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Summary The Medical Supply Technician (MST) Supervisor functions as a first-level supervisor responsible for the oversight of a group of MSTs, with administrative responsibility for planning and directing of the work at the Bruce W. Carter VA Medical Center. Responsibilities Functions/Duties: Responsible for the direct supervision of day-to-day operations in SPS regardless of tour of duty including RMD reprocessing for all clinical services. Operationalizes the quality assurance program and daily practice to ensure that the right instrument in the right condition is in the right place at the right time. In conjunction with the educator and the supervisor will be responsible for operational deployment of a comprehensive training program for all SPS staff. Communicate daily with customers to ensure open communication that results in uninterrupted and consistently accurate flow of necessary RMD supplies for procedures plans work to be accomplished by subordinates sets and adjusts short term priorities and prepares schedules for completion of work plans and assigns work on a daily weekly monthly and annual basis and adjust assignments during a workday to alleviate choke points in reprocessing activities. Assigns work to subordinates based on priorities selective consideration of the difficulty and requirements of assignments staff designation as competent to complete and task and the ability of the employee. Participates in interview panels and makes recommendations regarding hiring decisions. Provides recommendations and promotion and advancements of the medical supply technicians on respective shifts. Resolves complaints from employees referring group grievances and more serious unresolved complaints to a higher-level supervisor or manager. Identifies developmental and training needs of employees providing for and arranging for needed development and training Finds ways to improve production or increase the quality of work directed and assist in development of performance standards. Establishes guidelines and performance expectations for staff which are clearly communicated through the formal employee performance management system Observes workers performance demonstrates and conducts work performance critiques provides feedback and evaluates employee performance. Results in formal complaints and grievances. Develops work improvement plans recommending personal option as necessary Provides advice and counsel to workers related to technical work and administrative matters. Provides training to subordinates to fully comply with provisions of safety regulations makes operational decisions based upon findings observations or problems presented by subordinate technicians and direct observation. Advises the assistant chief nurse and chief nurse of problems in the organizations activities and provides input to the assistant chief nurse that may lead to disciplinary actions such as counseling and formal disciplinary actions within the framework of progressive discipline; recommendation may include termination especially separation during the probationary. Directly observes the work of employees, orients new employees to their duties validates competencies of employees identifies equipment. Ensures MSTs productivity based on expectations of service line. Work Schedule: 7am-3:30pm or 3pm-11:30pm, Monday through Friday including weekends and holidays as needed. Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized Telework: Not Authorized Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Functional Statement #: 30461F Requirements 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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). 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. 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 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. 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-Transcripts Submitted. 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. 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-08 Supervisory 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 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. Assignment: The Supervisory MST functions 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. Holds corrective interviews with employees, referring disciplinary problems to higher levels of management. Resolves informal complaints of employees and deals with union representatives on personnel matters. Provides technical supervision necessary for accomplishing the work of the organizational unit. Preferred Experience: Two to five years experience as SPS Supervisor 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 RMD. 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 communicate effectively as a leader Proficiency in electronic instrument tracking system (preferably CensiTrac) Certifications (CBSPD, IAHCHMM, or HSPA) Certified Instrument Specialist Experience as surgical technician 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-6. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-7 . Physical Requirements: 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 pushing heavy carts, standing, and walking during the entire workday and frequent bending and lifting of 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. 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: 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/. Additional Information Receiving Service Credit or 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 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.