Lead Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing)

Quick Facts

• Role: Lead Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing)

Description

Lead a team within the Sterile Processing Service to distribute and prioritize workload, ensure SOP and sterile processing mandates are followed, and monitor/verify work quality through spot checks and progress reporting. Serve as a working lead technician—filling in during shortages, revising schedules for changing priorities, and providing instruction for difficult or unusual procedures. Train staff, conduct and record competency assessments for reusable medical equipment reprocessing (per Infection Control-approved checklists), and ensure processed instruments are safe, correctly packaged, and delivered on time.

Responsibilities

• Lead and direct a unit/team (GS-6 level or below), providing guidance and technical direction
• Distribute and balance workload; assign tasks based on experience, training needs, and equitable distribution (including overtime)
• Monitor work status daily; adjust priorities and schedules for anticipated/unanticipated changes
• Review in-progress and completed work; amend or reject work that does not meet standards
• Ensure safe reprocessing and correct cleaning, reprocessing, and distribution of technical medical equipment/material/instrumentation
• Verify items are safe to use, delivered on time, and in the correct condition for VA patient care
• Maintain knowledge of procedures/policies/directives and answer technical questions
• Train and provide on-the-job training; conduct and record competency assessments using approved checklists
• Provide administrative support (e.g., emergency leave approval in absence of supervisory staff) and communicate policies/goals
• Report employee performance, progress, training needs, and behavioral concerns to the supervisor
• Resolve informal employee complaints; refer formal grievances/appeals as required
• Maintain daily operational checks and records for sterilization equipment (as part of specialized experience)

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship
• Proficient in written and spoken English
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Complete VA online onboarding and pre-employment requirements; valid I-9 identification
• Subject to urinalysis if selected for a testing-designated position
• Selective Service registration (males born after 12/31/1959)
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program
• Basic qualifications: either 6 months MST-related experience, or 1 year above high school with qualifying health-care coursework (sterile processing/nursing assistant/hospital corpsman/OR surgical technician or related), or an equivalent combination
• For GS-7: 1 year specialized experience equivalent to GS-6 MST responsibilities, including decontamination of critical/semi-critical RME, selecting cleaning methods, inspecting/assembling and packaging for sterilization (steam, Sterrad, Steris, ETO, and high-level disinfecting scope reprocessors), and performing/documenting daily operational checks for sterilization equipment
• Demonstrated KSAs: instruct staff on procedures/protocols; communicate to ensure compliance; interpersonal skills; knowledge of sterility principles; ability to lead/manage priorities and schedule assignments

Benefits

A comprehensive federal benefits package is available; eligibility depends on the specific position and whether it is full-time, part-time, or intermittent.