Surgical Technician

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Hines (IL); On-site; USD 46,000 - 64,000; Full time

Job summary

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs at Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital in Hines, IL seeks a Surgical Technician to assist the surgeon and OR team throughout procedures.

The role includes preparing sterile fields, handling instruments, and supporting the surgical team during complex operations. Responsibilities include planning with surgical professionals, ensuring supplies are ready, and maintaining aseptic technique.

Qualifications

• Specialized experience: one year at GS-6 or equivalent in medical aseptic technique and surgical instrumentation.
• Education: one year of graduate education or internship in anatomy, physiology, surgical technology, or related courses with documentation.
• Combination: graduate education plus specialized experience to meet total requirements.
• Preferred Experience: 3 years of experience in a surgical setting.

Responsibilities

• Participates with the surgical team in planning and implementing complex procedures.
• Sets up sterile field with required equipment for each procedure.
• Handles instruments, supplies, and equipment during all surgical procedures.
• Assists the surgeon by preparing skin grafts, suctioning, retractors, skin staples, and sutures.
• Maintains sterile field and aseptic technique throughout procedures.
• Trains residents and students in operating room procedures and sterile technique.

Job description

Summary

This position is located at the Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital - Hines - IL (578) - a level 1A complexity VHA Facility - and is organizationally aligned to Nursing - Perioperative. The primary purpose of this position is to provide assistance to the surgeon and other team members during surgical procedures. The Surgical Technician participate with the surgical team members in planning and implementing complex procedures under the general supervision of the surgical teams.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position - applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement - 11/05/2026. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-6. The grade may have been in any occupation - but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year - it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade - as required by the announcement. In this instance - you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. 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-6) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include - but are not limited to: 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 required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed one (1) 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 this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond. 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. Preferred Experience: Preferred 3 years experience You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Attention to Detail Customer Service Decision Making Flexibility Infection Control Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Medical Information Patient Care Reading Comprehension Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork Technical Competence 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. Physical Requirements: Duties regularly require providing manual assistance in lifting and positioning patients - most of which are in 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. 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/.

Duties

• The Surgical Technician participates with the surgical team members in planning and implementing complex procedures under the general supervision of the surgical team
• Duties Include: Sets up sterile field with all required items for each procedure such as air-powered equipment - fiber optic equipment - laparoscopic equipment - microscopes - arthroscopy equipment - urologic equipment - recording devices - and other operating room supplies and equipment
• Handles instruments - supplies - and equipment during all surgical procedures such as General Surgery - Urology - Podiatry - Ophthalmology - Endoscopy
• Plans and discusses each procedure with surgical professionals and assures that all supplies and equipment are available prior to the surgical procedure
• Functions as a primary scrub person for handling instruments - supplies and equipment during all surgical procedures
• Prepares - organizes - and maintains sterile surgical set-ups including sterile fields - with all required items for each procedure
• 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
• Assists the surgeon by performing such procedures as preparing skin grafts - suctioning - holding retractors - applying skin staples - and cutting sutures
• Prepares prosthesis and surgical devices during procedures
• Assists in training residents - medical students - nursing students - operating room technology students - and new Operating Room (OR) staff in the operation of equipment - sterile technique - handling of instruments - and OR procedures to include the scrub role in surgical procedures
• Assists in the implementation and utilization of the Generic Inventory Package to maintain adequate surgical supplies
• This includes but not limited to re-stocking the OR cabinets - specialty carts - and other secondary storage containers
• Processes instruments and supplies after surgery
• Plans - prepares - organizes and maintains the sterile field for highly complex surgical procedures
• Plans and discusses procedures with surgical professionals and assures that all supplies and equipment are available prior to the surgical procedures
• Anticipates surgical needs and hands instruments to the surgeon
• Recognizes or anticipates that the surgery may change or the patient condition is deteriorating - and quickly adapts Observes and responds promptly to various stages of the surgical procedure and anticipates the needs of the surgeon by maintaining a high level of concentration for extending periods of time
• Maintains accurate counts of sponges - needles - and instruments
• Complies with standard precautions and other infection prevention policies
• Performs other related unit based assignments
• Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7:00am to 3:30 pm
• Required to be ONCALL which includes weekends and Holidays
• Telework: This position is not authorized for telework
• Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Position Description/PD#: Surgical Technician/PD09282A