Summary Lead Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing) is a leadership position in charge of making the MST staff work assignment, corrects & redirects staff while performing duties, monitors progress toward completion of assigned tasks. The Lead is responsible for all activities that occur in his/her area of responsibility within the department during their tour of duty. Responsibilities Major Duties but are not limited to: Responsible for all activities that occur in his/her area of responsibility within the department during their tour of duty. Collection, receipt, inspection, and decontamination of soiled critical or semi-critical reusable medical devices (RMD). The incumbent must have a complete knowledge of the process for transporting, cleaning/disinfecting, and sterilization of RMD used in patient care. Wearing of personal protective equipment (PPE), good material-handling techniques, understanding the major types of cleaning techniques, supplies, processing equipment, detergents, disinfectants, and general guidelines for their use. The Lead must completely and thoroughly know how to disassemble and reposition all parts of RMD to ensure the removal of bioburden prior to sterilization. Serves as the subject matter expert to guide staff through the proper procedures. Incumbent knows the factors that affect the process of sterilization and the maintenance of sterility, as well as the specific procedures that should be followed for all types of in-hospital RMD disinfection & sterilization processes. Responsible for the interpretation of all mechanical printouts from sterilization equipment to validate that sterilization of RMD are within acceptable parameters. Ensures that staff assigned to sterilization reviews print outs to validate parameters have been met and the results are documented in the sterilization log. On a regular and recurring basis, lead duties in this position consist of the following: Distributes and balances the workload among staff to ensure timely reprocessing and to ensure that each employee has enough work to keep busy. Keeps in touch with the status and progress of work and makes day-to-day adjustments in accordance with established priorities. Reports on expected time of completion of work and maintain records of work accomplishments and time expended. Prepares production reports as requested. Instruct employees in specific tasks and job techniques and make available written instructions and reference materials as necessary. Provides on the job training to new employees. Maintains current knowledge and answer questions of other employees on procedures, policies, directives, etc. May obtain needed information or decisions from the supervisor on problems that arise. Spot checks work in progress and assists in reviewing completed work to see that instructions, work sequences, procedures, methods, and deadlines have been met. Work Schedule: Mondays - Fridays, staggered tours, or may be required to rotate weekends, holidays. Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 061869F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized 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 probationary period. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. 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). Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. 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: 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 six (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. Certification: None. 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. 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: GS-07 -Experience: One (1) year of experience equivalent to the GS-06 level. Experience to the next lower grade includes: Knowledge of surgical instruments used in operating rooms and clinic settings; Knowledge of universal precautions for safety and prevention of cross contamination; Working knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, microbiology, medical conditions and procedures; Knowledge of sterility principles in regards to instrumentation; Ability to read and interpret written instructions and procedures. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): 1. Ability to instruct staff on the correct procedures and protocols for completing assignments. 2. Skill in communicating with staff to ensure compliance with written directives, rules and regulations. 3. Skill in interpersonal relationships in dealing with employees, team leaders, and managers. 4. Knowledge of sterility principles in order to instruct staff on decontamination procedures. 5. Ability to lead individuals, manage priorities, and schedule work assignments. Selective Placement Factor: Must be proficient in spoken and written Spanish language. Preferred Experience: Two (2) years of experience as a Medical Supply Technician (MST), preferred. Knowledge and experience on management of instrumentation used in Operating Room & clinical settings; universal precautions; infection control measures; sterility & high-level disinfection principles; and reusable medical equipment, preferred. Knowledge and experience on management of endoscopes reprocessing, preferred. VHA SPS Level 2 Training, preferred Creditable Experience: Knowledge of Current Medical Supply Technician (MST) Practices: To be creditable, the experience must have demonstrated the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) associated with Medical Supply Technician (MST) responsibilities. Experience satisfying this requirement may be paid/non-paid employment as a Medical Supply Technician (MST). Quality of Experience: Qualifying experience must be at a level comparable to Medical Supply Technician (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. 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-07 Physical Requirements: : The work is performed in various settings throughout the facility, to include but not limited to; decontamination, scope room, sterile storage, Prep & Packaging and clinical departments. The incumbent may be required to work in a multitude of temperature variants. The work requires standing and walking during the entire workday, with frequent bending and lifting of instrumentation (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 will be asked to rotate between carefully controlled clean environments and the contaminated area of decontamination. The employee wears personal protective equipment, as appropriate for their area. This will include, but not limited to; hospital provided surgical attire, hair covers, beard covers, shoe covers and hospital dedicated shoes. The employee may be exposed to hazardous materials or loud noises within the department Education IMPORTANT: 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. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. 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.