Clarification from the agency

This job is open to current permanent employees West Palm Beach VA and current permanent Federal employees of VHA. This occupation is listed on the OIG Determination of Veterans Health Administration's Occupational Staffing Shortages Fiscal Year (FY26). Therefore, this vacancy announcement is exempt from Veterans Preference. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

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• The incumbent will be responsible for quarterly skills testing and evaluation of performance of technicians. They will create performance improvement plans to help improve skill sets and recommend remediation or changes of work load based on skill assessment;
• The incumbent will have supervisory authority to assign work load based on the capability of the technician and the needs of the clinic;
• The incumbent interviews candidates for positions in the unit; recommends appointments, promotions, and reassignments to unit positions; identifies and provides for training needs; and finds ways to improve production of increase the quality of work within the clinic area;
• The incumbent demonstrates knowledge of theory and principles of management and organization, including administrative practices and procedures common to the WPB VA Medical Center, such as those pertaining to areas of responsibility, channels of communication, delegation of authority, routing of correspondence, various inspection organizations and safety of patient records;
• The incumbent oversees/maintains all stock levels of ophthalmic mediations and supplies necessary for the function of the clinic. This includes working with
• pharmacy to ensure all medications are available to providers on the floor and assisting providers in creating easy access to equipment for minor procedures and lasers;
• Assistance in evaluation of stock of inventory and in ordering of new instruments and equipment will be part of their responsibilities. They will work with the lead tech and Surgery department to do routine inventory checks of equipment and make sure proper procedures and policies are being followed;
• The incumbent trains other health technicians, instructs and orients student trainees/new Eye Clinic employees in VA policy, computer usage (with the various order/entry packages), and in utilization of eye clinic equipment; works with Chief of Eye Care to create educational opportunities for the technicians.
• Collaborates with the Reusable Medical Equipment department and responds to issues. The incumbent will work with our lead technician and Reusable Medical Equipment champion to attend meetings to represent the department, make sure we are meeting all standards for RME and infection control, and help in creating Standard Operating Procedures for new equipment and update expiring Standard Operating Procedures for all our clinical instruments;
• Collaborate with Biomed to make sure all equipment is functioning at its maximal efficiency and troubleshoot with Biomed and the manufacturer should there be any equipment malfunction;
• The incumbent collaborates closely with the Chief Nurse, Perioperative Services and Chief of the Eye Care Service, MAS Supervisor, and surgical nurses to assure compliance with all relevant VA directives, handbooks and regulations and to assure good customer service;

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional


Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not authorized
Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade).
Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year)
Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience.
Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.
Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66.
Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA
Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)
Telework: Not available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #:40549F
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.
• 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:

Citizenship. Citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified candidates in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g, this part.)

Experience and Education (1) Experience. One year of experience in a health care field, such as but not limited to nursing, medical assistant, or health technician. OR (2) 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 (3) Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying. Examples are listed below: 1 (a) Six months of experience in the health care field; and one year above high school; or (b) 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 (c) 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).

Grandfathering Provision. All persons employed in VHA as a Health Technician (Ophthalmology) on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including certification requirements. 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.

Foreign Education. To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. 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 that gained in conventional U.S. programs.
Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

English Language Proficiency. Health Technicians (Ophthalmology) must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d) and 38 U.S.C

Supervisory Health Technician (Ophthalmology), GS-10

Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level.
Assignment. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty), and range of variety, and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. Supervisory Health Technicians (Ophthalmology) at the GS-10 grade level generally are found in Complexity Level 1 (High Complexity) facilities, or in facilities of lesser complexity levels where large ophthalmology services are found. Supervisors may perform other complex assignments and program management duties such as overseeing the integration between ophthalmic medical devices and the electronic medical record system. The Supervisory Health Technician (Ophthalmology) is responsible for the supervision, administrative management, direction of ophthalmology staff, and supervises interactions of Health Technicians (Ophthalmology) with 9 affiliate ophthalmology residents. May be delegated full administrative and professional responsibility for planning and directing the ophthalmology staff activities for the service or equivalent unit at an independent outpatient clinic.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA). In addition to meeting the all KSAs for the GS-10 grade level, the candidate must demonstrate the potential to acquire the assignment-specific KSA designated by an asterisk (*).
1. 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 within the service;
2. Ability to develop policy, manage equipment requests, and provide workload analysis in Ophthalmology Service;
3. Demonstrated leadership and managerial skills including skill in interpersonal relations and conflict resolution to deal with employees, team members, managers and other departments; and
*4. Ability to perform the full range of supervisory duties which includes responsibility for assignment of work to be performed; competency assessments; performance evaluations; selection of staff; and recommendation of awards, advancements, and when appropriate.

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

This Vacancy is above the full performance level GS- 10.

Physical Requirements: See VA Handbook 5019.

How you will be evaluated

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

Area of Consideration
Eligible applications will be reviewed and referred to in the following order:
1.Current permanent VA employees of the facility.
2.All other VHA employees.


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.