Deputy Director, Sterile Processing Policy and Operations

Summary

The Deputy Director, Sterile Processing Policy and Operations is a senior national-level operational leadership role responsible for assisting in planning, directing, integrating, coordinating, and evaluating VHA sterile processing programs and operations and supporting the implementation of approved national policy and guidance.

Duties

The duties of the Deputy Director include, but are not limited to: Providing technical and administrative direction to subordinate supervisors and, through them, to assigned staff performing national sterile processing field operations, business operations, education, performance-management, analytic, project-management, and related functions. Conducting workforce and succession planning and identifying present and projected staffing requirements supporting recruitment and retention strategies. Monitoring the use of personnel, funding, equipment, space, contract support, and other assigned resources. Directing and evaluating national operational activities supporting the safe, reliable, timely, and effective reprocessing of critical and semi-critical RMD. Leading complex, cross-organizational projects and initiatives to improve sterile processing operations nationally. Providing oversight of business operations supporting sterile processing programs and functions, including planning, budgeting, resource utilization, internal controls, financial analysis, reporting, and assigned national initiatives. Preparing, coordinating, and reviewing decision-quality analyses, executive briefings, issue papers, reports, correspondence, presentations, and status updates for VHA and VA senior leaders. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, Various tours available Telework: This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Virtual: This position may be authorized for Virtual Work. Virtual Work eligibility is for current VA employees that are already subject to the return to the in-person work mandate in their current position. Definition of Virtual Work: Employee works outside of original hiring duty station at a VA-owned or leased space. Return to Office (RTO): RTO mandates are in effect and selectees will be required to report to in-person work unless they are approved for an exception or an exemption. Any approval for an RTO exception, exemption, or extension will happen after a tentative job offer, but before a final job offer. Position Description/PD#: Deputy Director, Sterile Processing Policy and Operations/PD829400 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 11/12/2026. 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-15 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-14. 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. QUALITY RANKING FACTOR Applicants will be reviewed against the following Quality Ranking Factor. Those who possess such experience may be ranked above those who do not, but will not be rated ineligible solely for failure to possess such KSAs/competencies. VHA sterile processing/reusable medical device (RMD) reprocessing knowledge and experience You may qualify based on your experience as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-14 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: (1) Preparing issue papers, decision memos, and briefings for senior leaders, and negotiating implementation approaches with stakeholders who hold competing priorities across a VISN or facility; (2) Leading initiatives including developing charters and implementation plans, defining milestones and success measures, managing budgets and staffing resources, and resolving execution barriers; and (3) Setting annual priorities, supervising subordinate managers or supervisors, and being accountable for measurable outcomes against established performance targets. 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: Conflict Management Influencing/Negotiating Manages Resources Partnering Planning and Evaluating Leadership Project Management Problem Solving Risk Management Quality Management Supervisory Situational Judgment Test. Applicants will be required to complete a Supervisory Situational Judgment Test (SSJT) as part of the assessment process for this position. The SSJT evaluates judgment and decision-making skills that align with relevant competencies, organizational values, and best practices. Assessment results may be used as part of the evaluation, ranking and referral process. This is not a timed test, however, the assessment is expected to take approximately 45 minutes or less to complete. The assessment for this application does not include a cut score for a minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. However, you must answer each item in the assessment. 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: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required. 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/.

Education

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.