Clarification from the agency

All qualified candidates encouraged to apply. Open to U.S. Citizens. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

The Section Supervisor of Optometry requires a blend of advanced clinical expertise, administrative leadership, and facility oversight. This supervisor is directly responsible for the management of all aspects of the assigned clinic including quality patient care, safety, productivity, and national and local compliance. They will adhere to the ICARE core values and characteristics. This supervisor reports directly to the NF/SG Optometry Service Chief.

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.

Other duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to doing the following:

• Responsible for the full range of supervisory duties for optometrists and health technicians.
• Conduct performance evaluations and competency assessments.
• Select new staff and recommending awards or disciplinary actions.
• Plan work schedules and distributing workloads to ensure maximum clinic efficiency and minimal wait times.
• Serve as the primary liaison between optometry, MSA staff, Vendor Opticians, prosthetics, Bio-Med, medical supply, and compliance.
• Serve to form a cohesive relationship between optometry, ophthalmology, primary care, radiology, the ED, pharmacy, connected care, and community care in order to clarify roles and transition care.
• Manage the "Continuum of Care" for blind and visually impaired Veterans, often collaborating with Blind Rehabilitation Specialists (BRS) and Visual Impairment Services Team (VIST) coordinators.
• Represent the Optometry Section on Medical Center committees to align clinic goals with the NF/SG mission.
• Manage daily operations of the eye clinic, including monitoring of book ability, productivity, consult tracking, encounter and note completion, My Healthy Vet messages, and PATS-R/ EEO inquiries.
• Budget Monitoring for resource requests for equipment and supplies
• Ensure the clinic complies with Joint Commission and CARF standards for safety and infection control.
• Oversee the utilization of Vista and CPRS for accurate patient data capture and workload reporting. Monitor laptop agreements.
• Analyze clinic data to optimize " Access of Care", ensuring Veterans receive timely appointments and that performance measures for productivity are met. Manage PIV access to all staff and health trainees.
• Provide diagnostic and therapeutic intervention for complex ocular conditions (e.g., glaucoma, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy).
• Committed to staying at the forefront of ocular disease management, with expertise in emerging treatment modalities, pharmacological advancements, and diagnostic technologies.

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 07:30am-04:00pm
(Note: Work schedules are determined and approved by the supervisor. The incumbent may be required to work various shifts on a permanent or temporary basis based on facility/patient care needs).
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: May Be Authorized
EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.Contact V8_EDRP_NFSG@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized

Conditions of employment

• All qualified candidates encouraged to apply. Open to U.S. Citizens but non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens.
• 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).
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

Basic Requirements:

• United States Citizenship: Must be a US Citizen.
• Education: Degree of Doctor of Optometry resulting from a course of education in optometry. The degree must have been obtained from one of the schools or colleges approved by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) for the year in which the course of study was completed. Approved schools are United States and Canadian schools or colleges of optometry listed as accredited by the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education (ACOE), in the list published for the year in which the course of study was completed.
• Licensure or Registration: Current, full and unrestricted license to practice optometry, and maintain a current registration in a state, territory, or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia that requires successful passage of all parts of National Board of Examiners in Optometry intended for basic licensure.
• Residency Training or Comparable Experience: Successful completion of residency training, approved by the Secretary of VA in an accredited post-graduate training program, or have comparable experience, as described: (1) Approved residencies are those with accredited or within pre-accredited status by the ACOE, in the list published for the year the residency was completed. OR (2) Two years of licensed clinical optometric practice in the United States consisting of active involvement in the management of medically complex patients.

Staff Requirements: In addition to the basic requirements above, all applicants must meet the following staff requirement to qualify for this position:

Leadership/Manager. An Optometrist in a leadership position must demonstrate the following: (1) Outstanding professional ability in the practice of optometry and healthcare administration; (2) The ability to guide the development and implementation of programs within their respective domain, to include but not limited to, optometry practice, professional standards, personnel issues, quality and performance improvement; & (3) Effectiveness in coordinating and managing interdisciplinary collaboration with both internal and external stakeholders to optimize the care of patients under their purview.

Preferred Experience:

• Low Vision and Contact Lens fitting preferred
• Previous supervisory role preferred

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Physical Requirements: Must pass a pre-employment physical examination as required by VA Handbook 5019. This examination is administered by VA Occupational Health. This position requires moderate lifting up to 44 lbs., carrying objects up to 15 lbs., frequent reaching, use of hands and fingers, use of cranes and motor vehicles, walking, standing, bending and climbing. The incumbent must be physically and mentally able to efficiently perform the essential functions of this position without hazard to themselves or others.

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.

NOTE: A formal pay-setting process will be used to determine your salary. The salary may be at any point in the range listed for this vacancy.

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.

NOTE:

Incomplete packets will not be considered. Failure to submit the required documentation may make you ineligible for this position.
The following documents are required from all applicants:

• Résumé / CV: For each job/position listed, you must include a job title, detailed duties, month and year for each start/end date and if full-time or part-time status with the number of hours worked each week.
• Responses to the questionnaire
• License: Must provide a copy of your Optometrist license.
• Transcript(s): Must provide a copy of all optometry education transcripts.

The following additional supporting documents may be submitted, if applicable:

• SF-50: All VA/Federal employees should submit a copy of your most recent SF-50 (that is not an award SF-50) that shows you're a current, permanent VA/Federal employee. You may get your SF-50 directly from your eOPF. VA employees may go to:https://eopf.opm.gov/va/. Other Federal employees must contact your current HR Office for assistance assessing your eOPF/personnel folder.

• To be considered for Veterans preference submit: Copy of your DD-214 that shows your type of discharge (Member 4 copy).
• Disabled Veterans & those claiming 10-Point Preference must submit: SF-15 (Application for 10-Point Veterans Preference) along with the supporting documents required by that form (such as VA disability rating). Please read page 2 of the form for acceptable supporting documents. (Available at: http://www.opm.gov/Forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf)
• Those claiming 0-Point (Sole Survivorship) Preference must also submit: Proof of your eligibility.

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.

• Cover Letter
• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Disability Letter (VA)
• License
• Standard Clinical Resume
• Performance Appraisal
• Professional Certification
• Resume
• SF-15
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

Veterans' Preference Note: Preference eligible candidates and other Veterans will be given preference when qualification of candidates are approximately equal for Title 38 positions in VHA. 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.

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