Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this occupational series. For more information, refer to Required Documents below. This announcement is open to current permanent VA and Federal Employees only. Note: A current (2025) non-award SF-50 must be submitted for verification.

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Duties include but are not limited to the following:

• Contributes to the effective utilization of resources, budgetary allocation, and fiscal management.
• Makes selections, assigns personnel, and provides direction to subordinate staff.
• Manages the training, documenting, and evaluating of staff.
• Ensures the availability and control of many separately. recurring reusable medical/surgical instrumentation and equipment.
• Responsible for quality management, reprocessing activities, enhances patient flow through the operating rooms, and aids in succession planning for all areas of SPS and sites where reprocessing occurs.
• Plans, develops, directs, and maintains a Quality Management Program.
• Assists the Chief of SPS to maintain an accurate medical tracking system, which details specific preventive maintenance performed and equipment availability for patient care use.
• Plans, organizes, directs, trains, and coordinates all activities associated with a comprehensive processing and decontamination support operation.
• Participates as a member or in an advisory capability on committees as required.
• Conducts and/or oversees orientation, training, skills review, and assists in educational programs to maintain high staff performance standards throughout the facility as requested.
• Responsible for coordination and integration of production requirements to meet the OR schedules (both scheduled and non-scheduled).
• Prepares and evaluates future scheduling projections, anticipating future workload requirements to forecast appropriate staffing levels

Work Schedule: Various tours available. Will be discussed during the interview process.
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 61072-F
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: May be authorized for highly qualified candidates
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). 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.
• 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: To qualify for appointment to this position, all applicants must possess the following:

• Citizenship. You must be a citizen of the United States
• English Language Proficiency. English Language Proficiency - You must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d)
• Experience and/or Education.
  • Experience. Six (6) months of experience that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work or provides an understanding of the work. OR
  • Education. One (1) 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.

Grandfather Provision. A Medical Supply Technician (MST) employed in VHA on the effective date of the qualification standard (May 28, 2014) are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply:

1. Employees may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level or changed to lower grade within the occupation but may not be promoted beyond the journeyman level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions.
2. Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed on a temporary or permanent basis until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.
3. Employees who are converted to Title 38 Hybrid status under this provision and subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of re-entry to the occupation.

GRADE DETERMINATION - GS-09
Experience. In addition to meeting the basic requirements, to qualify for the GS-09 you must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-8). Examples of specialized experience include but are not limited to: Serving as a first-level supervisor or Lead MST responsible for the oversight of a group of MSTs, with administrative responsibility for planning and directing the work; assigning tasks as necessary to provide new employees with the experience and training required to perform decontamination of scopes and instrumentation in the work area; instructing employees on work-related activities, policies, procedures and goals; referring disciplinary problems to higher levels of management or supervisors; resolving informal complaints of employees and dealing with union representatives on personnel matters; providing technical supervision or direction necessary for accomplishing the work of the organizational unit.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the experience above, you 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 https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

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

Physical Requirements: The incumbent usually stands and moves from one part of the facility to another while performing duties. Is frequently required to lift packages weighing 50 pounds and pushes carts weighing up to 300 pounds for distances up to 2640 feet.

Transferring patients and objects may be required. The incumbent may be exposed to infected patients and contaminated materials and may be required to don protective clothing in isolation situations or operative/invasive procedures. The incumbent may occasionally be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders. The incumbent must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, able to shift priorities based on patient needs.

Working Conditions: On a regular and recurring basis, the employee alternates between a contaminated environment and a carefully controlled clean environment. Wears special clothing, hair covers, PPE and shoe covers that can be uncomfortably warm. Uses insulated gloves to remove carts from sterilizers. Subject to burns from accidentally touching hot items. The hazards of working around minute quantities of sterilizing gasses are unknown. The employee often works around body fluids, mucous, excretions and bits of tissue, some of which may be foul smelling. Strong, unpleasant odors are encountered while decontaminating bloody or grossly contaminated instrumentation or reusable medical equipment. The work area may be noisy due to the clatter of metal instruments, rumbling of carts and operation of pre-sterilizing equipment.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.