Clarification from the agency

Note: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this occupational series. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

The duties of the Supervisory Prosthetic Representative are to administer, supervise, and perform work
concerned with rendering prosthetic and sensory aids services to the veteran patient population in the
Birmingham Veteran Affairs Medical Center catchment area.

Duties

• Serves as a Prosthetic Representative (Supervisor) completing a variety of assignments, projects, and activities related to prosthetics and sensory aids independently to achieve the long-term and short-term objectives of PSAS. Executes technical, administrative, and analytical tasks associated with prosthetics for the PSAS.
• Manages projects and project teams focused on prosthetic and sensory aid initiatives. Engages in various ad hoc projects and assignments as required. Offers supervision, administrative management, and support to designated PSAS personnel, ensuring full administrative and professional accountability for the planning and monitoring of staff activities within the section or comparable work unit.
• Serves as a VHA and PSAS representative on local facility committees, workgroups, and teams to address a variety of PSAS's issues, initiatives, and projects. Keeps the PSAS senior staff aware of outcomes and recommendations to enhance the program.
• The supervisor assures compliance with accrediting agency and regulatory requirements; establishes and monitors performance and quality metrics; reviews and modifies work processes to achieve optimal efficiency and effectiveness; ensures customer satisfaction; and takes corrective actions as needed.
• Seeks best practices from other VHA facilities to enhance PSAS's prosthetic and sensory aids program to meet veterans' needs. Conducts visits to VISNs and VHA locations to collect, review, and analyze their best practice information and reports findings to the Chief to consider.
• Drafts, develops, and implements new local organizational policies, directives, and procedures that are consistent with national policies, procedures, and programs. Manages document control; and provides documents to the Chief for final approval after the incumbent submits final, review, comments, and recommendations.
• Maintains awareness of VA's, VHA's, and PSAS's requirements regarding The Joint Commission standards of care implementation. Keeps abreast of current issues in the healthcare industry and technological advancements and provides subject-matter expertise to VHA and PSAS's senior officials as needed.
• Completes prosthetic representative, technical, programmatic, and administrative duties independently. Provides training, advice, and guidance related to various PSAS administrative functions, including statistics, data analysis, and budgeting to include budget execution, contracting, procurement, human resources, logistics/space, equipment ,and supplies.
• Oversees the operation of the Prosthetic, Orthotic, and optical laboratories, including restoration activities. Provides professional and administrative management of an assigned area to include budget execution.
• Supervises staff that serves as an advisor to clinicians regarding selection, prescription, and acquisition of prosthetic devices involving furnishing information on new developments in the field of prosthetics and sources of supply for such devices.
• Interprets prescriptions of clinicians to make certain that proper prosthetic devices are selected.
• Possesses program responsibility for contracting, procurement; PSAS clinical services, customer service/reception, associated with medical, rehabilitative, and durable medical equipment devices, home durable medical equipment delivery, and installation.
• Prepares and authorizes purchase orders for a wide variety of prosthetic and orthotic devices. Keeps the Chief well informed of procurement or contract issues as they arise for accountability purposes.
• Serves as a contract officer representative (COR) for PSAS contracts chairs facility committees and administers benefit programs. Monitors contracts for compliance with the statement of work; and receives, analyzes, and completes requests for prosthetic equipment and services.
• Procures materials, supplies, and equipment for inventory; maintains, controls, and issues inventory; and refers veterans to proper clinical areas for evaluation. Develops tools that allow monitoring of a quality assurance program. Keeps Chief informed of procurement updates by preparing detailed status reports regularly. Ensures VA, VHA, and PSAS's procurement procedures are adhered to.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm
Telework: Available (Ad-hoc)
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 52372F
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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

Basic Requirements:

United States Citizenship: Citizen of the United States. After a determination is made that it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens, necessary personnel may be appointed on a temporary basis under authority of 38 U.S.C. 7405 without regard to the citizenship requirements of 38 U.S.C. 7402 or any other law prohibiting the employment of or payment of compensation to a person who is not a citizen of the United States. Candidates must meet all other requirements for the grade level and position concerned.

Experience and Education. Individual must meet at least one of the requirements below.

Experience. One year of creditable experience that demonstrates: Knowledge of basic anatomy and medical terminology; knowledge of accounting methods; ability to research, analyze, comprehend, and apply decisions; basic knowledge of inventory management procedures; ability to use computer software packages for word processing, spreadsheet development, and database management; and ability to work independently and as a member of a team;
OR
Education. A bachelor's degree from an accredited educational institution AND at least24 semester hours in course work related to health care, public administration, or business. The 24 semester hours could include but is not limited to any combination from the following fields: occupational therapy, physical therapy, kinesiotherapy, social work, psychology, prosthetics, orthotics, respiratory therapy, assistive technology, business law, leadership, healthcare, public administration, or business management. This course work may have been completed within the degree or in addition to the degree;
OR
Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying.

Grandfathering Provision. All persons employed in VHA as a Prosthetic Representative on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply:

• Employees grandfathered into the GS-0672 occupational series as prosthetic representatives may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journeyman) level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journeyman level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions.
• Prosthetic Representatives who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.
• Employees who are retained as a Prosthetic Representative under this provision and subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry as a prosthetic representative.

Foreign Education: To be creditable, education completed outside the United States must have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials, and such education must have been deemed at least equivalent to experience gained in conventional United States programs.

English Language Proficiency. Candidates will not be appointed under authority of 38U.S.C. chapters 73 or 74, to serve in a direct patient-care capacity in VHA who are not proficient in written and spoken English. See Chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a, this part.

Preferred Experience: 2 years Prosthetic Representative experience required.

.Grade Determinations: GS-12 Prosthetic Representative (Supervisor)Experience. At least one year of experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities KSA's

• Ability to work independently to set priorities; delegate tasks; meet multiple deadlines; analyze organizational problems; and develop and implement effective solutions to optimize quality, efficiency, performance, and productivity.
• Ability to work with a team, to provide technical guidance, plan, organize, and coordinate activities to effectively complete job duties of assignment, such as distributing workload; and monitoring the accuracy, status and progress of work.
• Ability to communicate tactfully and effectively, both orally and in writing, to meet program objectives. This may include preparing reports in various formats and presenting data to various organizational levels.
• Ability to assist in staff development, outcome management, and strategic planning.
• Ability to act as liaison between staff to resolve informal employee complaints and concerns.
• Knowledge of rehabilitative treatment goals and strategies that are unique to patients in
• specialized programs and knowledge of those specific program requirements.

In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs GS 12 listed below:

Leadership and managerial skills, including skill in interpersonal relations and conflict resolution to deal with employees, team leaders, and managers.

• Ability to perform the full range of supervisory duties, including responsibility for assignment of work to be performed; evaluation of performance; selection of staff; and recommendation of awards, advancements, and disciplinary actions.
• Ability to manage a health care program that provides home medical equipment, rehabilitation services, home oxygen, visual or hearing impairment devices, assistive technology, orthotics, or prosthetics.
• Skill in coordinating work flow and work assignments.
• Ability to counsel patients and work effectively with a clinical team to resolve conflict.

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-12.

Physical Requirements: Pre-placement and periodic physical examinations are required for hybrid occupations to ensure workers are placed in positions where they can perform the essential functions of their job including their physical, mental and emotional capacities, without endangering their health or the health of their co-workers. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

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:

• Resume
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action

• Most recent SF-50 if you are a current or former Federal employee
• An SF-50 showing 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
• Award 50's do not provide sufficient information and will not be accepted for the purpose of verifying time-in-grade.
• Examples of appropriate SF-50's include:
  • Within grade increases at the highest grade held; or
  • Promotions with an effective date more than one year old; or
  • SF-50's at the highest grade held with an effective date more than one year old.

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.

• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit Feds Hire Vets - Veterans - Job Seekers - Veterans' Preference.

Veterans' preference does not apply for internal or other current permanent Federal agency employees.

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