This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/463999300. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
The VA is much more than just another employer. It is an honorable, open and welcoming community of those who care. Gratitude is our motivation and service is our mission. The VA has adopted Core Values and Characteristics that apply universally across the Department. The five Core Values define "who we are," our culture, and how we care for Veterans, their families and other beneficiaries. The Values are Integrity, Commitment, Advocacy, Respect and Excellence ("I CARE").
America's Veterans need you!
To find out more, go to http://www.vacareers.va.gov
Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 212.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities [i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities], and/or Disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more.
Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) is currently 4.22% and is subject to change in the future.
Relocation Expenses: Relocation expenses are not authorized for this position.
Learn more about this agency
02/08/2017 to 11/30/2017
$44,952 - $58,442 per year
GS 07
2 vacancies in the following location:
Not required
No
Permanent
Full-time - Full Time
No
VT-17-TYS-1911841-OCA
463999300
Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Position Description Title/PD#: Surgical Technician/#50026-A
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: The duties regularly require providing manual assistance in lifting an positioning patients most of which are in various stages of un-consciousness. 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. Must be dexterous in passing instruments to surgeons without compromising the principles of aseptic techniques and in a manner requiring little or no effort from the surgeon.
Work Environment: The duties are performed in the operating rooms and require special OR attire. Will have regular and recurring exposure to toxic and noxious gases such as exposure to x-rays, pure oxygen and blood and body fluids which are often infectious and require special safety precautions. Appropriate scrub attire is requires including sterile gown and gloves, surgical caps and surgical masks. Protective eyewear or a face shield must be worn to prevent inadvertent splash injuries to his/her eyes. May have to wear a 20-30 pound lead apron as protection from radiation during various procedures.
Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference on the Occupational Questionnaire in the section provided and provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) and/or documentation related to your active duty service which shows dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), or dates of impending separation.
Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veterans Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. For more information, please review the information for disabled Veterans in the application checklist or visit http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx.
If you are a male applicant who was born after 12/31/59 and are required to register under the Military Selective Service Act, the Defense Authorization Act of 1986 requires that you be registered or you are not eligible for appointment in this agency. For more information, see http://www.sss.gov/
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement Thursday, November 30, 2017.
Time-in-grade: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements.
Specialized Experience: Applicants 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. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: proper cleaning techniques, types of detergents to use on various items, proper handling and rotation of sterile supplies, handling of contaminated items, quality control and personal hygiene; implement infection control policies and procedures; familiar with complex surgical procedures and the possible complications that could arise in order to prepare for the procedures; anticipate the needs of the surgical team, respond with speed and accuracy and report observations/immediate procedural needs to the RN circulator; Prepare for surgical procedures; knowledge of anatomy, physiology and protocol to select the correct instruments for a procedures; anticipate the needs of the surgeon during the procedures; recognize and respond to a variety of critical situations including emergency and life threatening conditions; Use and effects of anesthesia in order to recognize the hazards of anesthetic agents, to recognize and respond to adverse conditions during the course of the procedure; Operate all operating room equipment such as sterilizer, operating room table and attachments, electrosurgical unit, video cameras and monitors, electrical and air powered equipment, fiber optic equipment, operating microscopes, emergency monitoring equipment, and pneumatic tourniquets.
OR
Education: Have you successfully completed one (1) full year of graduate education in a field that is directly related to the work of the position. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended.
A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.
You will be rated on the following Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Other characteristics (KSAOs) as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position.
1. Knowledge of highly technical medical instruments, human anatomy, physiology and aseptic techniques to prepare and protect the sterile field during surgery including sterilizer operations and tests to determine the effectiveness of sterilization, packaging, storage and shelf life.
2. Knowledge of pathology care and the correct handling of specimens in order to prevent damage to or loss of specimens and eventual diagnosis.
3. Knowledge of the operation and function of all surgical instruments, equipment and testing procedures to ensure all equipment works and proper post-operative decontamination procedures including how to prepare instruments for various forms of sterilization.
4. Advanced knowledge of specialized terminology associated with the work in the facility and in-depth knowledge of the terminology used in the specialized area in order to understand written requests.
If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview.
IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume/application does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s).
PLEASE NOTE: Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications (particularly positions with a positive education requirement.) Therefore, applicants must report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html All education claimed by applicants will be verified by the appointing agency accordingly. 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.
The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection
priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be
qualified you must submit appropriate documentation and be found
well-qualified (have a final rating of 90 or more before any Veterans
preference points) for this vacancy. Information about ICTAP and
CTAP eligibility is on OPM's
Career Transition Resources website.
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.
Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position."
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Your résumé and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.
INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS will receive a rating of IDMA or IFM (ineligible due to missing/incomplete forms). Requests for reconsideration of ratings will not be considered for applicants who fail to submit a complete application package.
Current/Updated Resume - Work experience (NOTE: You must include the following information in order to receive credit for your experience):
Do not submit letters of recommendation, performance appraisals, positions descriptions, examples of your work, etc. in lieu of a resume. This additional information will NOT be forwarded to the hiring facility/manager.
OF-306 - Declaration for Federal Employment is available at http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/of0306.pdf (required).
REQUIRED IF APPLICABLE:
All current and former Federal employees must submit a copy of your latest NON-AWARD SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) showing your tenure, grade and step, and type of position occupied (i.e. Excepted or Competitive).
All Veterans must submit a copy of your DD-214. Your copies must be legible and must show character of service and all dates of service; more than one DD-214 may be needed to show all dates of service.
Disabled veterans and other veterans eligible for preference must also submit an SF-15 with the required VA letter certifying a service connected disability of 10% or more dated 1991 or later, from the Department of Veterans Affairs or from a branch of the Armed Forces.
**It is the applicants responsibility to verify that all information in their resume and documents, whether uploaded or faxed, are received, legible, and accurate. HR will not modify answers/documents submitted by an applicant. **
Do not email or send hard copy resumes/applications to the Contact Information listed in this vacancy announcement. All resumes/applications received at the addresses listed in the Contact Information will be destroyed and will not be considered for this vacancy announcement.
Please use this checklist to make sure you have included other documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), documentation to support Veterans Preference claims, or ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees). You will not be contacted for additional information.
Faxing Applications or Supporting Documents:
You are encouraged to apply online. Applying online will allow you to
review and track the status of your application.
NOTE: If you applied online and your application is
complete, do not fax the paper application (1203FX) as this will overwrite
your prior online responses and may result in you being found ineligible.
If
you completed the occupational questionnaire online and are unable to upload
supporting document(s):
1. To fax your documents, you must use the following cover page http://staffing.opm.gov/pdf/usascover.pdf and provide the required information. The Vacancy ID is 1911841.If you cannot complete the Application Package online, you may fax all of your materials. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on Thursday, November 30, 2017 to receive consideration. Keep a copy of your fax confirmation in the event verification is needed.
2. Fax your documents to 1-478-757-3144. If you cannot complete the Application Package online, you may fax all of your materials.
1. Click the following link to view and print the occupational questionnaire.
View Occupational Questionnaire
2. Print the 1203FX form (http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdfimage/opm1203fx.pdf), follow the instructions and provide your responses to the occupational questionnaire items
3. Fax the completed 1203FX form along with any supporting documents to 1-478-757-3144. Your 1203FX will serve as a cover page for your fax transmission.
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
HOW TO APPLY: All applicants are encouraged to apply online.
To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on Thursday, November 30, 2017 to receive consideration.
1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
2. Click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application package.It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.
After the vacancy announcement closes and a referral certificate is issued, an electronic notification letter - or e-mail - will be sent to applicants who provide an e-mail address.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/463999300. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
Learn more about
Vacancy Identification Number (VIN) 1911841