Supervisory Medical Supply Technician- Sterile Processing Assistant Chief
Job Location:
Wilmington, DE - USA
Yearly Salary:
Posted:
Application Deadline:
Vacancies:
Job Summary
The Assistant Chief Sterile Processing contributes to the oversight of all supervision administrative management and direction of the Sterile Processing Service. The incumbent in this position oversees all decontamination sterilization and disposition of facility critical and semi-critical reusable medical equipment. The Assistant Chief develops and maintains a system of internal reviews that ensure service programs operate in compliance with regulatory and accrediting organizations.
The Assistant Chief Sterile Processing Service and fills an advanced performance level supervisory role in the Sterile Processing Service (SPS). In this position the incumbent will provide supervision over staff who perform sterilization preparation of supply items and reusable medical equipment decontamination and distribution support for the medical center. The term supply item as used in this functional statement refers to disposable and reusable items for patient care including instrumentation (scissors forceps retractors etc.) reusable medical equipment (suction machines infusion pumps etc.) surgical trays and sets and various other items that could be processed or assembled through the Preparation and Decontamination areas of the Sterile Processing Service.
Perform all functions of subordinate a Medical Supply Technician (MST) including but not limited to:
- Conduct daily assessment of assigned area
- Assigns plans and evaluates work
- Recommends awards approves leave and identifies training needs and resolves staff issues
- Evaluates completed work for overall technical soundness and conformance to agency policies
- Retrieve reusable medical equipment (RME) from operating rooms and outpatient surgical clinics to include Dental
- Completion service specific orientation and staff in-service program of sterile processing
- Inspect packages for indications of proper sterilization
- Knowledgeable in high level disinfecting (HLD) scope reprocessor such as a Medivator
- Ensure instrument cleanliness and completeness as appropriate and deemed ready for sterilization
- Monitor instrument sets through the sterilization process using CensiTrac and QA monitors
- Work as part of team of technicians to improve the throughput of surgical instruments through SPS
- Receives contaminated critical and semi-critical RME in the decontamination area and reprocess using standard operation procedures (SOP) and manufacture information for use (IFU)
- Inspects assembles and determines the correct method and packaging for sterilization such as but not limited to steam STERRAD steam and/or HLD scope reprocessors such as the Medivator
- Performs additional duties as assigned
Work Schedule: 9:30am-6:00pm
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 $144000 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 #: 000000 / Supervisory Medical Supply Technician- Sterile Processing - Assistant Chief
- 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 drivers licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
- 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.
- 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.
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 in accordance with chapter 3 section A paragraph 3j this part.
- Basic 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.
- Specialized Experience Requirement: In addition to meeting the basic requirements to qualify for the GS-09 you must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-8). Examples of specialized experience include but are not limited to: Serving as a first-level supervisor responsible for the oversight of a group of MSTs with administrative responsibility for planning and directing the work; oversees attendance and leave including approval of sick and annual leave and vacation schedules; informs higher level management of anticipated vacancies or increases in workload; recommends promotions reassignments recognition of superior performance retention or release of probationary employees or other changes of assigned personnel; holding corrective interviews with employees referring disciplinary problems to higher levels of management; resolving informal complaints of employees and dealing with union representatives on personnel matters; provides technical supervision necessary for accomplishing the work of the organizational unit.
- Demonstrated Knowledge Skills and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the experience above you must demonstrate the following KSAs:
- Ability to plan and project staffing needs and requirements.
- Ability to manage interact and deal with individuals of varying backgrounds.
- Ability to manage direct and adapt work to accomplish program goals and objectives and meet new and changing program requirements.
- Ability to develop and recommend new or revised policies that are consistent with organizational goals and objectives.
- 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.
- Ability to evaluate new products and equipment develop options and make recommendations.
- Ability to manage interpret and present fiscal data (i.e. fund controls contracts and equipment expenditures) forecast resource and equipment needs and administer an allocated budget.
Preferred Experience: 3 Years serving as a first-level supervisor or Lead MST responsible for the oversight of a group of MSTs with administrative responsibility for planning and directing the work; assigning tasks as necessary to provide new employees with the experience and training required to perform decontamination of scopes and instrumentation in the work area.
Reference: For more information on this qualification standard please visit Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.
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:
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.
Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.
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 applicants 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.
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.
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.
Required Experience:
Chief
