Technologist (TRT) - Staff Radiation Therapist (GS-10) within the Radiation Oncology Service at a VA Medical Center (VISN 8). The role is designed for an advanced, non-supervisory professional who works independently to deliver precise therapeutic doses of radiation.

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Duties

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To qualify, the incumbent must be a graduate of a JRCERT-accredited program, hold ARRT (T) certification, and possess a minimum of five years of recent clinical TRT experience. The position requires advanced technical knowledge across complex radiation therapy specialties-such as CT simulation, IGRT, VMAT, and SBRT-as well as the ability to operate specialized equipment like the Canon Aquillian CT Simulator, VARIAN TRUEBEAM and VARIAN TRILOGY Linear Accelerator. The clinician must collaborate closely with the wider oncology team to ensure safe, highly accurate, and patient-centric care.

Primary Duties and Functions

• Treatment Planning & Simulation: Performs complex CT simulations for tumor localization using a CT simulator, prepares required contrast media, and fabricates custom patient immobilization devices.
• Radiation Delivery: Accurately reproduces treatment setups and delivers prescribed therapeutic doses of radiation using a Linear Accelerator, utilizing advanced technologies like IGRT, VMAT, 3D conformal, and SBRT.
• Quality Assurance (QA): Conducts daily morning QA, mechanical, and dosimetric checks on the CT Simulator and Linear Accelerators, documenting results and troubleshooting minor equipment issues.
• Data & Record Management: Utilizes Electronic Medical Records (EMR) systems (ARIA, CPRS) to document treatment delivery, capture workloads with proper ICD10/CPT codes, and verify chart accuracy.
• Patient Safety & Care: Verifies patient identification and consent in compliance with HIPAA, recognizes treatment side effects, practice safe patient handling, and maintains a sterile, clean environment.
• Radiation Safety Execution: Maintains comprehensive knowledge of NRC and OSHA regulations, utilizing film badges and strictly adhering to ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) principles to minimize exposure.
• Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Partners with Radiation Oncologists, Physicists, and Dosimetrists to select treatment isocenters, transfer data sets to Treatment Planning Systems, and communicate plan modifications.
• On-Call & Emergency Coverage: Optimizes daily schedules to accommodate emergency cases and maintains the flexibility to arrive at the clinic within two hours for regular off-hours emergency treatments.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:00am to 3:30pm

Telework: Not eligible for Telework

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 41821F

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized

Requirements

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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.
• 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 identification 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).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

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

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.
• English Language Proficiency: TRTs must be proficient in spoken and written English. See 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).
• Education-(Certificate or transcripts Submitted). 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 (Documentation Submitted). All applicants must be certified in therapeutic radiologic technology by the ARRT in Radiation Therapy (ARRT (T)).
  
  
  • 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).
• Grandfathering Provision. All persons employed in VHA in this occupational series or in another occupational series that are also performing the duties as described in the qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade held, including positive education and licensure/certification/registration that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply:
  
  
  1. Employees in an occupation not requiring a licensure/certification/registration, may be reassigned, promoted or demoted within the occupation.
  2. Employees in an occupation requiring a licensure/certification/registration, may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance level, 5 or demoted within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the full performance level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions.
  3. Employees in an occupation requiring a licensure/certification/registration only at higher grade levels must meet the licensure/certification/registration requirement before they can be promoted to those higher-grade levels.
  4. Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.
  5. Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation.
     
     
     • NOTE: Each uncertified TRT permanently employed on June 21, 1986, and whose competence in the safe administration of ionizing radiation was affirmed, in writing, by a VA licensed physician not later than January 1, 1987, is considered fully qualified. These employees may be promoted, up to and including the journey level, demoted or reassigned within the GS-0648 occupational series. Any employee initially retained in this manner who leaves this job series loses protected status and must meet the full requirements in effect at the time of reentry.
• Grade Determination at the GS-10 grade level. In addition to the basic qualifications, listed above, incumbent must meet the following grade specific qualifications:
• Experience. At least one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level, GS-09, directly related to the position being filled.
  
  
  • Example of GS-09 Experience: Independently operating ionizing radiation equipment to deliver prescribed therapeutic doses of radiation; performing standard CT simulation procedures for tumor localization and fabricating basic patient immobilization devices; executing daily quality assurance (QA) checks, mechanical checks, and dosimetric checks on simulation and treatment machinery; utilizing electronic medical records (EMR) or record-and-verify systems to chart patient setups, track prescriptions, and verify workloads; and strictly adhering to radiation safety procedures, including ALARA principles and NRC regulations, to protect patients, self, and staff.

Preferred Experience:

• Varian TrueBeam and Trilogy (3 years)

• ARIA

• Raystation with Canon Aquillion CT (3 years)

• Attention to detail

• Team collaboration

• Time management in fast paced environment

• Ability to handle complex cases independently (re-treats and unusual setups)

• Highly proficient with advanced techniques IMRT, IGRT, SBRT/SRS (3 years)

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS10.

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-qualification….

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit for 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.

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.

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Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

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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 windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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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.