Lead Health Technician (Ophthalmology)

Clarification from the agency

This position is open to the public. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below. This is a shortage occupation and Veterans Preference is WAIVED (does NOT apply).

Duties may include, but are not limited to:

• Respond to the needs of the staff ophthalmologists, the supervisory technician or other designated administrative supervisor
  who will maintain daily supervision and guidance.
• Plan and carries out examinations in line with training and accepted practices, and independently makes recommendations about clinical situations, procedures or changes to procedures in some situations.
• Able to accept the technician's assessment without rechecking the work
• Use methods, recognizes conditions that cause erroneous results or creates dangerous situations, and may
  independently troubleshoot clinic problems and complex instruments.
• Resolve most differences that arise with patients, coordinates work with others as necessary and interprets policy such as eligibility for prosthetic devices.
• Responsible to the Supervisory Ophthalmology Technician (if present), the Ophthalmology Program Coordinator (if present) and the Chief of Ophthalmology
• Make work assignments
• Monitor work flow
• Provide input on performance
• Resolve daily workplace issues, and maintaining efficient flow of patient care.
• Provide training to eye care staff, students and/ or trainees.
• Provide input into special advancements, promotions, and disciplinary actions

Work Schedule: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
Telework: Not available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 42054F
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

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.
• 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).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial 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 trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

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

• United States Citizenship
• English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. 7403(f).
• Experience and Education:
  • Experience: One year of experience in a health care field, such as but not limited to nursing, medical assistant, or health technician. OR
  • Education: Two years above high school with a minimum of six semester hours directly related to a health care field or associate's degree in a health care related degree. OR
  • Experience/Education Combination: Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying. Examples are listed below: Six months of experience in the health care field; and one year above high school; or Six months of experience in the health care field and successful completion of a course for health care technicians, hospital corpsmen, medical service specialists, or ophthalmology technicians given by the U.S. Armed Forces; or Six months of experience in the health care field and completion of an independent study course in Ophthalmic Medical Assisting.
• Certification: All applicants must be certified as a Certified Ophthalmic Assistant (COA) with the Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology (JCAHPO). The COA certification is JCAHPO's entry-level certification examination for a Health Technician (Ophthalmology).

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 Health Technician (Ophthalmology), GS-9

Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-8 grade level.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA).
In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs

1. Ability to work with a team to provide technical guidance, plan, organize, and coordinate activities of a Health Technician (Ophthalmology) in order to effectively complete job duties of assignment such as distributing workload, monitoring the status and progress of work, monitoring accuracy of work, etc.;
2. Ability to communicate effectively in order to meet program objectives. This may include preparing reports in various formats and presenting data to various organizational levels;
3. Ability to assist in Health Technician (Ophthalmology) development, outcome management, and strategic planning; and
4. Ability to act as liaison between Health Technicians (Ophthalmology) to resolve informal employee complaints and concerns.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-09.

Physical Requirements: (See VA Directive and Handbook 5019)

• Vision: Must have adequate visual acuity (with corrective lenses, if needed) to perform fine diagnostic exams and operate ophthalmic equipment.
• Manual Dexterity: Must be able to handle small instruments, perform precise tasks, and assist with equipment setup.
• Mobility: Ability to stand or walk for extended periods during patient examinations and procedures.
• Lifting/Carrying: Must manage moderate loads-such as medical instruments or equipment-frequently (typically up to 10--20 pounds, depending on local duty-analysis requirements).
• Endurance: Must sustain physical activity throughout the workday.
• Immunization/TB Screening: Mandatory before duties begin.

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 MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for 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; 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.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

• Professional Certification
• Resume

Special Note for Applications: To complete your application, please use the following link https://vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Resume.docx to download the standard Clinical Resume Document. This one-page document does not need to be modified and must be uploaded into the two-page restricted 'Resume' document upload field.

Your full resume/CV may be uploaded without page limitation into the 'Other' document upload field.

The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), etc.

This is a shortage occupation and Veterans Preference is WAIVED (does NOT apply).

Next steps