Supervisory Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing)

This position is located within the Sterile Processing Service in the Bay Pines VA Healthcare System at Cape Coral, FL. The Supervisory Medical Supply Technician (MST) works in support of the Sterile Processing Service (SPS) management team.

*****A recruitment/relocation incentive may be offered to highly qualified candidate(s).*****

Duties and responsibilities of the Supervisory Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing) include, but are not limited to:

• Provides oversight and supervision for a group of MSTs, up to the GS-7 level.
• Administrative responsibility for planning and directing daily work, and ensures an even workflow and distribution of workload.
• Oversight of attendance and leave to include approval of sick leave and annual leave, and revises work schedules to meet anticipated and unanticipated changes in the workload.
• Ensures SOPs, Policies and SPS mandates are followed.
• Conducts performance appraisals, recommends promotions, reassignments, recognition of superior performance retention or release of probationary employees, or other changes of assigned personnel.
• Reviews work in progress or spot checks work not requiring review to ensure completed work meets supervisor's instructions on such things as work sequence, procedures, methods, and deadlines.
• Provides technical supervision necessary for accomplishing the work of the organizational unit.
• Conducts corrective counseling with employees, referring disciplinary problems to higher levels of management. Resolves informal complaints of employees and deals with union representatives on personnel matters.
• Instructs employees on work-related activities, policies, procedures and goals.
• Provides guidance and training to staff members with less experience.

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 7:00am - 3:30pm
Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized
Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Authorized to highly qualified and eligible new federal appointees or former federal employees with at least a 90-day break in service.
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized
Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increase
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)
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 #: 20811F

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. MSTs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j

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.

Supervisory Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing) GS-8 Grade Determinations:

Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower (GS-7) grade level which are:

• 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.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities KSAs. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following 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

Preferred Experience: Minimally 1 year of specialized experience at the GS-7 (Lead) grade level including all tasks that demonstrate the ability to perform the MST jobs responsibility.

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

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).

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-08.

Physical Requirements: The Physical Requirements for the position require heavy lifting (45 pounds and over). heavy carrying (45 pounds and over); Use of fingers and both hands; straight pulling (8 hours); pushing (8 hours); walking (8 hours); standing (8 hours); Kneeling (8 hours). repeated bending (8 hours); both legs required; working outside and inside; excessive heat; excessive humidity; excessive noise, intermittent; constant noise; solvents(degreasing agents); Slippery or uneven walking surfaces; working around machinery with moving parts; working around moving objects or vehicles; working with hands in water; working closely with others; near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4. Far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other; depth perception and the ability to distinguish basic colors; ability to distinguish shades of colors; hearing (aid permitted); operation of transport equipment; working alone; protracted or irregular hours of work; unusual fatigue factors (Repetitive motions). For additional information, please see VA Directive and Handbook 5019.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).

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 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.