Duties

Summary

One full time Certified Orthotist/Prosthetist position is currently available in the Prosthetics service. Duties of the Certified Orthotist/Prosthetist are to provide clinical and laboratory prosthetic/orthotic services. Incumbent serves in an engaged role of patient care providing Veterans with the appropriate orthotic and/or prosthetic devices.

Work Schedule: Mon - Fri 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
Flex/Compressed Schedule: N/A
Virtual/Telework: N/A
Financial Discloser: Not required
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Responsibilities

• _

Travel Required

Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
None

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• United States Citizenship Required; non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• Designated and/or random drug testing required
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English
• You may be required to serve a probationary period
• Subject to a background/security investigation
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 11/12/2019. .

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.
• Board Certification: Candidates must be board certified by the American Board for Certification in Orthotics and Prosthetics (ABC) or the Board for Orthotist/Prosthetist Certification (BOC) as an Orthotist, Prosthetist, or Orthotist/Prosthetist. The board certificate must be current and the applicant must abide by the certifying body's requirements for continuing education. Certification as a technician, pedorthist, assistant or fitter does not meet this requirement.
• English Language Proficiency: Orthotists, Prosthetists, or Orthotist/Prosthetists must be proficient in spoken and written as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d).f.

Physical Requirements See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

Grade Determinations: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the (GS-09) level. Specialized experience involves applying orthotic devices to any disability including complex and serious disabilities using a high level of technical skill in measuring, fabricating and fitting the device; working from prescriptions; analyzing problems and developing or adapting new or improved methods, techniques, instruments and devices; modifying shoes by adding leather, cork, plastic and other types of inserts; and fabricating or making pylons and other appliances to assist patients to perform ordinary tasks.

Creditable Experience Knowledge of Current Orthotist/Prosthetist Practices: To be creditable, the experience must have demonstrated the use of knowledge, skills, and abilities associated with current professional orthotic and/or prosthetic professional practice.

Quality of Experience: The experience must be post-degree, from an accredited training program and include work as a professional orthotist/prosthetist directly related to the position to be filled. Experience satisfying this requirement may be paid or non-paid employment. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher level duties must consist of significantly larger scope, administrative independence, complexity (difficulty) and range of variety as described in this standard at the specified grade level and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time.

Part-Time Experience: Part-time experience as a professional orthotist/prosthetist is creditable according to its relationship to the full-time workweek. For example, an orthotist/prosthetist would receive 1 week of full-time credit for each 2 weeks of half-time work.

Titles: For purposes of this qualification standard the reference "orthotist/prosthetist" is intended to mean orthotist, prosthetist, or orthotist/prosthetist.

Orthotist: An allied health professional specifically trained to provide or manage the provision of a custom designed, fabricated, modified, and fitted orthosis based upon independent or consultative clinical assessment of the patient's unique needs and desires, as well as their expectations pursuant to a physician's prescription.

Prosthetist: An allied health professional specifically trained to provide or manage the provision of a custom designed, fabricated, modified, and fitted prosthesis based upon independent or consultative clinical assessment of the patient's unique needs and desires, as well as their expectations and pursuant to a physician's prescription.

Physical Requirements: Moderate lifting (15-44 pounds), moderate carrying (15-44 pounds), walking (6 hours), use of fingers, both hands required, standing (8 hours), kneeling (8 hours), repeated bending (8 hours), hearing (aid permitted), near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4, far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other, emotional mental stability.

Education

Education (1) A bachelor's degree or higher in orthotics and prosthetics from a Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) accredited program.

OR,

(2) A bachelor's degree or higher in any major along with a post-graduate orthotics or prosthetics certificate from a CAAHEP accredited program.

Foreign Graduates. Graduates of foreign degree programs must have proof of a minimum of a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university (or foreign equivalent, as verified through an independent credential evaluation company), with a specialization in orthotics and prosthetics.

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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html .

Additional information

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

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

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.

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.

If you are unable to apply online view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application .

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, résumé, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

Resume Reminder - Your resume must include the following for each job listed:
1) Job title and grade level/salary. In order to show that you meet time-in-grade, you must document grades you have held and how long you have held them;
2) Duties (you must include enough detailed information to support your specialized experience);
3) Month, day and year start/end dates (e.g. 04/02/2007 to 04/13/2008);
4) Hours worked per week for each job listed
5) Full Name and address of Employer
6) Name of Supervisor or Contact name
7) Complete phone number of Supervisor/Contact

NOTE: The Professional Standards Board (a peer-review group) will review the selected candidate's education and experience and recommend the grade and salary at which the candidate will be placed. For internal selectees eligible for promotion, the board will determine grade and HR will determine step in accordance with policy.

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.

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Other

Drug test required
Yes

Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

Trust determination process
Suitability/Fitness

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

• Resume

VA Form 10-2850c can be found at: http://www.va.gov/vaforms/search_action.asp?FormNo=2850&tkey=&Action=Search . This form is must be submitted with your application.

The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please use this checklist to ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), etc.

• Cover Letter
• License
• Professional Certification
• Resume
• Transcript

Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx .

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education .

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.