LEAD MED SUPLY TECHNICIAN (STERILE PROCESSING)

About the company

The Lead Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing) serves as a key leadership figure within the Sterile Processing Service (SPS), supporting the SPS management team by overseeing daily operations, guiding staff, and ensuring adherence to established protocols and quality standards.

Your tasks

Major Duties but not limited to: Is in charge of making the Medical Supply Technicians' 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. 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. Assess quality and quantity of work produced by each employee.
• 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, new procedures, or accomplishments of new projects' tasks.
• Maintains current knowledge and answer questions to other employees on procedures, policies, directives, etc. May obtain needed information or decisions from the supervisor on problems that arise or backlogs that cannot be disposed promptly.
• Spot checks work in progress and assists in reviewing completed work to see that instructions, work sequences, procedures, methods, and deadlines have been met.
• Participates in Operating Room daily huddles in coordination with the Program Manager Coordinator as part of coordination of surgical procedures.
• Amend or reject work not meeting established standards. Refers to the supervisor questions or issues not covered by standards and/or problems in meeting performance standards.
• Monitors working conditions such as, ventilation, lighting/illumination, safety, etc.
• May inform employees of available services and employee activities.
• Will resolve simple, informal complaints of employees, but refer other situations to the supervisor.
• Reports to the supervisor on performance, progress, and training needs of employees.
• Completes competencies for MSTs, as delegated.
• Reports to supervisor employees on behavior problems

Requirements

In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA's) below:

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.

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 Basic Requirements: To qualify for appointment to this position, all applicants must possess the following: Citizenship - You must be a citizen of the United States English Language Proficiency - English Language Proficiency - You must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d) and VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, paragraph 3j. Experience and/or Education - Experience - Six months of experience that demonstrates the 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. 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 Lead Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing) Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level.

In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following 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.

Preferred Experience

• Completion of SPS Level 1 training in TMS must be done within 90 days after being hired, preferred.
• Previous experience as lead MST or covering as lead MST, preferred.
• Experience in management of endoscopes reprocessing, preferred.
• Experience in identifying, managing, cleaning and/ or high- level disinfecting surgical instruments, preferred.
• Knowledge and experience in identifying and managing Orthopedic instrumentation, preferred.
• Approved professional agency certification for sterile processing, preferred.

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/.

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. 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 identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation/examination. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

What we offer

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Work Schedule: Rotating Shifts, Weekends and Holidays, coverage for CBOCs as needed. Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Not authorized. 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 #: 61426F Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.

Other

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019