Summary This position is located within the VISN 22 Prosthetic & Sensory Aids Service at the Oceanside VA Clinic in Oceanside, CA. Responsibilities THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION Major Duties: Receives consults (prescriptions) for prosthetic devices. Performs repair, fabrication, fitting and dispensing of orthotic appliances. Interprets consults as submitted by clinicians and contacts provider with any questions regarding requested item(s). Provides appropriate orthotic appliances and instruct patients on correct use and care. Applies prefabricated appliances such as, but not limited to, lumbo-sacral supports, prosthetic socks and sheaths, elbow and ankle supports, elastic support hose, hand splints, soft knee braces, neck collars, abdominal binders, trusses, and non-custom in-depth shoes. Takes measurements of body and limb segments appropriate to the item being fitted and selects off-the-shelf item sized appropriately with appropriate model or design. Applies items to body and limb segments, adjusting as required. Handles common orthotic/prosthetic repairs such as repairs to custom foot orthosis and shoes using a wide variety of materials. Repairs leather, metal, plastic and fabric components to items such as orthotic soft goods, shoes, and shoe inserts. Manages orthotic and prosthetic inventory. Conducts routine physical inventory counts, updating inventory and keeping excess inventory to a minimum. Ensures inventory locations are kept clean and organized. Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 7:30am to 4:00pm Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved Requirements 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 You may be required to serve a probationary period Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. Qualifications ENGLISH LANGUAGE 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. In addition to the language proficiency requirement state above, the following experience and/or education is required: GS-5 EXPERIENCE: One year of specialized experience that is equivalent to the GS-4 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized Experience: Technician experience that required application of the knowledge, methods, and techniques of the position to be filled (i.e., assisting staff with various prosthetic and/or orthotic procedures such as making, repairing and adjusting orthopedic devices, completing routine fittings, etc.) NOTE: This experience must be documented in your resume to receive credit. OR GS-5 EDUCATION: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with major study or at least 24 semester hours in subjects appropriate to the position to be filled (Prosthetics/Orthotics). OR GS-5 COMBINATION: An equivalent combination of successfully completed education and specialized experience as described above for the GS-5 level to qualify for this position. Only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours of a course of study leading to a bachelor's degree is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirements. One full academic year of study, or 30 semester hours, beyond the second year is equivalent to 6 months of specialized experience. GS-6 EXPERIENCE: One year of specialized experience that is equivalent to the GS-5 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized Experience: Technician experience that required application of the knowledge, methods, and techniques of the position to be filled (Health Technician - Prosthetics/Orthotics). Examples of specialized experience include assisting staff with various prosthetic and/or orthotic procedures such as making, repairing and adjusting orthopedic devices, completing fittings, applying orthopedic supports, etc. NOTE: This experience must be documented in your resume to receive credit. OR GS-6 EDUCATION: Successful completion of one half year of graduate education (9 semester hours or equivalent) that included courses directly related to the work of the position (Prosthetics/Orthotics). Such graduate education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position. OR GS-6 COMBINATION: An equivalent combination of successfully completed graduate education and specialized experience as described above for the GS-6 level to qualify for this position. GS-7 EXPERIENCE: One year of specialized experience that is equivalent to the GS-6 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized Experience: Technician experience that required application of the knowledge, methods, and techniques of the position to be filled (Health Technician - Prosthetics/Orthotics). Examples of specialized experience include designing, repairing, fabricating, fitting and/or dispensing orthotic and/or prosthetic devices; making entries in patient charts to record provision of orthotic and/or prosthetic devices to patient and assisting in the education of patient in use of device; and maintaining appropriate stock level of necessary medical items. NOTE: This experience must be documented in your resume to receive credit. OR GS-7 EDUCATION: Successful completion of one year of graduate education (18 semester hours or equivalent) that included courses directly related to the work of the position (Prosthetics/Orthotics). Such graduate education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position. OR GS-7 COMBINATION: An equivalent combination of successfully completed graduate education and specialized experience as described above for the GS-7 level to qualify for this position. Preferred Qualifications: Knowledge of anatomy and physiology medical terminology Strong customer service skills Experience interacting with patients ABC/BOC Certified Orthotic Fitter ABC Certified Therapeutic Shoe Fitter Knowledge of orthotics and prosthetics You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: Interpersonal Skills Manages Resources Medical Information Quality Assurance Technical Competence IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. 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. 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; religious; 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. Physical Requirements: The work is mainly sedentary, but may require walking, bending, standing, and/or carrying light items such as files and manuals. The work does not require any special physical effort or ability. 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 IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. NOTE: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov). Additional Information This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. 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. 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 (TJO). Please visit the Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP), va.gov/EMPLOYEE/docs/The-Fair-Chance-to-Compete-Act.pdf for more information.