Summary This position is located at the CW Young Bay Pines Healthcare System at Bay Pines, FL within the Pharmacy Service. Pharmacy technicians at this grade level are nationally certified by PTCB or NHA as Certified Pharmacy Technicians and can work autonomously. Technician is responsible for the operation, maintenance, restocking, and troubleshooting of automated dispensing equipment. Responsibilities The Lead Pharmacy Technician Automation will be knowledgeable on the operation of ALL automated dispensing equipment, demonstrating the ability to troubleshoot mechanical and software problems. This position functions as the automation specialist in all the patient care areas of pharmacy service with primary focus in both the inpatient and outpatient pharmacy service throughout multiple locations. The incumbent will coordinate and oversee operational aspects of the inpatient and outpatient pharmacy automated equipment and other assigned duties. The duties and functions of the Lead Pharmacy Technician include, but are not limited to the following: First line support, maintenance, and basic repair of pharmacy automation (Euclid, Healthcare Logistics (HCL)) packaging systems to support unit dose medication dispensing activities. Serves as administrator for Pyxis or similar automation used for medication storage and dispensing. Manages users, trains new employees, and participates in any future upgrades or expansion of equipment. Pends new orders and unloads unused medication pockets. Routinely runs reports for outdated drugs and usage report to assure optimal efficiency. Enters service requests for preventative maintenance and repairs. Superuser for pharmacy automation used in sterile compounding such as BD IV Prep and Simplifi 797/Critical Point. Assists in adding new National Drug Code (NDC)s, lot numbers and expiration dates into system. Enters service requests for preventative maintenance and repairs. Serves as back up to the Sterile Compounding Lead Technician. Administrator for Simplfi+Med-storage and similar systems. Manages users and trains new employees. Runs compliance reports and communicates results to the Inpatient Pharmacy Supervisor. Provides technical support for outpatient pharmacy dispensing automation (i.e., Eye-Con and Script-Pro). Manages users and troubleshoots equipment issues. Completes monthly ward stock inspections and other duties associated with emergency medication dispensing, storage and distribution. Documents inspections in Simplifi+ Med-storage. Coordinates completion of code trays and anesthesia trays. Manages the Ward Stock/On Demand process. Performs final review of medication to be dispensed for Ward Stock/On Demand for Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOC)s and C.W. Bill Young VA Medical Center (CWY VAMC) campus utilizing tech- check-tech methodology. Set up, adjusts, and maintains the operation of any new automated equipment acquired by the Pharmacy Service. Manages Pyxis inventory. Support Inpatient Pharmacy Operations based on the needs of the Service. Coordinates the technical aspects of pharmacy drug distribution activities to ensure standard operating procedures are in alignment with automation capabilities so that efficiencies are maximized. Incumbent is instrumental in recommending changes for the improvement of the workflow, work methods, and priorities involved within the drug distribution system. Evaluates and analyzes workflow and coordinates all work activities involved with pharmacy automation throughout multiple locations. This will involve trouble shooting, regularly gathering data, analyzing, and interpreting VA data and formulating action plans. Work Schedule: Will be required to work variable tours of duty including evenings, nights, weekends and holidays; all tours are subject to change depending on the needs of the Service. The anticipated schedule will be day shift. Travel: You may be required to travel up to 25% of the time Compressed/Flexible: Not available Functional Statement #: 21405F Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. You may be required to serve a probationary period. Subject to background/security investigation. 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. Must pass pre-employment physical examination. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Qualifications Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. BASIC REQUIREMENTS Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States. Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a). English Language Proficiency. Pharmacy Technician candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). Education. None required. May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria). Grade Determinations: In addition to meeting the basic requirements stated above, the following qualifications criteria must be met in determining the appropriate grade assignment of candidates. Lead Pharmacy Technician, GS-08 Certification. This position is above the full performance level and the employee must pass a national certification exam and hold an active national certification through either: The Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB), as a Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT). OR The National Healthcareer Association (NHA), as a Certified Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT). Experience. Candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-7) and demonstrate the KSAs below. Comprehensive knowledge of concepts, principles, methodology and policies in a specialized area or section of pharmacy (such as sterile compounding, controlled substances, automation, clinical pharmacy, contact center, etc.) Note: See Specialized Area.in the Definitions Section. Skill in training and orienting new and existing pharmacy facility employees and students on proper policies and procedures. Ability to evaluate, analyze and coordinate workflow and work activities within a specialized area or section of the pharmacy. Preferred Experience. One year experience working in large outpatient and large inpatient pharmacies. Experience working with and troubleshooting pharmacy automation (i.e. MILT, Euclid, BD Pyxis ES, BD IV Prep, ScriptPro, TempTrak) used in outpatient and inpatient settings. A minimum of 1 year of experience filling and troubleshooting Pyxis. Proficiency with Pyxis automated dispensing systems, including the ability to effectively fill, manage inventories, utilize reports, and troubleshoot any operational issues. Experience with preparing, moving, recovery of automation in emergency management situations. Reference. For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements. Heavy lifting (45 pounds and over), Moderate lifting (15-44 pounds), Light lifting (under 15 pounds), Heavy carrying (45 pounds and over), Moderate carrying (15-44 pounds), Light carrying (under 15 pounds), Straight pulling (2 hours), Pushing, Reaching above shoulder, Use of fingers, Both hands required, Walking (up to 4 hours), Standing (prolonged), Repeated bending, Climbing, use of legs and arms (infrequent), Operation of motor vehicle, Near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4, Far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other, Specific visual requirement (Ability to read fine print on labels), Depth perception, Ability to distinguish basic colors, Hearing (aid permitted), Clear Speech, Emotional Stability, Good Dexterity. 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: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. 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. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. 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. 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. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.