Supervisory Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing)

About this role

To qualify for this position, you must meet the basic requirements as well as any additional requirements (if applicable) listed in the job announcement. Applicants pending the completion of training or license requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. Basic Requirements: All applicants must meet the following basic qualifications. United States Citizenship: Must be a US Citizen. 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. English Language Proficiency. MSTs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j, this part. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements above, all applicants must also meet the following grade requirements for the specific grade level. GS-08 Supervisory Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing): Experience. At least one year of experience as an Advanced Level MST equivalent to the GS-07 grade level. Examples of experience include, but is not limited to work in which you: assemble highly complex instrument sets including, but not limited to, open heart, major orthopedic total joint, cardiovascular, craniotomy and complex endoscopic instrumentation, process all complex endoscopic instrumentation to include those medical devices used in the gastroenterology laboratory, bronchoscopy laboratory, urology and operating room, review manufacturer guidelines to ensure the correct methods and parameters are followed when cleaning, decontaminating and sterilizing Reusable Medical Equipment (RME), troubleshoot and analyze mechanical failures and makes necessary adjustments to complex decontamination and sterilization equipment, as well as interprets alarm conditions which may occur while operating the equipment, Informs management and healthcare staff when cleaning and processing standard operating procedures (SOPs) or instruction for use have been changed or updated to assure the changes have been validated to meet all guidelines, etc. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (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 While we no longer require essay-style responses to our KSAs, you must be able to demonstrate that you possess the KSAs that are necessary to successfully perform the work of the position. Please ensure your resume/CV/application contains sufficient information to support the level of experience/education/training you possess; otherwise, we will not be able to award you credit for the experience/education/training you claim. Preferred Experience: These preferences are highly desired but are not required: Minimum five (5) years experience as Sterile Processing Services Lead Technician Experience with staffing, payroll, and process improvement Experience with DaVinci, Medivator Strong interpersonal skills; works well with a team Proficient in electronic instrument tracking system; preferably CensiTrac Certifications- Certification Board for Sterile Processing and Distribution (CBSPD), IAHCHMM, or Healthcare Sterile Processing Association (HSPA), Certified Instrument Specialist (CIS), Certified Endoscope Reprocessor (CER) Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. 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 pushing heavy carts, 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 equipment. The work area is noisy due to the clatter of metal instruments, rumbling of carts and operation of pre-sterilizing equipment.