Summary This position is located in the Sterile Processing Service at the Columbia VA Healthcare System, located in Columbia, SC. This is a Supervisory Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing Service) position. The incumbent will perform Supervisory duties in Decontamination, Preparation, Sterilization, and Case Cart section of Sterile Processing Service. Announcement closes 9/26/2025 OR when the applicant count of 50 has been reached. Responsibilities Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional The incumbent with have a thorough knowledge of the use and operation of decontamination and sterilization equipment. The incumbent is responsible for continually reviewing the status and progress of work and will make adjustments in accordance with establishing priorities. The term "supply item" as used in this functional statement refers to Reusable Medical Devices (RMD) items for patientcare including instrumentation (scissors, forceps, retractors, etc.), surgical trays and sets and various other items that could be processed or assembled through the Preparation and Decontamination areas of Sterile Processing Service. It is preferred that the incumbent complete Level I and Level II training thereby obtaining Certified Registered Medical Supply Technician status. The incumbent will obtain knowledge of documentation and logging of information and use of the Censitrac tracking system. Major duties include, but are not limited to: Functions as a first-level supervisor responsible for the oversight of a group of Medical Supply Technicians, with administrative responsibility for planning and directing of work. Operationalizes the quality assurance program in daily practice in order to ensure that the right instrument, in the right condition, is in the right place, at the right time. In conjunction with the Lead/RMD Coordinator/Educator, the Supervisor will be responsible for operational deployment of a comprehensive training program for all SPS staff. Communicate daily with customers in order to ensure open communication that results in uninterrupted and consistently accurate flow of necessary RMD supplies for procedures. Plans work to be accomplished by subordinates. Assigns work to subordinates based on priorities, selective consideration of the difficulty and requirements of assignments, staff designation as competent to complete and task, and the capability of the employee. Participates in Interview Panels and makes recommendations regarding hiring decisions. Provides recommendations regarding promotion and advancement of the Medical Supply Technicians on respective shifts. Hears and resolves complaints from employees, referring group grievances and more serious unresolved complaints to a higher-level supervisor or manager. Identifies developmental and training needs of employees, providing for and arranging for needed development and training. Finds ways to improve production or increase the quality of work directed and assists in the development of performance standards. Work Schedules: Monday through Friday, 9AM - 7:30PM. Work schedule subject to change based on department needs. OR Monday through Friday, 1PM - 11:30PM. Work schedule subject to change based on department needs. Recruitment/Relocation Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Authorized. Recruitment or Relocation incentive may be paid to a Highly Qualified candidate. Note: Definition of Highly Qualified Candidates: Candidates who possess unique skills and competencies needed to perform critical mission-essential functions. Per OPM.gov, to be Highly Qualified, the candidates are considered by the Human Resources Office and the subject matter expert (selecting official) as being highly proficient in all the requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position almost immediately or with a minimum amount of training and/or orientation. (Highly Qualified is not defined by years of experience alone). Refer to VA Handbook 5007, Part VI, Ch. 3 Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases. When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade). Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year). Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience. Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child. Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66. Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 60141F Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized 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. 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). 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. English Language Proficiency: MSTs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d). Experience and/or Education: Your submitted application must demonstrate at least one of the following: (1) Experience. Six months of experience that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work or provides an understanding of the work; or (2) Education. 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 (3) Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable. Grade Determinations: GS-08 Supervisory Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing) (a) Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (see GS-07 Lead Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing) Assignment below). (b) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs in their resume: Ability to manage, interact and deal with individuals of varying backgrounds. Ability to direct staff and manage tasks to be completed. Ability to oversee and supervise all aspects of decontamination, preparation, sterilization, monitoring, and distribution of RME. 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. GS-07 Lead Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing) Assignment. The Lead MST works in support of the Sterile Processing Service (SPS) management team. Distributes and prioritizes workload among employees in accordance with established workflow and/or job specializations. Assures an even workflow and distribution of the workload. Revises work schedules to meet anticipated and unanticipated changes in the workload. Assigns work to staff based on experience and training needs. Monitors and reports on the status of work. Ensures SOPs and SPS mandates are followed during the performance of workflow. Reviews work in progress or spot checks work not requiring review to ensure completed work meets supervisors' instructions on such things as work sequence, procedures, methods, and deadlines. Assesses the quality and quantity of work by reviewing the cleaning, reprocessing, and distribution of technical medical equipment, material and instrumentation. Provides information to management officials concerning performance issues, assignment changes and task completion. Instructs employees on work-related activities, policies, procedures and goals. Preferred Experience: Seeking an individual who is a critical thinker, with strong work ethics, positive character with integrity, and mission centered with strong computer skills. Supervisor/management experience preferred. SPS, GI, Dental or Surgical Tech experience preferred. 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-06. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is the GS-08. Physical Requirements: See VA Handbook 5019. This work is performed in various settings: decontamination, preparation, clean sterile supply (preparation) and in other services and departments throughout the medical facility/campus. The incumbent may be required to work in areas that are hot, cold, drafty and poorly lighted. The employee is subject to the possibility of falls, scrapes, cuts, bruises, and other injuries from material handling equipment. The work requires standing and walking during the entire workday and frequent bending and lifting of packages (occasionally weighing as much as 50 pounds). The work requires dexterity and visual acuity for manipulating, disassembly and assembly of instrumentation. On a regular and recurring basis, the employee alternates between a contaminated environment and a carefully controlled clean environment. The employee wears special clothing, hair covers, personal protective equipment and shoe covers that can be uncomfortably warm. The employee uses insulated gloves to remove carts from sterilizers. The employee is 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 Devices. The work area is noisy due to the clatter of metal instruments, rumbling of carts and operation of pre-sterilizing equipment. 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.
