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Health Technician

Department of Health and Human Services
Indian Health Service

Summary

These Health Technician positions are located at multiple IHS healthcare facilities at various locations. This announcement covers the following specialties: Optometry; Paramedic; and Behavioral Health Department. The Health Technician position duties and responsibilities are based on the department and specialty assigned. This position reports to the department supervisor on-site.

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Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
01/30/2026 to 04/30/2026
Salary
$45,409 to - $59,031 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 6
Locations
Many vacancies in the following locations:
Chinle, AZ
Inscription House, AZ
Kayenta, AZ
Maricopa, AZ
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—Certain locations may authorize for reimbursement of relocation expenses or Permanent Change of Station (PCS) in accordance with agency policy.
Appointment type
Permanent - The majority of positions to be filled under this announcement are permanent. This announcement may also be used to fill time-limited appointments such as TERM and Temporary.
Work schedule
Full-time - The majority of positions to be filled under this announcement are full-time. This announcement may also be used to fill various work schedules, including full-time, part-time (less than 40 hours per week), and intermittent (as needed).
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
Yes - This position may or may not be covered by a bargaining unit, depending on the duty location. Final determination will be made at the time of appointment.
Announcement number
IHS-26-HQ-12866507-ESEP/MP
Control number
856151600

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

The IHS is required by law to give absolute preference to qualified applicants who meet the Secretary of the Interior's definition of Indian for appointment to vacancies within the IHS in accordance with established IHS policy as outlined in the Indian Health Manual Part 7, Chapter 3.

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Duties

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Total Compensation Package - Check out IHS's outstanding total compensation package for this job:
Health Technician Total Compensation | Pay (ihs.gov)

General Health Technician Duties:

  • Perform necessary intake procedures, including screening patients and obtaining vital signs, perform blood draws, administer oral medication as directed by a medical provider, perform subcutaneous and intramuscular injections and vaccinations.
  • Perform specimen collection, such as throat, respiratory, or urine specimens, prepare samples for analysis, including labeling and routing to a laboratory.
  • Operate an electrocardiogram (EKG).
  • Operate a small volume nebulizer.
  • Ensure necessary supplies, instrumentation and equipment are properly sterilized and available for patient care.
  • Record patient care, reactions to treatment and other relevant information into an Electronic Health Record (EHR).
  • Greet and direct visitors in a health care setting, provide in-person and telephone service to meet patient care needs.
  • Prepare for the preventive and clinical needs of a patient visit by reviewing patient records and conducting pre-visit planning.
  • Use layman terms to deliver age-appropriate oral and written instructions, literature, and patient education regarding topics such as medication use, activities, diet, and self-care in a respectful and supportive manner.
  • Provide written medical guidance to patients based on a medical provider's instructions.
  • Assist patients with coordination of various procedures throughout different departments in a medical facility.
  • Deal calmly and effectively with high stress situations including tight deadlines, hostile individuals, emergency situations, or dangerous situations.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

Selectee may be subject to a probationary period
ESEP appointees typically serve a two year trial period
U.S. Citizenship is required
Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959

This is a designated position covered by Public Law 101-630, requiring contact or control over Indian children. Due to this requirement, the agency must ensure that persons hired for these positions have not been found guilty of or pleaded nolo contendere or guilty to certain crimes.

Confidential Financial Disclosure Form required.

On-call hours or standby duty may be required.

Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit www.dhs.gov/E-Verify/.

You will need to set up direct deposit so we can pay you.

Background Investigation: This position requires the successful completion of a federal background investigation as a condition of employment.

A background investigation is a standard process used by the Federal Government to verify an individual's identity, employment history, education, and other relevant information to determine suitability for Federal service.

Upon receipt of instructions, applicants must complete all required background investigation forms within five (5) calendar days of issuance. Timely completion is critical to avoid delays in processing or a determination of unsuitability.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to prioritize this requirement and to maintain regular communication with their assigned Personnel Security Specialist throughout the process.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, your resume must state sufficient experience and/or education, to perform the duties of the specific position for which you are applying.

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; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer and part time experience. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Experience:
*** Specialized experience must be documented for the specialty you are applying for***

Your resume must demonstrate at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector performing the following type of work and/or tasks: Examples Include: venipuncture, collecting lab specimens, performing basic wound/skin care measures, and administering oral medication; experienced medical assistant or health education positions.

Time In Grade
Federal employees in the competitive service are also subject to the Time-In-Grade Requirements: Merit Promotion (status) candidates must have completed one year of service at the next lower grade level. Time-In-Grade provisions do not apply under the Excepted Service Examining Plan (ESEP).

You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement.

Additional information

Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. IHS may offer newly-appointed Federal employees credit for their directly related previous non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave.

This position may be covered by a Bargaining Unit.

Recruitment or relocation incentives may be authorized. A service agreement will be required.

You will be evaluated for this position in accordance with the OPM Merit Hiring Plan.
As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide short essay responses (200 words or less each) to the following four questions.

  1. How has your commitment to the Constitution and the founding principles of the United States inspired you to pursue this role within the Federal government?
  2. In this role, how would you use your skills and experience to improve government efficiency and effectiveness?
  3. How would you help advance the President's Executive Orders and policy priorities in this role?
  4. How has a strong work ethic contributed to your professional, academic or personal achievements?
  • Your responses are optional and will not be scored.
  • However, they may be reviewed by hiring managers and agency leadership (or designees) during the evaluation process.
  • You will be asked to certify that your responses are written in your own words and that you did not use a consultant or artificial intelligence (AI) tool (such as ChatGPT or Copilot).

Financial Suitability Requirement: This position requires a review of the applicant's financial history as part of the personnel security and suitability determination. Applicants must demonstrate financial responsibility, maintain good standing with creditors, and satisfy all legal financial obligations prior to applying.

Individuals with substantial delinquent or unresolved financial obligations-including, but not limited to, delinquent federal or state tax liabilities, defaulted federal student loans, court-ordered fines or fees, or child support arrears-may be deemed unsuitable for employment with the Indian Health Service (IHS).

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

How you will be evaluated

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

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

Once the application process is complete, the first two pages of your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications.

Structured Resume Review: Subject matter experts (SMEs) will review your resume to determine your technical qualifications for this position based on the required competencies. SMEs will review ONLY the first two (2) pages of your resume. SMEs will not review additional information beyond your resume (e.g., cover letter, links embedded in your resume).

Once the announcement closes, we will conduct a review of your application package to verify your eligibility and qualifications. If you are found qualified, your application will move forward to additional phases of the review process.

To ensure a fair and consistent hiring process, IHS uses a multi-hurdle assessment process. Each "hurdle" must be passed before moving to the next step. This helps us evaluate applicants based on job-related qualifications, competencies, and experience.

Below is what applicants can expect:
1. Minimum Qualifications Review - Hurdle 1
HR reviews your resume to confirm you meet the eligibility and minimum qualifications for the position (education and/or licensure (if applicable), listed above).Note: the first two pages of your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the minimum qualifications. If you meet eligibility and minimum qualifications, you move to the next hurdle.

2. Technical Assessment (Subject Matter Expert Resume Review) - Hurdle 2
A panel of subject matter experts (SME) will review your resume to determine whether you clearly show the required specialized experience listed below.
Note: SMEs will review ONLY the first two (2) pages of your resume. SMEs will not review additional information beyond your resume (e.g., cover letter, links embedded in your resume).

This assessment is Pass/Fail.
Applicants who demonstrate the required experience will advance.

  • Providing immediate care and services to individuals in a trauma, anxiety, or psychotic crisis state.
  • Providing crisis intervention services in a wide variety of situations, including suicide intervention, drug & alcohol abuse and dependency, domestic violence.
  • Conducting psychological tests/objective measures as a source of information for psychological diagnosis such as psychosis, Major Depressive Disorder, Bipolar, etc.
Demonstration of these specialized experience statements ascertain your competency in the following:
  • Planning and Evaluating
  • Technical Competence

Click here to view vacancy questions: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12866507.

This is an Open Continuous Announcement. There MAY NOT be immediate vacancies at all locations. You will be limited to selecting no more than 5 locations during the application process, and will only be considered for the locations you select. Interested applicants should contact the Human Resources point of contact concerning immediate employment needs.

The first cutoff date will be Friday, February 6, 2026, at 11:59 pm EST. Future cutoff dates will be each Friday at 11:59 pm EST until the closing date. Your application will remain active for 90 days from submission.

All documents above MUST be received by 11:59 pm (Eastern Standard Time) of the closing date of, 04/30/2026, to be considered.

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