Surgical Technician

Summary This position is located in the Erie VA Medical Center Ambulatory Surgery. The position reports to Manager Ambulatory Surgery which is within Clinical Services line. The Surgical Technician is an integral part of the Operating Room (OR) care team. The Surgical Technician works and functions under the guidance of nursing and medical staff of Ambulatory Surgery and the Operating Room. Responsibilities The Surgical Technician handles instruments, supplies and equipment necessary during the surgical procedure. The Surgical Technician has an understanding of the procedures performed and anticipates the needs of the surgeon. Duties include, but are not limited to: Donning OR attire and personal protective equipment (PPE) Gathers, check and opens supplies and equipment needed for the surgical procedure. Performs the surgical scrub, donning gown and gloves. Sets up the sterile back table and mayo stand with instruments, supplies, equipment and medications/ solutions needed for the planned procedure. Performs initial instruments, sharps and sponge count with the circulating nurse. Assists the team members with gowning and gloving. Assists with draping the patient/correct surgical site and establishing the sterile field. Participates in the surgical site and patient verification during the 'time out" procedure. Secures tubing cords and other sterile accessories Prepares and anticipates additional instrumentation, equipment and supplies for usage during schedule procedures. Anticipates the needs of the surgeon by passing instruments and supplies to surgeon during procedure. Measures and passes medications, hemostatic agents and irrigation solutions utilized during the surgical procedure. Holds retractors or instruments as directed by the surgeon. Sponges or suctions the operative site as necessary. Applies electrocautery to clamps or forceps on bleeders at direction of surgeon. Cuts suture material as directed by the surgeon. Coordinates the camera or changes instruments during endoscopic procedures at request of surgeon. Maintains highest standard of sterile technique during the procedures. Performs additional counts as necessary. Prepares sterile dressings and/or immobilization devices. Prepares and passes off specimen(s) as appropriate. Cleans and prepares instruments for terminal sterilization. Assists in prepping (turning over) the OR for the next patient/procedure. Sets up and operates all necessary equipment for procedures. These include but are not limited to: Electrocautery, Laser, Suction, Microscope, Endoscopic and Laparoscopic Cameras and associated equipment: Battery and Air Powered Drill/Saw, Radiofrequency Generators, Disposable and Non-Disposable instruments and equipment necessary in the Operating Room environment. Functions as primary scrub person assisting the surgeon, and for handling instruments, supplies, during a full range of procedures, to include, but not limited to General Surgery, Upper and Lower endoscopy, Orthopedics, Ophthalmology, Podiatry, Urology, and Pain management. Participates in debriefing and quality improvement practices to ensure quality patient care. Assists with transferring patient to and from the OR table. Monitors the comfort of the patient and provides verbal and tactile reassurance to the patient. Assists in maintaining normothermia. Assists with positioning the patient using appropriate equipment and anatomical principles to avoid patient injury. Properly cares for specimens according to Erie VA policy. Secures dressing after incision closure. Updates and keeps accurate records of the surgeon s preferences. Collaborates and coordinates with circulator to stock Operating Room supplies. Collaborate and coordinate with ambulatory surgery Nursing staff to stock necessary supplies to PACU/pre/post-operative bays and ambulatory. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 7:00am - 3:30pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Surgical Technician/PD066130 Recruitment Incentives: May be Authorized. Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized. Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the 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 Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required. 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) As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary 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 probationary period period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 08/03/2026. You may qualify based on your experience as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-5 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: support duties to medical or health personnel such as audiologists, speech pathologists, medical officers, and optometrists. Preferred Experience: Certified Surgical Technician with 5+ years of experience. There is no educational substitution for the GS-06 level. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at 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 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. Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. 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. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. 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. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at