Supervisory Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing) - Assistant Chief

Summary

The Supervisory Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing) - Assistant Chief contributes to the oversight of all supervision, administrative management and direction of Sterile Processing Services (SPS) at the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System (SLVHCS), a 1b complexity level health care system. Their role is to oversee all decontamination, sterilization and disposition of facility critical and semi-critical Reusable Medical Equipment (RME).

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Duties

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Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

Major duties for the position include (but are not limited to):

• Responsible for assisting the Chief, Sterile Processing Services (SPS), in oversight of all operational and administrative activities of the service.
• Responsible for the quality management system activities within Sterile Processing Services, to include training, competency assessment, development and enforcement of standard operating procedures.
• Through subordinate supervisors provides technical and direct supervision to over 20 GS5 through GS8 Medical Supply Technicians
• Managing, directing and adapting work to accomplish program goals and objectives and to meet new and changing program requirements;
• Serving as a member or in an advisory capacity on committees (in the absence of the Chief);
• Issuing, adapting, implementing and maintaining local SPS policies and procedures as applicable to specific facility/system programs;
• Assisting the Chief, SPS in developing, directing and maintaining a Quality Control Program ensuring product quality assurance through random sampling, biological monitoring, product assessment and other means, and providing specific reports as required.
• Assisting Chief, SPS in preparing and evaluating future scheduling projects, anticipating future workload requirements to forecast appropriate staffing levels;
• Facilitating training of various aspects of SPS, including reprocessing and inventory management;
• Soliciting assistance from, or responds to, inquiries from outside regulatory and advisory agencies to ensure compliance with established policies and procedures from organizations such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI), Joint Commission (JC), International Association for Healthcare Central Service Materiel Management (IAHCSMM), Association of periOperative Nurses (AORN), and others;
• Working closely with Supply Chain Management to monitor inventory levels to identify and take corrective action on matters relating to potential inventory shortages created because of additional case volume, scrap, or any customer related skills that may exist;
• Overseeing appropriate reprocessing of reusable medical equipment (RME) to eliminate risk of infection and to provide timely safe patient care in all patient care areas.

Work Schedule : Monday - Friday 6:30am-3:00pm, subject to change based on Agency needs

Relocation Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): May be authorized for highly qualified candidate

Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized

Telework : Not Authorized

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement # : 629-01405F

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 dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Must be able to independently operate Government Vehicle.
• Must provide clean driving record report from the DMV during the pre-employment process.
• 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.
• 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-09 Supervisory Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing) - Assistant Chief

Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:

1. Ability to plan and project staffing needs and requirements.
2. Ability to manage, interact and deal with individuals of varying backgrounds.
3. Ability to manage, direct and adapt work to accomplish program goals and objectives, and meet new and changing program requirements.
4. Ability to develop and recommend new or revised policies that are consistent with organizational goals and objectives.
5. Ability to perform a full range of supervisory duties, including assigning, planning and evaluating work, recommending awards, approving leave, identifying training needs, and resolving staff issues.
6. Ability to evaluate new products and equipment, develop options, and make recommendations.
7. Ability to manage, interpret, and present fiscal data (i.e. fund controls, contracts and equipment expenditures), forecast resource and equipment needs and administer an allocated budget.

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

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-09.

Physical Requirements: Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation, see Duties section for essential job duties of the position. May require standing, lifting, carrying, sitting, stooping, bending, puling, and pushing. May be required to wear personal protective equipment and undergo annual TB screening or testing as conditions of employment.

Work Environment: Work is performed in an office/clinic setting with minimal risks that requires normal safety precautions; the area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. However, the work environment requires someone with the ability to handle several tasks at once in sometimes stressful situations.

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

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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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.