English Proficiency: In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), No person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. You must be proficient in basic written and spoken English in order to meet the requirements of this position.
~AND~
To qualify for this position all applicants must meet one of the following:
Specialized Experience: At least one (1) full year of specialized experience, equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-8) in the Federal Service, that has given me the particular knowledge, skills and abilities required to successfully perform the duties of a Dental Laboratory Technician, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Experience includes use of dental laboratory material such as impression materials, plasters, stones, hydrocolloids, waxes, metals, acrylics, porcelain, and similar materials; use of laboratory equipment such as hand tools, dental lathes, engines, and hand pieces, furnaces, casting machines, presses, flasks, and related equipment; use of precision instruments such as articulators, surveyors, and microanalyzers; and construction of dental prosthetic appliances. At this grade level, qualifying specialized experience also includes experience constructing porcelain or acrylic fixed or semi-fixed bridge restorations, full or removable partial dentures, or orthodontic appliances, or dental splints and obturators; applying a thorough technical knowledge of both normal and abnormal oral anatomy and laboratory material. NOTE: Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must clearly indicate the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position. Your experience must be fully documented in your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week.
~OR~
Education: Successfully completed at least two (2) full years of graduate education or a master's degree that is directly related to the work of the Dental Laboratory Technician position. Such graduate education demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. Education must have been obtained at an accredited college or university. NOTE: Licensed professional dentists will be considered qualified for any grade level if they have, in the aggregate, the required experience in dental laboratory procedures. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation.
~OR~
Combination: Equivalent combination of successfully completed graduate education (beyond the first year) and specialized experience, as described above. Education must have been obtained at an accredited college or university. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation.
You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position:
- Applies Technology to Tasks
- Teaching Others
- Technical Competence
IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. 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.
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; religious; 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.
Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary but also requires some standing, bending, lifting and carrying of items which may be light (instrumentation) or heavy (plaster and dental stone bins weighing 30 pounds, equipment). The work involves the use of two hands, with excellent eye-hand coordination. The hands and fingers must have high dexterity and strength in order to perform delicate and intricate work, and hold dental stone models, instrumentation or power equipment for many hours at a time. The technician frequently wears magnification loupes to visualize fine detail.
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/.