Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing) - Quality Assurance

The Charleston VA Healthcare Network is recruiting for a Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing) - Quality Assurance! In this role, the incumbent oversees activities across all areas of the SPS Section-including Decontamination, Processing, Instrument Preparation, the GI Lab, the Operating Room Core Area, and Distribution-to ensure consistent, high-quality support for patient care.

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

Major duties may include, but are not limited to:

Functions or Scopes of Practice.

• Demonstrates comprehensive conceptual and practical knowledge of all SPS functions and serve as a direct liaison to all end-user services where RMD are used, stored, and reprocessed.
• Monitors SPS and end-user areas to ensure that proper procedures are followed and that items are safe for use, delivered on time, and in the correct condition to support patient care.
• Conducts systematic reviews of completed work and process documentation to assess adherence to SOPs, work sequences, methods, and deadlines, and to evaluate the quality and quantity of work produced by SPS staff, reporting findings to the Supervisor or Service Chief as appropriate.
• Prepares various quality assurance reports for higher-level supervisors.
• Manages quality aspects of reprocessing activities inside and outside the SPS work area, including training, competency assessment, supporting patient flow through operating rooms and procedural areas, and contributing to succession planning for all SPS and RMD reprocessing sites.
• Plans, develops, directs, and maintains a Quality Control Program that ensures product quality through random sampling, biological testing, product assessment, and related means, and prepare QA reports as needed.
• Ensures the availability and control of numerous recurring reusable medical/surgical supplies and equipment, which have complex supply and demand patterns due to the mission of the facility.
• Audits all locations where critical and semi-critical RMD are utilized, reprocessed, and stored, including associated documentation, to ensure that each patient care area and SPS is compliant with SPS/RMD directives and handbooks and applicable industry standards such as those from the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) and other professional guidelines.
• Coordinates with designated project team members to plan, develop, monitor, and control costs, schedules, quality, and risk mitigation strategies for programs and projects related to surgical instruments and other areas that include instrument tracking within the facility.
• Mentors new employees and assist with the New Employee Education Program, particularly in areas related to quality assurance, documentation, and use of the instrument tracking system.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: 5:00pm - 1:30am Monday - Friday (with on-call requirements)
Recruitment Incentive (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)
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 #: 62081F
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Basic Requirements:
English Language Proficiency: MSTs must be proficient in spoken and written English.
Citizenship: 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:
(1) Experience. Six months of experience that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work or provides an understanding of the work; or
(2) 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 or
(3) Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable.

GS-07 Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing) - Quality Assurance

(a) Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level.
(b) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
1. Knowledge of fact-finding and investigative techniques in order to evaluate work processes.
2. Ability to analyze data and make recommendations to correct quality control problems.
3. Knowledge of sterile processing operations, infection control procedures, and Joint Commission requirements to assess compliance during quality assurance reviews.
4. Ability to compile information, evaluate facts, document findings and prepare reports.
5. Thorough knowledge of aseptic principles and techniques to maintain quality control. 6. Ability to effectively communicate with technical and professional staff on the proper use of delicate instruments and equipment and resolve problems that may occur.

Preferred Experience
1. Three (3) years Sterile Processing or procedural experience.
2. Progressive leadership experience
3. Certification - Sterile Processing
4. Quality assurance experience with equipment

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

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-06. The actual grade at which an applicant will be selected for this vacancy is GS-07.

Physical Requirements: See Handbook 5019

• 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.