Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position.

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Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

• 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.
• 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.
• Completes prosthetic representative, technical, programmatic, and administrative duties independently. Provides training, advice, and guidance related to various PSAS administrative functions.
• Oversees the operation of the Prosthetic, Orthotic, and optical laboratories. 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.
• 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.
• Interviews and selects candidates, and recommends promotions, special advancements for performance, and special advancements for achievement. Ensures that all requests for hiring, promotions, awards, and disciplinary actions are justified and carried out according to appropriate VA Human Resources policies and procedures.
• Works closely with human resources and senior management to counsel employees and initiate disciplinary actions in a timely fashion; administers the veteran's appeal process. Creates position descriptions. Oversees and disapproves approves time and attendance and leave requests; monitors time and attendance for PSAS's staff.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Authorized.
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 #: 354-58514F
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.

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.
• 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 identification 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).
• 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:

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• Experience and Education. Individual must meet at least one of the requirements below.
• (1) 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
  (2) Education. A bachelor's degree from an accredited educational institution AND at least 24 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
  (3) 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:
  (1) 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.
  (2) 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.
  (3) 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.
• English Language Proficiency. Candidates will not be appointed under authority of 38 U.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 Sa, this part.

May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).

Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates: GS-12 Prosthetic Representative (Supervisor)
Experience. At least one year of experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level.
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
1- Leadership and managerial skills, including skill in interpersonal relations and conflict resolution to deal with employees, team leaders, and managers.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Skill in coordinating work flow and work assignments.
5. Ability to counsel patients and work effectively with a clinical team to resolve conflict.

Assignments. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level
duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty), and range of variety, and must be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. The supervisor is responsible for the supervision, administrative management, and direction of assigned PSAS staff. The supervisor is delegated full administrative and professional responsibility for planning and directing the staff activities for the section or equivalent work unit. Program areas of responsibility include, but are not limited to, procurement; PSAS clinical services, customer service/reception, inventory management associated with medical, rehabilitative, and durable medical equipment devices, home durable medical equipment deliver/set-up/installation. visual or hearing devices, assistive technology, orthotics/prosthetics, PSAS contract development, management and oversight of contract programs, such as home oxygen, durable medical equipment, orthotics/prosthetics, and eyeglasses, and benefit programs, such as home and structural alterations, automobile adaptive equipment, clothing allowance. They serve as contract officer representative for PSAS contracts and chair facility committees and administer benefit programs. The Supervisor provides education and training to Veterans, caregivers, VA clinical teams and PSAS staff. 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. He/She develops policies and procedures; manages document control; develops performance standards, position descriptions and functional statements; and is responsible for professional and administrative management of an assigned area to include budget execution. Approves and disapproves employee leave requests; monitors time and attendance; and ensures that all requests for hiring, promotions, awards and disciplinary actions are justified and carried out according to appropriate VA Human Resources policies and procedures. The supervisor maintains interdepartmental relations with other services to accomplish medical center goals.

Preferred Experience: One year of credible experience that demonstrates: Knowledge of basic anatomy and medical terminology; knowledge of accounting 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.

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

The full performance level of this vacancy is 11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is the grade of 12.

Physical Requirements: 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.