Surgical Technician

Summary

The Surgical Technician provides assistance to the surgeon and other team members during surgical procedures at the Salisbury VA Medical Center, Veterans Healthcare System, Salisbury, NC.

NOTE: Applicants who applied to previous Vacancy Announcement 12969608 Surgical Technician must reapply to this Vacancy Announcement 12983764 to receive further consideration.

DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled using Direct-Hire Authority (5 CFR 337.205) for this occupation.

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Duties

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The Surgical Technician participates with the surgical team members in planning and implementing complex procedures under the general supervision of the Surgeon and Registered Nurse (RN). The Surgical Technician performs the following major duties:

• Functions as a scrub person responsible for handling instruments, supplies, and equipment during all surgical procedures such as: open hear, thoracic, major vascular, neurosurgery, microsurgery, and total joint replacement surgery.
• Assists the surgeon by performing such procedures as preparing skin grafts, suctioning, holding retractor, applying skin staples, and cutting sutures. Prepares prosthesis and surgical devices during procedures.
• Utilizes universal precautions and follows all infection control policies and procedures when handling specimens, supplies, and equipment.
• Sets up sterile field with all required items for each procedure such as air-powered equipment, fiber optic equipment, laparoscopic equipment, microscopes, lasers, arthroscopy equipment, urologic equipment, recording devices, and other operating room supplies and equipment.
• Assists the team members with care of patient, i.e., positioning, prepping, and obtaining supplies.
• Plans and discusses each procedure with surgical professionals and assures that all supplies and equipment are available prior to the surgical procedure.
• Prepares, organizes, and maintains complex sterile surgical set-ups.
• Handles all specimens appropriately.
• Observes and responds promptly to each stage of the surgical procedures and anticipates the needs of the surgeon by maintaining a high level of concentration for extended periods of time.
• Performs sponge and instrument counts to verify accuracy. Responsible for the accountability for all surgical instruments and equipment during the surgical procedure.
• Recognizes potentially hazardous situations (e.g., frayed cords, water on floor) and take corrective action.

Performs other related duties as assigned in the position description.

Work Schedule: Fulltime, Days, 8 to10 hour tours of duty based on needs of agency.

Telework: No

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Surgical Technician/ PD50204A

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

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
• 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: A pre-placement evaluation is 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, 06/26/2026.

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-06 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized Experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled Specialized experience includes but not limited to the following: Handling instruments, supplies, and equipment during all surgical procedures such as: open hear, thoracic, major vascular, neurosurgery, microsurgery, and total joint replacement surgery; assisting surgeons by performing such procedures as preparing skin grafts, suctioning, holding retractor, applying skin staples, and cutting sutures; utilizing universal precautions and follows all infection control policies and procedures when handling specimens, supplies, and equipment; setting up sterile field with all required items for each procedure such as air-powered equipment, fiber optic equipment, laparoscopic equipment, microscopes, lasers, arthroscopy equipment, urologic equipment, recording devices, and other operating room supplies and equipment; other related duties performed by a Surgical Technician.
  OR
  Education: One full year of graduate education directly related to the work of the position and duties listed above. (Transcripts Required )

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at

Preferred Experience/Certifications: If you have the experience/certifications, please ensure information is listed on your resume.

• 2 years current or recent Operating Room (OR) experience with ambulatory basic procedures.
• Previous experience working under microscope using aseptic technique to deliver required instrumentation to physician for use in the procedure.
• Experience in responding to acute trauma injuries in the operating room.
• Experience and understanding of the biological physiology of disease conditions that requires surgical intervention
• Certifications : Certified Surgical Technician (CST)/ Basic Life Support (BLS) Certified proof of certifications

Physical Requirements: The work will require recurrent bending, lifting, stooping, standing, squatting, stretching, sitting, and walking. Generally, the work requires recurring physical exertion with assisting patients. Duties regularly require providing manual assistance in lifting and positioning patients, most of which are at various stages of unconsciousness. There are extensive periods of regular and recurring standing, walking, bending, lifting, pushing, reaching, and prolonged stretching to provide easy accessibility of instruments and supplies for the surgeon. Incumbent must be dexterous in passing instruments to surgeons with compromising principles of aseptic technique and in a manner requiring little or no effort from the surgeon. Prepares prosthesis and surgical devices during procedures.

Education

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on 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

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.