Summary

This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until September 30 - 2026. The first cut-off dates for referral of eligible applications will be 4/27/2026. All eligible applicants will be reviewed and referred to the hiring manager no later than 5/5/2026. Eligible applications received after 4/27/2026 date will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis.

Qualifications

NOTE: THE 2-PAGE RESUME REQUIREMENT DOES NOT APPLY TO THIS OCCUPATIONAL SERIES. FOR MORE INFORMATION - REFER TO REQUIRED DOCUMENTS BELOW. To qualify for this position - applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

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
• English Language Proficiency: MSTs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 3 - section A - paragraph 3j - this part
• 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: 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
• Foreign Education: To be creditable - education completed outside the U.S. must have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education must have been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U
• S
• programs
• Grade Determinations: GS-03 (Entry Level) Experience or Education: None beyond the basic requirements
• Assignment: This is an entry level MST position
• MSTs receive guidance from more experienced staff members and require frequent and direct supervision
• GS-04 (Developmental Level) Experience: Six months experience as a MST - operating room or surgical technician or other position that demonstrated knowledge of sterile processing in a clinical setting
• or Education: Two years of education above high school that included at least 12 semester hours in courses related to the occupation
• NOTE: Successful completion of a course for medical technicians - hospital corpsmen - medical service specialists - or nursing assistants obtained in a training program given by the Armed Forces - the U.S. Maritime Service - or hospitals under close medical and professional supervision - may be substituted on a month-for-month basis for up to 6 months of experience
• In addition to the experience or education above - the candidate must demonstrate the KSAs below: Knowledge of universal precautions for safety and prevention of cross contamination
• Basic knowledge of medical terminology in order to assemble specialty operating room/clinic instrument sets
• Basic knowledge of sterilization and cleaning equipment
• Ability to communicate both orally and in writing
• Assignment: This is a developmental level MST position
• Performs segments of work pertaining to the decontamination - sterilization and inspection of reusable medical equipment (RME)
• Completes segments of work pertaining to the assembly of basic sets and trays for use in the medical center
• Operates equipment involved in sterilization processes
• Prepares operating room case carts
• MSTs receive guidance from more experienced staff members and require frequent and direct supervision
• GS-05 (Developmental Level) Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level
• or Education: Four academic years above high school leading to a Bachelor's degree with at least 12 semester hours in courses related to the occupation or a Bachelor's degree
• In addition to the experience or education above - the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Basic knowledge of surgical instruments used in operating rooms and clinic settings
• Basic knowledge of event-related packaging in regards to sterility
• Knowledge of sterilization and cleaning equipment
• Assignment: This is a developmental level MST position
• Removes soil - blood - tissue fragments - body fluids - and other containments by wiping - soaking - rinsing - and scrubbing
• Inspects packages for indications of proper sterilization - assembles basic sets and trays used throughout the medical center including those used in the operating room
• Prepares - loads - and operates sterilizers such as steam - Sterrad - Steris - ETO - and a high level disinfecting scope reprocessor
• prepares operating room case carts daily using surgery schedule
• MSTs receive guidance from more experienced staff members for more complex tasks and require direct supervision on new assignments
• GS-06 (Full Performance Level) Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level
• In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Knowledge of surgical instruments used in operating rooms and clinic settings
• Knowledge of universal precautions for safety and prevention of cross contamination
• Working knowledge of medical terminology - anatomy and physiology - microbiology - medical conditions and procedures
• Knowledge of sterility principles in regards to instrumentation
• Ability to read and interpret written instructions and procedures
• Assignment: This is the full performance level for the occupation
• Receives contaminated critical and semi-critical RME in the decontamination area and may receive noncritical equipment in the decontamination area as well
• Disassembles the RME and determines the correct cleaning method - such as but not limited to ultrasonic cleaners - mechanical washers - cart washers and chemical cleaning/decontamination agents - as determined by manufacturer instructions
• Inspects - assembles and determines the correct method and packaging for sterilization such as but not limited to steam - Sterrad - Steris - ETO - and high level disinfecting scope reprocessors
• Performs and documents daily operational checks and records for all sterilization 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-6. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-3 to GS-6. Physical Requirements: Moderate lifting and carrying (15-44 pounds) - pulling hand over hand - pushing - reaching above shoulder - use of fingers - walking - standing - and repeated bending
• Environmental factors include excessive noise (intermittent) - working closely with others - and working alone.

Duties

• Examining and Inspection of Condition of Instrumentation - Supplies and RMD Responsible for the collection and receipt of all used - soiled reusable critical and semi-critical RMD - utilizing proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and infection control procedures to prevent cross-contamination of other equipment and personnel during the collection and transport of soiled RMD
• Responsible for the proper disassembly of technical medical instrumentation and equipment - where internal parts may become contaminated - which requires dexterity - skill - careful positioning of parts - and the elimination of any bioburden
• Cleaning Surgical Instrumentation and RMD Responsible for the systematic manual and automated cleaning - disinfection and sterilization of instrumentation and equipment according to strict Manufacturer Instructions for Use (MIFU)
• Must use knowledge of instrumentation to differentiate by sight items that can require differing methods to accomplish cleaning and disinfection of complex - expensive medical instrumentation
• Responsible for the manual cleaning - high-level disinfection and/or sterilization of endoscopes - to include both upper and lower GI endoscopes - Cysto-Uretero Fiberscopes - video intubation scopes - transesophageal transducers and various ultrasound probes classified as semi-critical reusable medical equipment
• Quality Assurance Independently operate a variety of high- and low-temperature sterilization equipment - to include steam - and hydrogen peroxide plasma
• Responsible for ensuring that quality assurance testing of the effectiveness of the equipment operation is completed and documented to include mechanical - chemical and biological monitoring
• Independently prepare the full range of trays and sets necessary for use in various areas of the medical center - to include multiple clinic areas listed above
• Reassemble surgical instrument sets as required for use by ophthalmic - urological - orthopedic - podiatry - and dental specialties - among others
• Consider patient procedure scheduling in clinical areas to determine need for instrument tray turn-around and make recommendations to management for purchase of additional items
• Assembling - Packaging - Wrapping and Sterilizing Instrumentation for End Users During instrument assembly - the technician is responsible for determining proper instrument selection - instrument function/operation - need for instrument protection - and arrangement of items to ensure effective penetration of the sterilant
• Some instruments - due to size - delicacy - sharpness - and/or cost - require specialized handling and additional protective actions to ensure they are not damaged
• Independently determine proper packaging method - based upon size - number and weight of the assembled items - and labels these items appropriately
• Effectively process and sterilize a wide variety of implant devices in accordance with the MIFU - and ensure non-biologic implants are not released for use until the biological challenge device has completed the incubation process and determine whether the sterilization method was effective
• Operations Utilize computer programs - to include Microsoft Office components - to perform record keeping - tracking operations - maintain quality assurance records - and communicate with other personnel - both internal and external to the Medical Center
• Perform peer training for new employees - as well as user training and instructions to others - both internal and external to the service - regarding the correct operating and preventative maintenance procedures of medical instrumentation and equipment
• Identify trends - recommend solutions - and implement quality improvement initiatives and programs related to program effectiveness
• Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 0600-1430 or 1000-1830 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
• 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 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized