Surgical Technician

Surgical Technician

Department: Department of Veterans Affairs

Location(s): Detroit, Michigan

Salary Range: $61258 - $79637 Per Year

Job Summary: The position is located at the VA John D. Dingell Health Care System located in Detroit, MI, and is assigned to Nursing & Patient Care Services, Perioperative unit. The primary purpose of this position is to directly aid the surgeon and other team members during surgical procedures. The Surgical Technician does this by participating as an active member of the surgical team through involvement with preprocedural planning, day-of set up, and implementation of equipment and instrumentation.

Major Duties:

• Major Duties: The Surgical Technician performs the following major duties but not limited to: Functions as a primary scrub person responsible for handling instruments, supplies, and equipment during all surgical procedures performed in: Cardiac, Peripheral Vascular, Neurosurgery, Ophthalmology, Otolaryngology, Orthopedic, Urology, Plastic, Podiatry, Oral surgery, Thoracic, Gynecology, and General Surgery procedures. Set's up Equipment and Surgical Instrumentation: Determines Technical Factors Sets up and test functionality of equipment such as air-powered equipment, fiber optic equipment, laparoscopic equipment, surgical microscopes, brain navigation systems, lasers, technology advanced robotic surgery, arthroscopy equipment, urologic equipment, and recording devices. Plans and discusses each procedure with surgical professionals and assures that all supplies and equipment are both available and in working order prior to the surgical procedure. Adjusts equipment controls to clarify readings and prepare for operation. Performs nontechnical equipment maintenance and cleaning, and pre-treatment for all reusable medical equipment and instrumentation. Coordinates repair of potentially hazardous equipment. (frayed cords, malfunctioning controls, etc.) with appropriate staff. Operates equipment and assists surgical team in performance of procedures, able to trouble shoot and adjust, prior to notification of bio-medical engineering. Positions Patients for Procedures Provides direct patient care by performing the following: Assists nursing staff in room preparation and patient transfer to OR Table as needed Applies positioning aids to table and places patient extremities into the apparatus, if needed Ensures proper positioning and patient safety measures are maintained and in ­place Transports procedure items to operating room and prepositions them. Opens sterile items and arranges surgical area and equipment for procedure performance. Prepares, organizes, and maintains highly complex sterile surgical set-ups. In conjunction with the circulating nurse, performs sponge and instrument counts to verify accuracy. He/she is responsible for the accountability of all surgical instruments and equipment during the surgical procedure. Assists the surgeon by performing such procedures as preparing skin grafts, suctioning, holding retractors, applying skin staples, cutting sutures and preparing prosthesis and surgical devices during procedures. Maintains Equipment and Work Areas: Maintains OR area, performs monthly cleaning to storage locations as per hospital policy. Assesses equipment needs and maintains adequate stock of supplies and materials. Assists in all aspects of supply management, including but not limited to ordering of supplies from logistics and putting them away. Recognizes potentially hazardous situations (e.g., frayed cords, water on floor) and takes corrective action. Processes instruments and supplies after surgery Cooperates fully with equipment inventory, including meeting established timelines Cooperates fully in equipment trials and procurement processes. Provides Guidance Provides guidance and support to health technicians and technical students of an approved surgical technology program, able to demonstrate for the resident team the functionality of the more complex instrumentation, and/or any other novice scrub support staff. Provides guidance and support to professional and technical students of an approved surgical technology program. Other duties Participates with surgical team members in quality improvement activities. Updates personal knowledge regarding current trends in surgical technology through continuing education courses. Participates in developing and maintaining appropriate and cost-effective inventory practices Utilizes universal precautions in all work functions Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 7:30AM-4:00PM - Required to rotate call coverage. Position Description Title/PD#: Surgical Technician/PD93373A Physical Requirements: Duties regularly require providing manual assistance in lifting and positioning patients, most of which are stages of unconsciousness. There are extensive periods of regular and recurring standing, walking, bending, lifting, pushing, reaching, and prolonged stretching to provide easy accessibility of instruments and supplies 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.

Qualifications: To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement. INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENT (IOR): An IOR is a basic requirement that must be met in order to qualify for entry into this job series, and it is something that can't be waived. To qualify for the GS-0640 occupational series, applicants MUST possess the following: Specialized Experience (for positions at GS-4 and above): Technician experience is experience that requires application of the knowledge, methods, and techniques of the position to be filled. To qualify for this position at the GS-7 level, you must meet one of the following: Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-06 grade level in the federal service); experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience includes utilizing knowledge of medical instruments, human anatomy, physiology, and aseptic technique to prepare and protect sterile field during surgery; exercising sterile technique to include sterilizer operations and tests to determine the effectiveness of sterilization, packaging, storage, and shelf life; handling medical instruments, supplies and equipment during all surgical procedures; performing proper cleaning techniques, as well as the proper handling and rotation of sterile supplies; handling contaminated items, quality control, and personal hygiene, using knowledge of universal precautions and implementing infection control policies and procedures. NOTE: 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. OR Education. Applicants may substitute education for the experience required for the GS-07 level. One full year of graduate education (18 semester hours) or an internship in course matter that must include courses directly related to the work of the Surgical Technician position such as anatomy and physiology, surgical technology, aseptic techniques, etc. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. OR Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at the GS-07 level. Combinations of successfully completed graduate level education and specialized experience, as described above, which meet the total experience requirements for this grade level. The education portion must include graduate courses directly related to the work of the Surgical Technician position. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. To calculate, first identify the percentage of required education you have earned (when substituting, you cannot use the first 60 semester hours that you earned). Then identify the percentage of required experience you possess. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify at the GS-07. For example, an applicant who has 9 semester hours of graduate level education (i.e. 50% of graduate education required) and 6 months of creditable specialized experience (i.e. 50% of the required experience) would equal 100% of the required experience for the position A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Preferred Experience: AST Certification is preferred and at least two years of surgical technician experience EXPERIENCE: A specific length of training and experience is not required, but you must show evidence of training or experience of sufficient scope and quality of your ability to do the work of this position. Evidence which demonstrates you possess the knowledge, skills, and ability to perform the duties of this position must be supported by detailed descriptions of such on your resume. Applicants will be rated in accordance with the OPM Federal Wage System Qualification Standards. 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. Note: 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.

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 03/23/2026 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12912101. 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.

Application Deadline: 2026-03-23