Summary The Surgical Technician (ST) is a member of the surgical team and provides assistance to the surgeon and other team members during surgical procedures. The ST also assists the surgeons in outpatient clinics, prepares information regarding inpatient/outpatient procedures and ambulatory surgeries in addition to operating room surgical procedures. Responsibilities The Surgical Technician is in the gastrointestinal area of endoscopy section within the Special Procedures Unit at the Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) at the Greenville Procedures Department which is part of Durham VA. Surgical Technicians at this level provide technical support to Gastroenterology, Urology, and Podiatry physicians and other team members during surgical procedures. The individual must use independent judgement in applying knowledge of clinical GI and proficiency to operate and maintain GI equipment. The Surgical Technician participates with the surgical team members in planning and implementing complex procedures under the general supervision of the surgical team. Duties: Perform and assist in diagnostic examinations Coordinates Surgical Technician GS-related procedures and operation and maintenance of bio-medical equipment, including video endoscopes, laser and other specialty equipment including inventory and maintaining par levels. Serves as liaison to hospital bio-medical equipment repair section as well as outside repair vendors in the absence of the Lead Technician Responsible for ensuring proper performance of endoscopic equipment and keeping current SOPs Ability to collaborate, communicate and demonstrate customer service skills and interpersonal skills with all healthcare professionals to ensure quality and continuity of care. Able to independently complete work orders if something needs to be repaired. Prepares procedural rooms for the performance of endoscopic procedures and assist during the procedure by obtaining diagnostic specimens by having the appropriate equipment and specimen containers. Assist the Endoscopist, Urologist, Podiatrist and Nurse during procedures by preparing the procedure rooms, calling patients for procedures, showing patients to the dressing rooms, and assisting patients with undressing and putting on gowns when needed. Prepare diagnostic biopsy specimens, assessing the adequacy of various types of specimens, proper orienting of biopsy specimens, and placing specimens in proper containers with appropriate labeling for precise lab processing. Performs pre-cleaning of scopes used for endoscopies and pulmonary procedures and performs post-cleaning of equipment prior to transport to SPS to heighten sterility of equipment during processing and decrease risk for infection to patients from reusable medical equipment (RME). Performs in a mutually supportive environment with Physicians and Nursing Service personnel. Responsible for the requested repairs to the GI equipment through Biomedical Engineering or other appropriate VA channels upon clinical concurrence from the Chief of the GI section. Responsible for patient escort to GI procedures and assist with post-procedure transport Responsible for performing miscellaneous errands such as transport of specimens to the laboratory and answering telephones. Prepare operating rooms for surgery by setting up surgical instruments and equipment Assist surgeons and nurses during surgical procedures by passing instruments and supplies Maintain a sterile environment in the operating room and assure proper sterilization of surgical instruments before use Maintain accurate records of procedures and inventory Support the surgical team with post-operative care and room clean-up Stay updated on medical technologies and surgical techniques Adherent to hospital and regulatory infection control policies. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following technical KSAs. Knowledge of basic and complex gastroenterology procedures, Knowledge of anatomy and physiology related to the GI system, with ability to recognize and report obvious abnormalities during procedures. Ability to assist physicians with specialized and complex procedures. Knowledge of universal precautions and disinfection techniques and ability to follow SOPs to clean reuseable medical equipment (RME). Ability to collaborate, communicate, and demonstrate customer service skills and interpersonal skills with all healthcare professionals to ensure quality and continuity of care. Ability to use basic computer systems and programs to record patient and endoscopic data, adhering to patient privacy and information security policies. Ability to deliver patient care, including vital sign measurements and medication administration. Work Schedule: Mon -Fri 8 hour tours (variable 7:00 am - 6:00pm) Telework: NO Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Surgical Technician--Greenville VA Health Care Center/PD500230 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: NO Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the 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 You may be required to serve a probationary/trial period 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 dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Required Documents" below for details. Physical Requirements: Duties regularly require providing assistance in lifting and positioning patients. There are extensive periods of regular and recurring standing, walking, bending, lifting, pushing, reaching, and prolonged stretching to provide easy accessibility of instruments for the surgeon. Incumbent must be dexterous in "passing" instruments to surgeons without compromising principles of aseptic technique and in a manner requiring little or no effort from the surgeon. Appropriate scrub attire is required, including sterile gown and gloves, surgical caps to cover incumbent's hair, appropriate eye protection, and surgical mask to provide an aseptic environment in the operating room. If an incumbent is assisting with a total joint replacement, he/she is often required to wear special attire, which may be confining, such as a "space helmet" or hood. Incumbents may need to wear X-Ray protective lead attire (up to 20 pounds in weight) for prolonged periods of time. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/08/2025. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-06 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Handling instruments, supplies, and equipment during all surgical procedures such as: open hear, thoracic, major vascular, neurosurgery, microsurgery, and total joint replacement surgery; assisting surgeons by performing such procedures as preparing skin grafts, suctioning, holding retractor, applying skin staples, and cutting sutures; utilizing universal precautions and follows all infection control policies and procedures when handling specimens, supplies, and equipment; setting up sterile fi eld with all required items for each procedure such as air-powered equipment, fiber optic equipment ,laparoscopic equipment, microscopes, lasers, arthroscopy equipment, urologic equipment, recording devices, and other operating room supplies and equipment; other related duties performed by a Surgical Technician. OR Education: (Transcript Required) Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based one education for this grade level you must have One (1) full year of graduate education that meets the requirements for GS-7 only in those instances where it is directly related to the work of the position. 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/. GS-7 Grade Level Requirements: Specialized Experience: Must have at least 1 year of experience comparable to the next lower grade level (GS-6) which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities related to the duties of the position to be filled. Experience includes assisting the staff with basic and complex specialized endoscopic procedures such as ERCP and endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), proficient with GI endoscopic equipment and ensure proper performance of equipment, selecting alternate equipment or adjusting settings to accommodate patient needs. Collecting, processing, and labeling all specimens; training other technicians in basic endoscopic procedures; working in and outside the GI unit offering technician support during emergent and on-call endoscopic cases; and assisting the nurse in patient care duties such as obtaining vital signs, dressing and documenting all pertinent information in the patient's records. Preferred Experience MIT GI Endoscopy Care Experience Completion of a surgical technology program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) or Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) Proficient computer skills Meet physical requirements Sterile processing background Excellent communication and teamwork skills SGNA Certificates BLS Preferred Level of Education GS 7 with GS6 completed qualifications Preferred Certification(s) BLS Beginning September 27, 2025, Federal agencies will only accept resumes up to two pages in length to comply with the Merit Hiring Plan. Resumes longer than two pages will result in ineligibility for further consideration for the position. USAJOBS will not allow you to upload or build resumes longer than two pages, and you will need to update the resumes in your profile before applying for a job. Resumes should include information relevant to the knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies of the position to which you are applying. VA is unable to make assumptions about qualifications if not clearly listed. Resumes must be legible so they can be reviewed for eligibility, minimum qualifications and other position requirements listed in the job announcement. Your resume must be 5MB or less. We recommend saving and uploading your resume as a PDF to maintain formatting and number of pages. We also accept GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, TXT, PDF, ODT or Word (DOC or DOCX). We do not accept PDF portfolio files. We recommend using a sans-serif font size like Lato, if available. Other widely available options are Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open San Source Sans Pro, Roboto or Noro Sans. Make your page margins 0.5 inches. Consider using 14-point size font for titles and 10-point for the main text in your resume. The resume builder can help you create a resume using these recommendations and uses the information in your USAJOBS profile to help you get started. Additional guidance on this new requirement and resume building tools can be found at:https://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/documents/resume/page-limit.https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-information/merit-hiring-plan-resources/applicant-guidance-on-the-two-page-resume-limit/ Education A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on 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/. 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. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act." Receiving Service Credit or 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. 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 qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.