Clarification from the agency

ALL US CITIZENS. DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled using Direct-Hire Authority (5 CFR 337.201) for this occupation.

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.

Work Schedule: Day tour of duty, with on call and some weekend requirements.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Surgical Technician/PD30189A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized (2 year Service Agreement)
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Conditions of employment

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.

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

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/30/2026.

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

Applicants must meet the Individual Occupation Requirement and Specialized Experience/Education. Each of these items are separate requirements.

Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR) for Health Aid and Technician Series (0640): Positions in this series range widely in type and include support duties to medical or health personnel such as audiologists, speech pathologists, medical officers, and optometrists. Therefore, technician experience is experience that required application of the knowledge, methods, and techniques of the position to be filled.

In addition to the IOR, candidates must also meet one of the following requirements:

• 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: Working in an operating room, assisting surgeons during medical procedures, setting up a sterile field with all required items for surgical procedures (i.e., air-powered equipment, fiber optic equipment, laparoscopic equipment, microscopes, lasers, arthroscopy equipment, urologic equipment, recording devices and other operating room (OR) supplies and equipment, etc.); Handling highly technical medical instruments during surgery; Using human anatomy, physiology and aseptic technique; Handling specimens correctly; Prepare and protect the sterile field during surgery; Work with complex surgical procedures and possible complications; Report observations and immediate procedural needs; Recognize emergent complications; Operate the sterilization machine and use of proper cleaning/sterile technique for high level disinfecting of instruments; Proper handling and rotation of sterile supplies and handling of contaminated items, quality control and personal hygiene; Implement infection control procedures; Store instruments and supplies properly to maintain sterility. OR,
• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have one full year of graduate education with courses directly related to the work of the position to be filled.

OPM Qual standard for 0640, See the NOTE under the Education section.

NOTE: Graduate education or an internship meets the specialized experience required above GS-5 only in those instances where it is directly related to the work of the position. One full year of graduate education meets the requirements for GS-7. Two full years of graduate education or a master's degree meets the requirements for GS-9. One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended. OR,

• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and graduate education or beyond.

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/.

Previous experience in a Surgical Technician role preferred.

Associates Degree in Surgical Technology preferred.

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 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 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.

Next steps