Lead Medical Supply Technician ( Sterile Processing)

Summary

The Lead MST works in support of the Sterile Processing Service (SPS) management team within the EOVAHCS. Distributes and prioritizes workload among employees in accordance with established workflow and/or job specializations. Monitors and reports on the status of work. Ensures SOPs and SPS mandates are followed during the performance of workflow.

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Duties

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

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

Major duties and responsibilities of the position include but are not limited to:

• Incumbent serves as the trainer/educator for all RME.
• Receives, disassembles, and inspects for damage reusable medical, dental and surgical instruments and equipment.
• Determines correct method for manual cleaning and disinfection. Removes soil, blood, tissue fragments, body fluids, and other gross contaminants by wiping, soaking, rinsing, scrubbing, and use of ultrasound equipment. Loads and operates washer disinfector, cart washer and sterilizers.
• Removes items from washer/disinfector and determines type of tray or set to assemble based on recognition of key items and the operating room and clinic schedules.
• Examines items to ensure that gross contamination has been removed.
• Assembles sets and trays by selecting appropriate tray, lining it with a towel, and arranging instruments in the tray in the correct manner.
• Selects correct sterilizing medium and cycles and operates sterilizer.
• Monitors operation of sterilizer with prescribed tests.
• Disassembles, cleans, lubricates, reassembles and sterilizes dental handpieces and numerous dental specialty instruments and trays. All instruments are processed per manufacturer's guidelines.
• Disassembles, leak tests, manually cleans, brushes, aspirates and flushes numerous flexible endoscopes; High Level Disinfects and/or sterilizes according to the needs of the end user and strictly adhering to the manufacturer's guidelines.
• Properly loads and operates sterilizers such as Steam, hydrogen peroxide gas plasma, and a high level disinfecting scope re-processor. He/she selects correct sterilization method for items to be sterilized.
• The incumbent monitors performance of sterilizers for quality control by conducting bacteriological tests (bacillus stearothermophilus spores for evaluation of steam and bacillus subtillis for evaluation of hydrogen peroxide gas plasma sterilizers).

Work Schedule : Monday through Friday, 9:00 am to 5:30 pm

Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases.

Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year)

Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience.

Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.

Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66 .

Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA

Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)

Functional Statement # : 53238-A

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 ( 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.
• 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.

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

Basic Requirements :

• Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• Experience and/or Education
  • Experience. Six months of experience that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work or provides an understanding of the work; or
  • Education. One year above high school that included at least 6 semester hours in health care related courses such as sterile processing, nursing assistant, hospital corpsman, and operating room and surgical technician courses or other courses related to the position; or
  • Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable.
• Certification . None.
• Foreign Education. To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education must have been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U. S. programs.
• English Language Proficiency. MSTs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j, this part.

Grade Determinations : The following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.

GS-07 Lead Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing)

• Experience . One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-6).
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities . In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
  
  
  1. Ability to instruct staff on the correct procedures and protocols for completing assignments.
  2. Skill in communicating with staff to ensure compliance with written directives, rules and regulations.
  3. Skill in interpersonal relationships in dealing with employees, team leaders, and managers.
  4. Knowledge of sterility principles in order to instruct staff on decontamination procedures.
  5. Ability to lead individuals, manage priorities, and schedule work assignments.

This vacancy is above the full performance level.

Preferred Experience: CRCST Certification Preferred, Sterile Processing Experience

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit

Physical Requirements: The employee usually stands and moves from one part of the room to another while performing duties. There is frequent requirement for lifting individual instruments or instrument trays weighing up to 45 pounds from just above the floor to waist level and occasional requirements for similarly lifting baskets weighing up to fifty pounds. The technician transports trays and equipment on carts that may weigh

up to 300 pounds when full. Employee must be acutely aware of safety requirements when moving these carts over slight rises such as door sills.

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: 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:

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.

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.

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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.