Clarification from the agency

ALL US CITIZENS. DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled using Direct-Hire Authority (5 CFR 337.201) for this occupation.

• Independently provide direct patient care services related to patient education, selection, ordering, verification, troubleshooting, adjustment and repair of ophthalmic lenses and eyewear.
• Educate the patient on the lens materials, lens designs, frames, tints and coatings that have been prescribed and will assist patient in the selection and ordering of proper fitting standard eyewear frames with understanding of frame selection to include the following: size, materials, relationship between frames, lenses and face.
• Measurements of interpupillary distances, optical centers, and multifocal or progressive addition lens segment heights will be accurately obtained and documented.
• Properly adjust eyeglasses for comfortable fit and proper alignment of optical centers and segment heights
  for optimal visual performance and will Instruct/educate patients on how to wear and care for eyeglasses.
• Skills to repair broken or defective eyeglasses. The incumbent will provide necessary information for a pair of spectacles to be duplicated, to include prescription, lens type and form, centration and fitting positions, frame details and lens surface treatments.

Work Schedule: 08:30am-5:00pm (Subject to change based on the needs of the agency.)
Position Description Title/PD#: Health Technician (Optician)/PD03147A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job
• Subject to a background/suitability investigation
• Designated and/or random drug testing may be required
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• A complete application package; including Resume, Transcripts, etc. is required
• 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 identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period , your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Applicants must meet the experience requirements relevant to this position. For this Health Technician-Phlebotomy/Acute Care, GS-06 position: To qualify at the GS-06 grade, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 level or higher. Specialized Experience to include, but not limited to:

• Experience with basic instruments and diagnostic or treatment procedures commonly used in the specialization
• Experience with positioning patients for examination or treatment
• Experience with using alternate positions for patients with common physical disabilities
• Experience with using sterilization methods to clean instruments
• Experience and knowledge of opticianry services
• Experience preparing work order for optical laboratory
• Experience and knowledge basic anatomy

SCREEN OUT ELEMENT: Your qualification will first be evaluated against the prescribed screen out element, which usually appears as question 1 in the online questionnaire. Those applicants who appear to possess at least the minimal acceptable qualification requirement are considered for further rating: those who are rated ineligible and are eliminated. The potential eligibles are then rated against the remainder of the job elements.

Competencies:

• Attention to Detail
• Clerical
• Customer Service
• Technical Competence
• Technical Problem Solving

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 Demands: The work requires an ongoing mix of sitting, standing, walking, bending, and carrying light weight
items. Many of the positions major duties require a high degree of manual dexterity and accuracy. All patient care activities require PC keyboard and mouse use for data entry in the electronic patient record. Occasional heavy lifting will be required. In some instances, interaction with patients, caregivers, and staff can become intense, and the employee may be placed in a position of stress.

Work Environment: The work area has good lighting, heating, cooling and ventilation. The work area is generally
shared by multiple staff in close proximity. Work is primarily performed in an outpatient clinic setting or office with occasional patient care visits to inpatients. Risk/discomforts in this job could be possible injury when adjusting/repairing glasses and exposure to communicable diseases. Masks and gloves are readily available as a safety precaution. Environment of care rounds are done monthly to ensure areas are clean and safe both for patients and employees.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Applicants will be referred in the order in which they were received.

Documents Accepted:

• Cover Letter
• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Disability Letter (VA)
• Other (1)
• Performance Appraisal
• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-15
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

Documents Required:

• Resume

Resume Requirement: Your resume must include the following information: Job title, description of duties, beginning and ending date (month/year) of employment; and average hours worked per week.

Please review the above list(s) to ensure you have included all necessary documents required for your application. Not every applicant will require the same documents, therefore it is the applicants responsibility to ensure that their application package includes all necessary documents to determine qualifications and eligibility for appointment, such as a copy of your SF-50, transcript, ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees).You will not be contacted for additional information. Applicants will be deemed ineligible if supporting documentation is not submitted.

Veterans' Preference: Since the Direct-Hire Recruitment Authority is being used, traditional Veterans' Preference rules do not apply. Qualified veterans will, however, be given full consideration for this position.

Applications are accepted online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application.

Next steps