Clarification from the agency

Open to all US Citizens. Open to U.S. Citizens but non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position.

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Duties include but are not limited to:

• Provides supervision, administrative management, and direction to assigned staff with delegated full administrative and professional responsibility for planning and directing the staff activities for the section or equivalent work unit.
• Assures compliance with accrediting agency and regulatory requirements.
• 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 supervisor for final approval after the incumbent submits final, review, comments, and recommendations.
• Oversees the operation of the prosthetic, orthotic, optical laboratories, including restorations activities.
• 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.
• Interprets prescriptions of clinicians to make certain that proper prosthetic devices are selected.
• Possesses program responsibility for contracting, procurement, clinical services, customer service and reception associated with medical, rehabilitative, and durable medical equipment devices and home durable medical equipment delivery and installation.
• Prepares and authorizes purchase orders for a wide variety of prosthetic and orthotic devices.
• Keeps the supervisor well informed of procurement or contract issues as they arise for accountability purposes.
• Serves as a contract officer representative for contracts and chair facility committees and administer benefit programs.
• Monitors contracts for compliance with the statement of work and receives, analyzes, and completes requests for prosthetic equipment and services.
• Procures, maintains, controls, and issues materials, supplies, and equipment for inventory.
• Refers veterans to proper clinical area for evaluation.
• Monitors and ensures requests for items or services are completed and received following established timeframes and confers with contractors, vendors, and other health care workers as needed regarding procurement status and other needs and concerns.
• Oversees contract programs, such as orthotics/prosthetics, home oxygen, durable medical equipment, eyeglasses, and benefit programs, such as home and structural alterations, automobile adaptive equipment, clothing allowance.
• Maintains continuous liaison with manufacturers and dealers of prosthetic supplies, inspecting their facilities and services and participants in the award of prosthetic appliance contracts.
• Oversees programmatic activities for visual or hearing devices, orthotics/prosthetics, assistive technology, and contract development.
• Works in collaboration with supervisor and senior staff to plan, develop, and prepare budget estimates.
• Develops cost-containment measures for prosthetic equipment and services and authorizes benefit payment and reimbursement.
• Identifies and selects national health care procedural codes to be entered for every item purchased through and/or billed to ensure proper reporting.
• Conducts data analysis using the program's statistical data to prepare various reports regarding prosthetics and sensory aids.
• Collaborates with clinical staff when devices and equipment require repair or replacement and takes necessary actions to resolve issues.
• Reviews, interprets, and applies laws concerning benefits available to disabled patients.
• Maintains awareness regarding medical and psychological problems related to patients need to use prosthetic devices.
• Authorizes the purchase, fabrication, fitting, or repair of prosthetic devices.
• Responds to a variety of policy and correspondence inquires related to contractors, congressional inquiries, veteran concerns, specialty benefits program issues, new local and national guidelines implementation, and develops tools that allow monitoring of a quality assurance program.
• Assures compliance with accrediting agency and regulatory requirements.
• Completes human resources assignments independently, including drafting and developing position descriptions, functional statements, performance standards, and competencies.

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. EST.
Telework: Ad Hoc.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: F03303.
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized.
Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases.
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.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the 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.
• Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation.
• 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.
• 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.

(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.

Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates:

GS-12 Supervisor Prosthetic Representative

(a) Experience. At least one year of experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level.

(b) 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.(c)

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: Supervisory experience. Experience with Clothing Allowance, Auto Adaptive Equipment, Home Improvement & Structural Alterations benefits. Experience with fund control points and budget.

Reference: VA Handbook 5005/94, Part II, Appendix G34, dated January 18, 2018. For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12.

Physical Requirements: Work is sedentary but also demands standing, walking, bending, twisting, and carrying light items. This position requires visual acuity, keen hearing, clear distinctive speech, and manual dexterity. This position requires potentially long periods of continued sitting, with intermittent bending, pulling, and pushing. Movement between work areas within the health care system is expected. Lifting and carrying of objects up to 25 pounds may be required.

How you will be evaluated

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

Additional Information

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

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.

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. You will be assessed on the following Competencies for this position:

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.