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Summary Surgical Technician is an integral member of the surgical team and provide assistance to surgeon and other team members during surgical procedures ranging from local anesthesia cases (biopsies and excision) to vascular and micro-vascular surgery; including ear, hand. facial, and vascular reconstruction. Must be prepared to adapt to new procedures in a changing surgical environment participating with surgical team planning and implementing complex procedures under supervision of surgical team. Responsibilities Major duties include, but are not limited to: Primary scrub person responsible for handling instruments, supplies, and equipment during all surgical procedures such as thoracic, major vascular, neurosurgery, microsurgery & total joint replacement surgery. Sets up sterile field with all required items for each procedure such as air-powered equipment, fiber optic equipment, laparoscopic equipment, microscopic, lasers, arthroscopy equipment, urologic equipment, recording devices and other operating room supplies and equipment. Plans and anticipates need for unique specialty equipment and instrumentation, hyperthermia equipment and fracture tables. Assures the surgical team of functioning equipment & assures proper lighting. Plans and discusses each procedure with surgical professionals & assures that all supplies & equipment are available prior to the surgical procedure. Prepares, organizes and maintains highly complex sterile surgical set-ups to facilitate type of surgical procedure. Maintains the sterility of the environment & independently plans for easy access to emergency instruments & equipment. Scrubs on complex surgical procedures utilizing strict aseptic techniques. Assists in preparation, positioning, & draping of patients to facilitate safe surgical intervention. Observes and responds promptly to each stage of the surgical procedure and anticipates the needs of the surgeon by maintaining a high level of concentration for extended periods of time. Proficient in handing instruments/equipment to the surgeon and anticipates the surgeon's needs during the procedure. Recognizes non-verbal signals by the surgeon and responds quickly and appropriately. Utilizes universal precautions and follows all infection control policies and procedures when handling specimens, supplies, and equipment. Handles all specimens appropriately. Observes the surgical site continuously, remaining attentive for potential adverse situations/emergencies and breaks in sterile techniques/fields. Performs sponge and instrument counts to verify accuracy in conjunction with the circulating Registered Nurse. Responsible for the accountability of all surgical instruments & equipment during the surgical procedure. Reports correct/incorrect counts to the surgeon. Assumes joint responsibility with the surgeon for tissue specimens, culture and hardware, assuring that critical specimen information is transmitted to the circulating nurse. Assists in training residents, medical student, nursing students, operating room technology students and new Operating Room (OR) staff in the operation of equipment, sterile technique, handling of instruments & OR procedure to include the scrub role in surgical procedures. Independently recognizes and remedies errors in sterile technique. Provides guidance and support to other Surgical Technicians, professional and technical students of an approved surgical technology program. Lifts, moves and transports patients from surgical wards within the OR suite, recovery room and holding areas, assuring safe transport of the anxious, sedated/anesthetized patients. Safe transport includes being aware of drains, hemodynamic lines, IV's, pumps, catheters, and proper positioning and protection of the surgical wound and maintenance of O2 to support airway when indicated. Performs non-technical maintenance of equipment to prevent malfunctions. Maintains complicated surgical equipment and instrumentation for assigned specialty areas, including inventory and establishment of levels for specialty supplies. Reviews and revises instrument sets to provide adequate instrumentation, deleting unnecessary items to avoid duplication. Assures that instruments are in good working order. Continually assesses equipment needs and maintains adequate stock of supplies and materials. Constantly updates knowledge of new surgical procedures and equipment. Recognizes potentially hazardous equipment situations; (i.e., frayed cords, water on floor) and takes corrective action. Assists surgical team members in quality improvement activities. Work closely with OR RN staff to develop educational programs for presentation to peers. Other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Day tour of duty, with on call and some weekend requirements. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Surgical Technician/PD30189A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized. Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the 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 Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required. 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) As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary 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 probationary period period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/27/2025. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Applicants must meet the Individual Occupation Requirement and Specialized Experience/Education. Each of these items are separate requirements. Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR) for Health Aid and Technician Series (0640): Positions in this series range widely in type and include support duties to medical or health personnel such as audiologists, speech pathologists, medical officers, and optometrists. Therefore, technician experience is experience that required application of the knowledge, methods, and techniques of the position to be filled. In addition to the IOR, candidates must also meet one of the following requirements: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-06 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Working in an operating room, assisting surgeons during medical procedures, setting up a sterile field with all required items for surgical procedures (i.e., air-powered equipment, fiber optic equipment, laparoscopic equipment, microscopes, lasers, arthroscopy equipment, urologic equipment, recording devices and other operating room (OR) supplies and equipment, etc.); Handling highly technical medical instruments during surgery; Using human anatomy, physiology and aseptic technique; Handling specimens correctly; Prepare and protect the sterile field during surgery; Work with complex surgical procedures and possible complications; Report observations and immediate procedural needs; Recognize emergent complications; Operate the sterilization machine and use of proper cleaning/sterile technique for high level disinfecting of instruments; Proper handling and rotation of sterile supplies and handling of contaminated items, quality control and personal hygiene; Implement infection control procedures; Store instruments and supplies properly to maintain sterility. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have one full year of graduate education with courses directly related to the work of the position to be filled. OPM Qual standard for 0640, See the NOTE under the Education section. NOTE: Graduate education or an internship meets the specialized experience required above GS-5 only in those instances where it is directly related to the work of the position. One full year of graduate education meets the requirements for GS-7. Two full years of graduate education or a master's degree meets the requirements for GS-9. One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and graduate education or beyond. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/. Previous experience in a Surgical Technician role preferred. Associates Degree in Surgical Technology preferred. Education 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: 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 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. Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. 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. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. 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. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.