Lead Medical Supply Technician

Full Job Description

The Phoenix VA Health Care System is seeking a motivated and skilled Lead Medical Supply Technician to guide our outstanding Sterile Processing team.

In this essential role, you'll take the lead in coordinating workflow, mentoring new technicians, and ensuring our instruments, scopes, and surgical trays are expertly decontaminated, assembled, and ready for patient care.

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position.

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. Certification. None. 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: Employees grandfathered into the GS-622 occupational series as MSTs may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journeyman) level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation.

MSTs who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.

MSTs who are converted to title 38 hybrid status under this provision and subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation.

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).

GS-07 Lead Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing) Grade Determinations: Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities.

In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Ability to instruct staff on the correct procedures and protocols for completing assignments.

Skill in communicating with staff to ensure compliance with written directives, rules and regulations. Skill in interpersonal relationships in dealing with employees, team leaders, and managers.

Knowledge of sterility principles in order to instruct staff on decontamination procedures. Ability to lead individuals, manage priorities, and schedule work assignments.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Physical Requirements: This work involves both administrative and physical demands and 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, Needle Sticks, and other injuries from handling equipment.

The work requires standing and walking during the entire workday and frequent bending and lifting of sterile products and 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. Major Duties:

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Major Duties include but are not limited to: Provide sterilization, preparation, supply items and decontamination support for the medical center.

Distributes and prioritizes workload among employees in accordance with established workflow and/or job specializations.

Assigns tasks as necessary to provide new employees with the experience and training required to perform decontamination of scopes and instrumentation in the work area.

Assesses the quality and quantity of work by reviewing the cleaning, reprocessing, and distribution of scope medical equipment, material and instrumentation.

Maintain current knowledge of the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) which document the processes and procedures for cleaning, disinfection, sterilization and preparation of RME appropriate to this position.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 08:00am-4:30pm but work schedule may be adjusted to meet the needs of the service. Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): 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. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.