Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing)

Summary

This Medical Supply Technician SPS is in the Sterile Processing Service (SPS) Line, at the VA Healthcare System, located in Manchester New Hampshire.

Duties

Help

This is an Permanent Intermittent Appointment.

The position is under the close supervision of the Supervisory Medical Supply Technician and is accountable to the Chief, SPS through the Assistant Chief, SPS. The Supervisor and/or Service Chief/Assistant Chief will assign work with standing instructions on objectives, priorities, deadlines, and provides guidance for unusually involved situations. The employee will work as a team member with other Medical Supply Technicians of various experience to carry out the daily workload utilizing the written standard operating procedures and/or manufacturers written instructions in accordance with instructions, policies, previous training, or accepted standard practices. The supervisor evaluates completed work for overall technical soundness and conformance to agency policies through competency assessment utilizing simulation, direct observation and verbal responses from the incumbent.

Duties include, but are not limited to:

• Per VHA Directive 1116(2), chapter 7a and d, All new Medical Supply Technicians must complete Level I training within 90 days of hire. Additionally, all Medical Supply Technicians must participate in continuing education such as, computer-based training, or in-service education sessions leading to 12 education hours annually. Level 2 training will be completed as soon as possible.
• Collects and receives contaminated critical and semi-critical RME in the decontamination area and may receive noncritical equipment in the decontamination area as well.
• Inspects packages for indications of proper sterilization.
• Recognizes basic instruments though knowledge or use of available resources to accurately assemble basic surgical trays.
• Performs environmental maintenance duties, assists in maintaining inventory levels.
• Transports items including RME to clinical areas.
• Recognizes abnormal workings of equipment and alarm conditions to leads or supervisors to make necessary adjustments to complex decontamination and sterilization equipment.
• Maintains clean clutter free work environment including but not limited to appropriate par levels, replacing loose instrumentation in appropriate storage locations, scanning trays following policy and procedures to appropriate storage location and putting trays in correct location.
• Provides customer service by fielding requests from end-users. Consistently demonstrates effective customer service by interacting with co-workers, staff, patients, visitors, students, and volunteers in a courteous and professional manner.

Work Schedule: Intermittent tours of duty varies.

Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized

Telework: Not Available.

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #:608-F03526

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.

Notifications:

• This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.
• This position is not in an Bargaining Union.
• This position is covered by a Special Salary Rate.
• This is an intermittent position.
• Narrative responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) may be required from the selectee in order to proceed with the appointment.
• Current and former Federal employees must submit copies of their most recent SF-50, (Notice of Personnel Action). The SF-50 must identify the position title, series, grade, step, tenure and type of service (Competitive or Excepted). In some cases, more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held.

Requirements

Help

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.
• 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 (). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation.
• 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.

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.
• English Language Proficiency: Medical Supply Technicians must be proficient in spoken and written English.
• 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.

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 Determination:

GS-06 Experience: (Full Performance Level) -One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-05). Duties may include, but are not limited to: Removes soil, blood, tissue fragments, body fluids, and other containments by wiping, soaking, rinsing, and scrubbing. Inspects packages for indications of proper sterilization, assembles basic sets and trays used throughout the medical center including those used in the operating room. Prepares, loads, and operates sterilizers such as steam, VPRO, Steris, and a high level disinfecting scope reprocessor; prepares operating room case carts daily using surgery schedule.

In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the KSAs below:

• 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.

Preferred Experience: CRCST,CER OR CIS Certification and Sterile Processing Technician with 3+ years of experience working in Sterile Processing Field in the areas of decontamination, prep, assembly, sterilization, and all aspects of high level disinfection.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-06.

Physical Requirements: Work is typically performed in a clinical setting that exposes incumbent to biohazards, hazardous chemicals, and hazardous medications common in a health care environment. Such exposure will be mitigated, in accordance with local policies and operating procedures, as per USP800 standards, OSHA guidance, and local risk assessment practices. Standard safety precautions and PPE are required and specified per local policies.

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 45 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, and 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.

In the performance of official duties, the employee must be able to utilize office automation equipment, personal computers, bar code scanners, fax and copier machines and CENSITRAC software programs, and possesses the ability to apply skills to ever changing office/inventory technologies. The employee must be proficient in utilizing the CENSITRAC and other VA automated systems.

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: 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:

Additional information

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.

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.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.



Help

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.