Summary The Supervisory Medical Supply Technician (Chief of Sterile Processing) is located within Sterile Processing service line at the Bedford VA Healthcare center in Bedford, Massachusetts. The position is permanent and full time at 40 hours per week. This position is interdisciplinary, and can also be hired as an RN. If you are interested in applying as an RN, please see the concurrent job announcement CBTD-12770981-25-MKD Responsibilities The Chief of SPS executes a leadership role in ongoing systematic evaluation and improvement of quality and effectiveness of SPS program outcomes. Duties include, but are not limited to: Provides health system-wide leadership for critical and semi-critical RMD, including sterile storage, reprocessing, standard operating procedures (SOP), competency assessment, selection, operation, and maintenance of reprocessing equipment, staff education program for RMDs, and quality management of SPS; Assesses, monitors, develops, and implements corrective action plans for instrument processing, decontamination, sterilization, storage, biological monitoring, and high-level disinfection monitoring through an SPS Quality Management System; Maintains oversight and availability for consultation of non-critical RMD; Assesses the environment, analyzes trends, transmits data, communicates ideas, develops, and implements policies, initiates programs and systems, and collaborates in the management of resources; Utilizes patient care practices, microbiology, asepsis, disinfection/sterilization process, adult education, infectious diseases, communication, program administration and epidemiology; Oversees evidence-based practice (EBP) infection control relating to sterile processing standards; Manages education program development, evaluating concepts and project development, mentoring staff, and medical providers in sterile processing principles and in the implementation of projects, data collection techniques, statistical analysis, and developing evidence based clinical guidelines and protocols; Demonstrates leadership in developing and maintaining productive working relationships with groups in other medical programs and services across the spectrum of care, including, but not limited to Operative Care, Gastroenterology, ophthalmic surgical procedures, dental surgical procedures, Supply Chain Management (SCM), Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) surgical procedures, urological surgical procedures, and medical and surgical patient care areas; Executes leadership that is characterized by substantial and continuous responsibility and accountability for integrated programs that cross service and or discipline lines and influence organizational mission and safe, infection-free health care; Collaborates in the development and implementation of policies and procedures relating to sterile processing and infection control practices throughout the healthcare system; Collaborates with various surgical proprietary vendors that provide instrumentation that allow the agency to maintain inventory par levels that support the complex surgical cases; and Other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 7:30am to 4:00pm Compressed/Flexible: Not available. Telework: Ad-hoc available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: F08000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: May be authorized to a well-qualified candidate This position is not a Bargaining Unit position. This position is in the Excepted Service. Due to a critical staffing shortage, 38 U.S.C. § 7412 waives the requirement to apply Veterans' preference for this job announcement. Veterans' preference does not apply for internal or other current permanent Federal agency employees. Selectee required to serve one year supervisory/managerial probationary period. Current and former Federal employees must submit copies of their most recent SF-50, (Notice of Personnel Action). The SF-50 must identify the position title, series, grade, step, tenure and @type of service (Competitive or Excepted). In some cases, more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held. This position is covered by a special rate. Narrative responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) may be required from the selectee in order to proceed with the appointment. Requirements 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. You may be required to serve a trial period. 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. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). 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 and/or Education: Six months of experience that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work or provides an understanding of the work; OR 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. Grandfathering Provision: All MSTs that are employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard 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: Employees grandfathered into the GS-622 occupational series as MSTs may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance Journeyman) level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation. MSTs 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. MSTs 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 reentry to the occupation. 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: Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-9) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Ability to implement and incorporate regulations, policies, and procedures to manage SPS operations. Ability to evaluate new products and equipment, develop options, and make recommendations. Ability to integrate SPS managerial duties, which includes strategic planning of facility organizational goals and integration of SPS vision and values within the organizational mission. 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. Skill to initiate and lead interdisciplinary groups in order to facilitate daily SPS functions. Ability to analyze and interpret fiscal data in order to forecast resource and equipment needs. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: This position requires: lifting, carrying; reaching above shoulder; use of fingers; walking (8 hours); standing (8 hours); repeated bending; working alone; protracted or irregular hours of work and occasional emotional strain. 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: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information Receiving Service Credit or 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. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. 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. 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.
