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Local Chief Dentist (O-6 Billet) Supervisory

Department of Homeland Security
Immigration and Customs Enforcement
ICE Health Service Corps (IHSC)

Summary

The Local Chief Dentist, Advanced Clinic oversees dental program management, staff supervision, and patient care at DHS ICE facilities. Responsibilities include supervising dental staff, ensuring access to care, managing clinic operations, maintaining safety protocols, and supporting accreditation reviews. Requires DDS/DMD, unrestricted license, 6+ years clinical, and 2+ years supervisory experience.

This position is only open to USPHS officers and Call to Active Duty (CAD) candidates.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
10/22/2025 to 09/30/2026
Salary
$1 to - $150,000 per year

Please note that the salary is dependent on the officer's rank, years in service, and location of duty station.

Pay scale & grade
CC 6
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Los Fresnos, TX
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
50% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—You may qualify for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with agency policy.
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
None
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
Yes
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
IHSC-LCD-LFTX-O6-S-2026
Control number
848565500

This job is open to

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The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Clarification from the agency

Applicants must be a current USPHS Commissioned Corps Officer or USPHS Call to Active Duty (CAD) candidate. Civilians are not eligible for this position.

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Duties

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DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

  1. Provides front line supervision of 3 or more dental staff including at least one additional dentist by planning, assigning, evaluating and directing work and exercising complete administrative control of subordinates in carrying out program policies. Provides staff orientation, training, and competency testing. Completes performance evaluations for federal dental staff. Serves as the leave granting authority for federal dental staff.
  2. Oversees dental care for complex facility with 1000 or greater capacity. Provides emergent, urgent, and routine oral health care for medically and dentally complicated patient population. Exercises independent judgment in making treatment decisions and monitors appropriateness of care provided by staff dentist and auxiliary staff. Exhibits flexibility to adapt to unusual circumstances requiring variations in approach and in the presence of incomplete or conflicting findings. Establishes and directs multi-provider scheduling to ensure timely access to care. Performs electronic health record documentation and forms management. Proper judgment is required to prevent serious delays in provision of dental services and avoid adverse impact on the health status of thousands of patients processed through facility.
  3. Local subject-matter-expert on dental care and dental clinic operations, collaborates with local and regional clinical and administrative leadership to inform and develop local policies and procedures. Provides guidance and mentorship to interdisciplinary junior staff to develop clinical judgement, leadership, and interpersonal skills.
  4. Serves as the responsible dental health authority for the facility on behalf of the health services administrator. Collaborates with multiple stakeholders including IHSC, ICE, and detention staff to plan and administer all aspects of dental unit operations: patient care, budget, management, scheduling, staffing, training, evaluations, supplies, equipment, and maintenance. Prepares and guides dental program through 5+ recurring independent accreditations and reviews.
  5. Develops, oversees, and monitors dental clinic environmental health and safety protocols including hazardous materials management, radiation safety, and sharps/instruments safety in accordance with IHSC policy. Oversees and assures optimum sterilization and disinfection procedures in the dental clinic in accordance with IHSC policy and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.
  6. Provides initial and annual dental training to qualified health care professionals.
  7. Participates in local and national quality improvement initiatives. May perform peer reviews for IHSC dentists as requested by the IHSC chief dentist.
  8. Utilizes extensive knowledge base and independent judgement to serve as a project officer for tasks as assigned (e.g., equipment acquisitions, training program development, and policy and procedure revisions and development). Attends national dental teleconferences, agency teleconferences, and local duty station meetings. Collects, organizes, and submits dental data.
  9. Position may require up to 30% TDY travel to support mission critical staffing.
  10. Other duties as assigned in support of the local medical unit and/or IHSC dental program.
  11. Adheres to IHSC policies, procedures, directives, operational memoranda, and accreditation standards as prescribed by ICE and IHSC.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.
  • You must successfully pass a background investigation.
  • You must successfully pass a drug screen.
  • Males born after 12/31/59 must certify registration with Selective Service.
  • Requirements by Closing Date: Unless otherwise noted, you must meet all requirements by the closing date of the announcement.
  • Service Remaining Requirement Agreement: Upon appointment to this position, officers will be required to serve an 18 to 24-month commitment to IHSC.
  • ASSIGNMENT PAY AGREEMENT: You must not have a current Assignment Pay Agreement. However, if you have a current Assignment Pay Agreement, it must be fulfilled within 90 days of your application submission.
  • Applicants must be a current USPHS Commissioned Corps Officer or USPHS Call to Active Duty (CAD) candidate. Civilians are not eligible for this position.
  • PHS officers must participate in IHSC TDY On-Call Schedule (ITOS.) ITOS is either an entire month or two 16-day periods a year where, depending on the needs of the agency, the officer is required to be available to serve.

Qualifications

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

  1. This position is considered hazardous duty in a detention setting.
  2. Requires physical exertion such as lifting objects greater than 30 pounds.
  3. Required to perform CPR/emergency care standing or kneeling.
  4. Must have the ability to assist sick, injured or aging patients or staff exiting the building (may require lifting, dragging, wheeling or carrying someone who weighs significantly more than self).
  5. Work necessitates some physical characteristics that will be required when responding to an emergency situation, such as running short distance, prolonged standing and working in an austere environment.

Education

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

  1. Graduate from a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) or Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry (DMD) program accredited by American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation located in a State, the District of Columbia, or a U.S. territory.
  2. Possess and maintain a current unrestricted license to practice dentistry in a state, the District of Columbia, or a U.S. territory.
  3. Minimum 6 years clinical experience.
  4. Minimum 2 years experience in a supervisory, leadership, practice management role.
  5. Knowledge of dental science such as oral anatomy, oral physiology, restorative dentistry, periodontics, endodontics, prosthodontics, and oral surgery (note: strong oral surgery skills and experience are required).
  6. Competent in use of equipment, materials, and supplies in dental diagnostic and treatment procedures.
  7. Expertise in dental clinic environmental health, infection control, patient/staff safety protocols, quality assurance, documentation, and data management.
  8. Proficient in Microsoft Office applications and dental software programs.
  9. Continuous BLS certification required.
  10. Ability to respond to and oversee medical emergencies.

Additional information

This is a U.S. Public Health Service position within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), ICE Health Service Corps (IHSC), Clinical Services Division, Medical Services Unit, Dental Program. This is a supervisory position.

As the local chief dentist, advanced the incumbent is responsible for local dental program management, supervision and monitoring of the local dental unit staff, and delivery of direct patient care at the assigned facility. The local chief dentist, advanced serves as the senior dental professional for the local dental unit and is responsible for performing clinical and administrative tasks directed towards the maintenance of access to oral health care services within prescribed policy and accreditation standards. The incumbent is expected to manage a larger unique immigration dental program with additional administrative demands and supervisory requirements.

ICE Health Service Corps administered and managed a health care system that provided direct care to over 88,000 detainees housed at 21 designated facilities throughout the nation. The health care provided includes medical, dental, and mental health care, and public health services. IHSC also provides medical case management and oversight for an additional 169,000 detainees housed at approximately 150 non-IHSC-staffed facilities across the country. In addition, IHSC oversees the financial authorization and payment for off-site specialty and emergency care services for detainees in ICE custody. In Fiscal Year 2021, there were a total of 205,242 individuals in ICE custody, with an average length of stay of 37 days. IHSC also provides medical support during ICE enforcement operations in the air, on the ground and at sea.

SUPERVISORY CONTROLS:
The first line supervisor for the local chief dentist, advanced is the clinical director and the reviewing official is the regional dental consultant. Assignments are usually long-term, recurring, or broadly defined. The local chief dentist, advanced manages all local dental clinic operations, plans and organizes own work, determines the sequence of assignments, selects and develops methods, and seeks assistance from experts and supervisor only rarely. Completed work is only periodically evaluated for technical soundness, appropriateness, and conformity to professional standards and PHS requirements. Procedures for performing some work are established, but the incumbent has significant independence to implement changes to benefit facility operations and detainee health. In cases where IHSC policies and guides are non-specific, the incumbent is required to exercise judgment in the selection and application of appropriate guidelines and originality in developing appropriate solutions.

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.

We will review your resume and supporting documentation to ensure you meet the minimum qualification requirements. You may be selected for an interview at the hiring authority's discretion. You will be notified of selection or non-selection.

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