Supervisory Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing)

Summary

The Supervisory Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing) serves as a first-level supervisor within the Sterile Processing Service at the West Palm Beach VA Medical Center.

Duties

• This position is responsible for overseeing a team of Medical Supply Technicians, ensuring the effective planning, direction, and completion of work related to sterilization, preparation, decontamination, and distribution of reusable medical equipment (RME) and supply items. The incumbent manages workflow, staff assignments, and leave schedules, and provides technical supervision to accomplish organizational goals. The supervisor plays a key role in maintaining high standards of patient safety, compliance with standard operating procedures, and fostering a culture of respect and customer service for Veterans and staff. Major Duties, but not limited too: Supervision & Leadership Oversees a group of Medical Supply Technicians, planning and directing their work. Manages attendance, leave schedules, and recommends personnel actions such as promotions, reassignments, and recognition. Conducts corrective interviews and resolves informal complaints, referring disciplinary matters as needed. Provides technical supervision and instruction on work-related activities, policies, procedures, and goals. Sterile Processing Operations Ensures proper sterilization, preparation, decontamination, and distribution of supply items and reusable medical equipment. Monitors and reports on workflow, revises work schedules to meet changing demands, and assigns tasks based on staff experience and training needs. Assesses quality and quantity of work, reviewing cleaning, reprocessing, and distribution of medical equipment and instrumentation. Compliance & Safety Ensures adherence to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and Sterile Processing Service mandates. Promotes a culture of patient safety, reporting events that result in actual or potential injury. Protects sensitive data in accordance with privacy laws and VA policies. Customer Service & Patient Care Communicates and treats customers (Veterans, representatives, visitors, and staff) in a courteous, tactful, and respectful manner. Handles conflict and problems constructively and appropriately. Demonstrates sensitivity to the age, developmental, and cultural needs of patients. Physical & Environmental Requirements Works in various settings, including decontamination and preparation areas, and may be exposed to hot, cold, noisy, or poorly lit environments. Handles materials and equipment, requiring frequent standing, walking, bending, and lifting (up to 50 pounds). Uses personal protective equipment and may encounter strong odors and hazardous materials. Travel & Training May travel to support Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) or attend VA-sponsored training and certification courses. Must maintain a valid Federal Driver License for government vehicle operation. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 3:00pm - 11:30 pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 40557F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases 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 $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) Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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: All applicants must meet the following basic qualifications. United States Citizenship: Must be a US Citizen. Experience and/or Education Experience. Six (6) months of experience that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work or provides an understanding of the work; - OR - Education. One (1) year above high school that included at least six (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. English Language Proficiency. MSTs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j, this part. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements above, all applicants must also meet the following grade requirements for the specific grade level. GS-08 Supervisory Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing): Experience. At least one year of experience as an Advanced Level MST equivalent to the GS-07 grade level. Examples of experience include, but is not limited to work in which you: distributing and prioritizing workload among employees in accordance with established workflow and/or job specializations; assuring an even workflow and distribution of the workload; revising work schedules to meet anticipated and unanticipated changes in the workload; assigning work to staff based on experience and training needs; monitoring and reporting on the status of work; reviewing work in progress or spot checking work not requiring review to ensure completed work meets supervisors' instructions on such things as work sequence, procedures, methods, and deadlines; assessing the quality and quantity of work by reviewing the cleaning, reprocessing, and distribution of technical medical equipment, material and instrumentation. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (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. While we no longer require essay-style responses to our KSAs, you must be able to demonstrate that you possess the KSAs that are necessary to successfully perform the work of the position. Please ensure your resume/CV/application contains sufficient information to support the level of experience/education/training you possess; otherwise, we will not be able to award you credit for the experience/education/training you claim. 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: (1) 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. (2) 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. (3) 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. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

Requirements

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.

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/.

How to apply

All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the full questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 09/21/2026 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13056695. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package. NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.