Lead Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing)

Summary

The Lead Medical Supply Technician - Sterile Processing (MST-SP) position is located within the Sterile Processing Service in the Bay Pines VA Healthcare System at Bay Pines, FL. The Lead MST-SP works in support of the Sterile Processing Service (SPS) management team.

*****A recruitment/relocation incentive may be offered to highly qualified candidate(s).*****

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Duties

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The functions and duties of the Lead Medical Supply Technician (MST) in Sterile Processing include but are not limited to the following:

• Has expert knowledge of all areas with Sterile Processing to include: decontamination, preparation and assembly, sterilization, endoscope reprocessing (if applicable), sterile storage, and distribution.
• Distributes and prioritizes workload among employees in accordance with established workflow and/or job specializations.
• Assures an even workflow and distribution of the workload.
• Revises work schedules to meet anticipated and unanticipated changes in the workload.
• Assigns work to staff based on experience and training needs.
• Monitors and reports on the status of work.
• Ensures SOPs, Policies, and SPS mandates are followed during the performance of workflow.
• Reviews work in progress or spot checks work not requiring review to ensure completed work meets supervisors' instructions on such things as work sequence, procedures, methods, and deadlines.
• Assesses the quality and quantity of work by reviewing the cleaning, reprocessing, and distribution of technical medical equipment, material and instrumentation.
• Provides information to management officials concerning performance issues, assignment changes, task completion, and competency review.
• Instructs employees on work-related activities, policies, procedures, and goals.
• Utilizes advanced functions of instrument tracking system to manage RME throughout the facility.
• Provides guidance and training to staff members with less experience.

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

Work Schedule : Monday - Friday 3:30pm - 12:00am

Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Authorized to highly qualified and eligible new federal appointees or former federal employees with at least a 90-day break in service.

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)

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)

Telework : Not Eligible

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement # : 20393F

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): 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 ( 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. MSTs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j,

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.

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).

Grade Determinations : GS-0622-07 Lead Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing)

Assignment: The Lead MST works in support of the Sterile Processing Service (SPS) management team. Distributes and prioritizes workload among employees in accordance with established workflow and/or job specializations. Assures an even workflow and distribution of the workload. Revises work schedules to meet anticipated and unanticipated changes in the workload. Assigns work to staff based on experience and training needs. Monitors and reports on the status of work. Ensures SOPs and SPS mandates are followed during the performance of workflow. Reviews work in progress or spot checks work not requiring review to ensure completed work meets supervisors' instructions on such things as work sequence, procedures, methods, and deadlines. Assesses the quality and quantity of work by reviewing the cleaning, reprocessing, and distribution of technical medical equipment, material and instrumentation. Provides information to management officials concerning performance issues, assignment changes and task completion. Instructs employees on work-related activities, policies, procedures and goals.

Experience Requirement: In addition to meeting the basic requirements, One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade (GS-6) level. Examples of specialized experience include but are not limited to: Receiving contaminated critical and semi-critical RME in the decontamination area; disassembling the RME and determining the correct cleaning method, such as but not limited to ultrasonic cleaners, mechanical washers, cart washers and chemical cleaning/decontamination agents, as determined by manufacturer instructions; inspecting, assembling and determining the correct method and packaging for sterilization such as but not limited to steam, Sterrad, Steris, ETO, and high level disinfecting scope re-processors; performing and documenting daily operational checks and records for all sterilization equipment.

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.

Preferred Experience:

• Minimum 2 years of hands on experience with reusable instrument reprocessing
• Certification as a Certified Medical Supply Technician

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

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS7.

Physical Requirements: Heavy lifting (45 pounds and over). Use of all fingers and both hands, straight pulling (8 hours), pushing (8 hours), walking (8hours), standing (8 hours), kneeling (8 hours), repetitive bending (8 hours); use of both legs required, working outside and inside, excessive heat and humidity, excessive and constant noise, use of chemical solvents (degreasing agents), slippery and/or uneven walking surfaces, working around machinery with moving parts, working around moving objects or vehicles, working with hands in water, working closely with others. Near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4. Far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other; depth perception and the ability to distinguish basic colors; ability to distinguish shades of colors; functional hearing (aid permitted);operation of transport equipment; working alone, protracted and/or irregular hours of work, and unusual fatigue factors (repetitive motions).

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.