Job Description

Summary

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.

This job is open to

The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)

Federal employees whose job, agency or department was eliminated and are eligible for priority over other applicants.

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.

Duties

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

Requirements

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 ( 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.



I n 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



Previous experience in a Surgical Technician role preferred.



Associates Degree in Surgical Technology preferred.

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.

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.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

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.

Required Documents

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.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

All applicants are encouraged to apply online.



To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 09/30/2026 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click


1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.


2. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.



NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date. You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USA Jobs account and clicking on Applications. Information regarding your application status can be found in the USAJobs Help Center.



To return to an incomplete application , log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.

Agency contact information

Kent McGregor

Phone

615-947-8891

Email

kent.mcgregor@va.gov

Address

Lexington VA Health Care System
2250 Leestown Road
Lexington, KY 40511
US

Next steps

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.

Overview

Accepting applications

Open & closing dates

12/15/2025 to 09/30/2026

Salary

$54,365 to - $70,678 per year

Pay scale & grade

GS 7

Location

2 vacancies in the following location:

Lexington, KY

Remote job

No

Telework eligible

No

Travel Required

Not required

Relocation expenses reimbursed

No

Appointment type

Permanent

Work schedule

Full-time

Service

Competitive

Promotion potential

None

Job family (Series)

• 0640 Health Aid And Technician

Supervisory status

No

Security clearance

Other

Drug test

Yes

Position sensitivity and risk

Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

Trust determination process

• Suitability/Fitness

Financial disclosure

No

Bargaining unit status

No

Announcement number

CBTG-12848631-26-KM-OCA

Control number

852158400

Job Tags

Permanent employment, Full time, Part time, Internship, Work at office, Local area, Immediate start, Remote work, Relocation, Trial period, Relocation package, Weekend work,

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