Skip to main content
U.S. flag
Back to results
 

Dental Laboratory Technician

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration

Summary

This position is located within the Portland VA Medial Center in Portland Oregon. He/she is responsible for a full range of complex dental prosthetics in support of the dental clinic and the Veteran population.

Overview

Help
Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
04/09/2026 to 04/20/2026
Salary
$60,212 - $78,272 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 8
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Portland, OR
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
Yes
Announcement number
CBSV-12932713-26-EH
Control number
864672500

Videos

Duties

Help

Duties include but are not limited to:

  • Fabricating appliances which correct abnormal for conditions of the mouth including missing teeth, obturators and splints for the replacement of lost oral tissues and the reduction of jaw fractures.
  • Constructing and repairing prosthetic appliances from prescriptions prepared by staff dentists, using an articulator in the fabrication of appliances.
  • Fabricating all types of precious and metal crowns, acrylic jackets, veneers and inlays, precision attachments, and fixed bridge restorations of gold alloys, porcelain ad acrylic resin, as well as unusually complex porcelain-to-gold restorations. Such work includes using hydrocolloid impressions, duplicating refractory models, trimming dies, and placing dowel pins as well as the proper preparations of wax patterns, investing, casting and polishing crowns.
  • The technician is responsible for the proper articulation and occlusion of cases to include full arch models with multi-unit castings to be articulated in the full range of mandibular excursions.
  • Fabricating artificial denture restorations according to dentist's prescription, choosing stock teeth, mounting them on an articulator, setting teeth in wax with regard to proper occlusion, articulator, and esthetic appearance as well as ridge and arch contour and jaw relationship. After approval of the setup of teeth, the technician carves and contours the pattern of the denture resin which is chosen on the basis of color to match the patient's mouth.
  • Repairs all types of denture fractures, replacing broken or missing denture teeth and soldering and replacing broken clasps.
  • Maintains equipment at safe efficient operating levels. Essential routine oiling, cleaning, etc. must be regularly performed.
  • Assist in seeing that materials and supplies are adequately stocked.
  • Some teaching and training of students from career development program, special work study students.
Preferred Experience:
  • Experience with all phases of removable design and fabrication.
  • Experience in fixed prosthodontics.
Work Schedule: 7:30 am - 5:00 pm PST; Monday to Friday
Compressed/Flexible: Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Dental Laboratory Technician/PD21791-A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Physical Requirements: Work is primarily performed while seated; however, working to close tolerances requires bending and crouching over the work table. Manual dexterity is required to fabricates appliances to exacting specifications. Keen vision is essential. Incumbent is required to lift up to 35lbs when filling plaster bins.

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
  • Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
  • Subject to background/security investigation
  • English Proficiency in accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English.
  • Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required.
  • 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.
  • Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)
As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period 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 probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all time-in-grade and specialized experience requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement, 04/20/2026.

Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-08 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows 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. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.

English Proficiency - In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English.

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

  • Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-07 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Using dental laboratory material such as impression materials, plasters, stones, hydrocolloids, waxes, metals, acrylics, porcelain, and similar materials; using laboratory equipment such as hand tools, dental lathes, engines, and hand pieces, furnaces, casting machines, presses, flasks, CAD/CAM technology and related equipment; using precision instruments such as articulators, surveyors, and microanalyzers; constructing dental prosthetic appliances; assists in ensuring that materials and supplies are adequately stocked; properly sterilizing and/or disinfecting critical/semi-critical items in the fabrication of dental appliances as well as laboratory equipment; ensuring ongoing review of laboratory chemicals and expiration dates; and maintaining inventory of laboratory chemicals. Note: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month & year starting and ending dates AND hours worked per week.
For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Education

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

Additional information

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.

Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.

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.

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position.

Resume Reminder - Your resume must include the following information for each job listed:

  • Job title
  • Duties (be as detailed as possible)
  • Month & year start/end dates (e.g. June 2007 to April 2008)
  • Full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week)
  • Salary/Rank etc.
  • Series and Grade, if applicable, for all Federal positions you have held
  • References, current or recent supervisor

Please be aware that your answers will be verified against information provided on your resume. Be sure that your resume clearly supports your responses to all of the questions by addressing your work experience in detail. The experience stated in your resume must support your assessment responses.

Recommended: To ensure you receive appropriate consideration, please list the duties you performed under each individual job title. If we are unable to match your experiences with the positions held, you may lose consideration for this vacancy. We cannot make assumptions regarding your qualifications.

Your experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

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.

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities [i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities], and/or Disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. Contact the Agency Contact for information on how to apply under this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator.

Veterans Health Administration

OUR MISSION: To fulfill President Lincoln's promise "To care for those who have served in our nation's military and for their families, caregivers, and survivors" - by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's Veterans. How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate whole health care to Veterans?

VA Portland Health Care System (VAPORHCS) is a Level 1A major interdisciplinary teaching and quaternary facility with service-lines serving primary care, emergency medicine, medicine, surgery, specialty, psychiatry, physical medicine and rehabilitation, neurology, oncology, dentistry, geriatrics and extended care inpatients and outpatients throughout Oregon and Southwestern Washington. In addition to the two main divisions located in Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington, VAPORHCS operates nine community-based outpatient/outreach clinics (CBOC) and is a consulting and referral center for many patient care specialties not offered at other VHA medical centers within VISN 20.

Agency contact information

Emily E Hammond
Phone
208-422-1000 X4835
Email
emily.hammond1@va.gov
Address
VA Portland Health Care System
3710 Southwest US Veterans Hospital Road
Portland, OR 97239
US

Visit our careers page

Learn more about what it's like to work at Veterans Health Administration, what the agency does, and about the types of careers this agency offers.

https://www.va.gov/jobs/

Your session is about to expire!

Your USAJOBS session will expire due to inactivity in 8 minutes. Any unsaved data will be lost if you allow the session to expire. Click the button below to continue your session.