Surgical Technician - Recruitment Incentive Authorized

About the role

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.

What you will do

• Day tour of duty, with on call and some weekend requirements.
• Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
• Position Description/PD#: Surgical Technician - Recruitment Incentive Authorized/PD30189A Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized 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.

Requirements

• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
• Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (***).
• 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.
• As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 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.
• You must be a US citizen to apply for this job Subject to a background/suitability investigation Designated and/or random drug testing may be required May serve a probationary period Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 A complete application package: Resume, Transcripts, etc Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process Must have REAL Id

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: ***

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. 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 (TJO).

Please visit the Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP), va.gov/EMPLOYEE/docs/The-Fair-Chance-to-Compete-Act.pdf for more information.

How you will be evaluated

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC.

WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

Applicants will be referred in the order in which they were received. How applicants will be referred: This is an open-continuous announcement until September 30, 2026. Qualified applicants will be considered and referred as vacancies become available.

The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be 1/2/26, with subsequent cut-off dates on the 1st of each month. Eligible applications received after that date will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis until all approved positions have been filled.

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position.

You will be assessed on the following Competencies for this position: Medical Information Technical Competence Technical Problem Solving Your experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week.

Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

Documents you must provide

• Documents Accepted: Cover Letter DD-214/ Statement of Service Disability Letter (Schedule A) Disability Letter (VA) License Other (1) PCS Orders Performance Appraisal Professional Certification Resume Separation Notice (RIF) SF-15 SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action Transcript Documents Required: Resume Please review the above list(s) to ensure you have included all necessary documents required for your application.
• Not every applicant will require the same documents, therefore it is the applicants responsibility to ensure that their application package includes all necessary documents to determine qualifications and eligibility for appointment, such as a copy of your SF-50, transcript, ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees).You will not be contacted for additional information.
• Applicants will be deemed ineligible if supporting documentation is not submitted.
• Veterans' Preference: Since the Direct-Hire Recruitment Authority is being used, traditional Veterans' Preference rules do not apply.
• Qualified veterans will, however, be given full consideration for this position.
• Applications are accepted online.
• Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application.

What to expect next

After the vacancy announcement closes, applicants are evaluated to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email.

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 (TJO). Please visit the Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP), va.gov/EMPLOYEE/docs/The-Fair-Chance-to-Compete-Act.pdf for more information.

The following will be communicated to applicants for VA employment in a testing designated position and will also be included in all VA vacancy announcements for such positions: All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drugs use prior to appointment.

Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. 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 well-qualified, applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors if applicable, and must be proficient in most of the requirements of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website which can be found at ***

Receiving Service Credit for 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.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.