Summary

The Supervisory Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing) provides guidance concerning strategic program requirements - objectives and interpretation. The supervisor is responsible for exercising independent judgement in the management of administrative controls - planning - training - including Quality Management - oversight of processing activities - ensuring competencies and directing all functional activities within the Sterile Processing Service (SPS).

Qualifications

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 Experience
• Six months of experience that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work or provides an understanding of the work
• or - 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 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: 1
• Employees grandfathered into the GS-622 occupational series as MSTs may be reassigned - promoted up to and including the full performance (journeyman) level
• Note: This position is above the full performance level
• Foreign Education
• To be creditable - education completed outside the U.S. must have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education must have been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U
• S
• programs
• Physical Requirements
• Described in VA Directive and Handbook 5019
• English Language Proficiency
• MSTs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA policy
• GRADE REQUIREMENTS Creditable Experience: Knowledge of Current MST Practices
• To be creditable - the experience must have demonstrated the knowledge - skills - and abilities (KSAs) associated with MST responsibilities
• Experience satisfying this requirement may be paid/non-paid employment as a MST
• Quality of Experience
• Qualifying experience must be at a level comparable to MST experience at the next lower grade level of the position being filled
• For all assignments above the full performance level - the higher level duties must consist of significant scope - administrative independence - complexity (difficulty) and range of variety as described in this standard at the specified grade level and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time
• Part-Time Experience
• Part-time experience as a MST is creditable according to its relationship to the full-time workweek
• For example - a MST employed 20 hours a week - or on a 1/2-time basis - would receive 1 full-time workweek of credit for each 2 weeks of service
• Grade Determinations: The following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates
• GS-08 Supervisory Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing) Experience Requirement: In addition to meeting the basic requirements - to qualify for the GS-08 you must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-7)
• Examples of specialized experience include but are not limited to: Distributing and prioritizing workload among employees in accordance with established workflow and/or job specializations
• assuring an even workflow and distribution of the workload
• revising work schedules to meet anticipated and unanticipated changes in the workload
• assigning work to staff based on experience and training needs
• monitoring and reporting on the status of work
• reviewing work in progress or spot checking work not requiring review to ensure completed work meets supervisors' instructions on such things as work sequence - procedures - methods - and deadlines
• assessing the quality and quantity of work by reviewing the cleaning - reprocessing - and distribution of technical medical equipment - material and instrumentation
• Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities
• In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: 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
• Preferred Experience: Advanced medical supply technician who can supervise the night lead MST and night technicians
• The ideal candidate would have the experience to assist with the full range of duties essential to receive clean/decontaminate - assemble/prepare - sterilize or high-level disinfect - store and distribute sterilized and high-level disinfected reusable medical equipment (RME) to the operating room and clinics
• 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-8. Physical Requirements: 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.

Duties

• The Supervisory Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing) functions as a first-level supervisor responsible for the oversight of a group of Medical Supply Technicians (MST) - with administrative responsibilities for planning and directing the work
• The following list is not inclusive of all duties and responsibilities: Oversees attendance and leave - including approval of sick and annual leave and vacation schedules
• Informs higher level management of anticipated vacancies or increases in workload
• Recommends promotions - reassignments - recognition of superior performance - retention or release of probationary employees or other changes of assigned personnel
• Holds corrective interviews with employees - referring disciplinary problems to higher levels of management
• Resolves informal complaints of employees and deals with personnel matters
• Provides technical supervision necessary for accomplishing the work of the organizational unit
• All duties as assigned
• Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Work Schedule: Monday through Friday 1700 - 0130 Compressed/Flexible: Not Available Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Available for candidate with superior qualifications
• 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 relevant to duties of a supervisory Medical Supply Technician in Sterile Processing
• 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 #: 00000