Hybrid Surgical Technician - Recruitment / Relocation Incentive Authorized bei Department of Veterans Affairs

Surgical Technician - Recruitment / Relocation Incentive Authorized

Department: Department of Veterans Affairs

Location(s): San Antonio, Texas

Salary Range: $49595 - $64471 Per Year

Job Summary: Serves as a Surgical Technician supporting complex ophthalmic and oral surgical procedures in an outpatient setting. Prepares and maintains sterile fields, handles specialized instruments and equipment, assists surgical teams during procedures, ensures compliance with infection control protocols, and trains staff and students. Maintains surgical equipment and supports ongoing quality improvement initiatives. This position is located at North West San Antonio VA Clinic

Major Duties:

• Demonstrates sufficient knowledge of anatomy and multiple complex surgical procedures to anticipate surgeon needs. Prepares instruments for the full range of surgical procedures. Sets up for the procedure and handles instrumentation. Prepares pathological specimens for appropriate laboratory testing such as permanent, fresh, frozen, and cultures. Preforms instrument count, sharps, and sponge counts according to policy. Participates in proper patient identification and surgical site verification using Universal Protocol and Time-Out procedures. Assists coworkers to plan and prepare for surgical procedures using equipment properly and supplies effectively. Participates and contributes to in-service programs pertinent to the care of surgical patients. Coordinates with Environmental Management Services for the cleaning of patient care areas after procedures and educates surgical personnel of environmental sanitation and proper PPE. Complies with Infection Control policies and procedures. Educates surgical personnel on aseptic technique, hand hygiene, and proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE). Reads and adheres to SOPs, directives, policies and regulations to disassemble and prepare for high level disinfection of reusable medical equipment. Preforms proper pre-cleaning of instrumentation and prepare instrument sets and case carts for return to SPS. Maintains proper levels of disposable and non-disposable supplies. Ensures that all instruments are maintained in sufficient quantity and in good order. Assists in the selection and purchase of instruments, supplies, and equipment. Assists with training military surgical technology students; answers questions pertaining to surgical procedures; PPE; infection control policies and procedures. Work Schedule: 6:00a.m. to 2:30p.m.; 6:30a.m. to 3:00p.m.; 7:00a.m. to 3:30 Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Surgical Technician /PD03978A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Qualifications: To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 07/22/2025. You may qualify based on your experience as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-05 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Assisting with the setup, preparation, and maintenance of sterile fields for a variety of surgical procedures; Monitoring and enforcing aseptic technique throughout operations; Passing surgical instruments and operating a range of specialized equipment and supplies in support of ophthalmic, oral, or other outpatient procedures; Cleaning and decontaminating surgical instruments using proper sterilization procedures and handling protocols; Managing contaminated items, rotating sterile stock, and adhering to infection control standards and universal precautions. This experience was gained through hands-on participation in surgical environments, directly supporting surgical teams, and routinely executing scrub role functions under supervision. 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/.

How to Apply: Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include the initial online questionnaire and submission of the required documentation specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. To preview the application questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12765531. The application process is as follows: To begin, click Apply Online to create a USA JOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date, 07/22/2025. NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. Set aside at least 3 hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link. NOTE: Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused. Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us. To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To view the announcement status or your application status: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/howto/application/status/. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application. 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. Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position. It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Application Deadline: 2025-07-22