Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this occupational series. For more information, refer to Required Documents below. Open to US Citizens and Federal Employees.

The Chief of SPS reports directly to the Associate Director of Patient Care Services (or delegate) and is responsible for the management, evaluation of operations and supervision of assigned personnel. Supervisor provides guidance concerning strategic program requirements, objectives and interpretation but incumbent works primarily independently and refers only problems with difficulty to the supervisor for discussion and advice.

The Chief of SPS provides leadership in improving processes by effectively guiding personnel in the delivery of high-quality services and products, assuring products are delivered in accordance with established standards, hospital policies and procedures, and consistent with the plans of other health care providers.

The Chief of SPS has the ability to assess and analyze the needs of departments and coordinates services in an effective and resource-efficient manner to assure total management of the identified needs. Assumes responsibility for the processing and delivery of services and products and supporting factors that impact customer satisfaction.

As Chief of SPS, the incumbent will carry out the following:

• Oversees the processing of critical and semi critical reusable medical equipment.
• Develops, reviews and approves Standard Operating Procedures for all identified critical and semi-critical Reusable Medical Equipment (RME) that are designed by the manufacturer to be reused for multiple patients.
• Incumbent oversees training in the setup, use, reprocessing, and maintenance of specific equipment.
• Establishes and communicates workplace priorities and makes assignments accordingly.
• Regularly assesses and establishes staffing plans that meet the workforce needs.
• Establishes and communicates workplace priorities and makes assignments accordingly.
• Monitors compliance with regulatory or VA directives.
• Effectively assigns and delegates work.
• Promotes and ensures a safe working environment.
• Completes accident reports efficiently and timely.
• Reviews and responds to anticipated unit activity.
• Collaboratively establishes work unit goals and leads a team to goal attainment.
• Communicates and enforces policies and procedures.
• Manages workplace issues with consistency and documents appropriately.
• Maintains an ethical management practice; related to consistency, fairness, equity, payroll and timekeeping.
• Routinely reviews work group expenditures affecting the unit (FTEE, per diem staff spending, OT, OWCP, impact of absenteeism).
• Reviews quality assurance data collected in SPS for tracking and trending. Identifying strengths and weaknesses and developing process improvement processes to optimize performance.
• Adheres to safety regulations and reporting processes to protect and improve patient and staff safety.
• Evaluates work performance of subordinates.
• Serves as a member or in an advisory capacity on committees such as Commodity Standardization, Infection Control, Environment of Care, and Reusable Medical Equipment.
• Solicits assistance from, or responds to, inquiries from outside regulatory and advisory agencies to ensure compliance with established policies and procedures from organizations such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI), Joint Commission (JC), International Association for Healthcare Central Service Materiel Management (IAHCSMM), Association of Perioperative Nurses (AORN), and others.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 7:30AM-4:00PM
Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): May be 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.
Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66.
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 #: 60222F
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this 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.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• 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.
• Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 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.

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

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.
• 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.

Grade Determinations: GS-10

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:
1. Ability to implement and incorporate regulations, policies, and procedures to manage SPS operations.
2. Ability to evaluate new products and equipment, develop options, and make recommendations.
3. Ability to integrate SPS managerial duties, which includes strategic planning of facility organizational goals and integration of SPS vision and values within the organizational mission.
4. Ability to perform a full range of supervisory duties, including assigning, planning and evaluating work, recommending awards, approving leave, identifying training needs, and resolving staff issues.
5. Skill to initiate and lead interdisciplinary groups in order to facilitate daily SPS functions.
6. Ability to analyze and interpret fiscal data in order to forecast resource and equipment needs.

Assignment. The Chief has the overall responsibility for the supervision, administrative management and direction of the SPS. Ensures SPS functions are in compliance with all regulatory mandates. Forecasts, plans, develops and manages the SPS program. Manages SPS personnel and serves as liaison between SPS and other departments. Maintains effective interdepartmental relationships, coordinates and resolves problems, and ensures cooperation with other programs and services. Manages the overall SPS budget including determining resource needs, allocating resources, and ensuring proper utilization in productivity, efficiency and cost effectiveness of SPS operations. Formulates objectives, develops priorities and implements plans that support organizational goals. Ensures operations are in compliance with all safety, regulatory and accrediting requirements. Oversees orientation and training of staff.

Preferred Experience: 2-5 years of SPS experience

References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G47

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-10.

Physical Requirements: The work requires constant physical effort in the receipt, reprocessing, storage and issue of RME, folding of linen items, assembling trays, pans, and case carts, inserting and retrieving loaded sterilized carts from the autoclaves. Hand and eye coordination is required in the disassembly and reassembling of equipment. The worker is exposed to long periods of standing, bending and walking while reprocessing reusable medical equipment. Frequent requirement for the lifting of RME, trays and cartons from storage shelves to carts. Incumbent regularly uses case carts in the delivery of supplies and instruments to the clinical areas within the Medical Center. Material weighs up to 50 pounds.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

• Resume

Special Note for Applications: To complete your application, please use the following link https://vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Resume.docx to download the standard Clinical Resume Document. This one-page document does not need to be modified and must be uploaded into the two-page restricted 'Resume' document upload field.

Your full resume/CV may be uploaded without page limitation into the 'Other' document upload field.
The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), etc.

• Cover Letter
• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Disability Letter (VA)
• License
• Other (1)
• Performance Appraisal
• Professional Certification
• Resume
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

Next steps