This position is under the VISN 20 Prosthetics & Sensory Aids Service (PSAS) and will be located within the Orthotics and Prosthetics Central Fabrication Laboratory. The Duty station will be at the Vancouver campus of the Portland VAMC. This position requires specialized training and education to have ABC or BOC certification as a Prosthetic/Orthotic Technician.

Duties

Major duties include but are not limited to: You will be responsible for fabrication of custom prosthetic and orthotic appliances including but not limited to: plaster modification and preparation of positive models, blister and drape forming plastic materials, lamination using acrylic resins and carbon fiber materials; cutting, trimming and smoothing definitive products in preparation of fitting onto patients. You will enter appropriate prosthetic requests for purchase of components selected based on the prescription for the prosthetic limb or custom orthoses to be fabricated. You will communicate with Prosthetic staff to review assignments related to incumbent's work. You will complete mandatory training per hospital requirements. You will maintain inventory of fabrication supplies levels. You will coordinate the maintenance for large machines, ovens, exhaust system, and vacuum system by working closely with biomedical engineering, facility engineers and maintenance crews. Work Schedule: Monday to Friday, 7:30 am - 4:00 pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Health Technician (Restoration)/PD10281A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement, 08/31/2023. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-8 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-7. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. Selective Placement Factor (SPF): The Selective Placement Factor (SPF) is a prerequisite to appointment and represent minimum requirements for the position. Applicants who do not meet the SPF are ineligible for further consideration. You must have a ABC or BOC certification as a Prosthetic/Orthotic Technician. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-07 level or pay band in the Federal service. Specialized experience includes but is not limited to: Assist with fabrication of custom prosthetic and orthotic appliances including plaster: modification and preparation of positive models, blister and drape forming plastic materials, lamination using acrylic resins, and carbon fiber materials; cut, trim and smooth definitive products; fabricate, adjust and repair all custom prosthetic and orthotic appliances including: bench alignment procedures, proper ankle and knee component placement, bending metal materials for proper orthotic joint function, and shaping and finishing prostheses; select materials that are appropriate for patient diagnosis and evaluate the final product against the specifications of the prescription; maintain inventory of fabrication supply levels. Note: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month & year starting and year ending dates AND hours worked per week. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Applies Technology to TasksMechanicalQuality Assurance 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. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. 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. Physical Requirements: Duties require extensive periods of standing and walking. Duties require regular and recurring bending, lifting, stooping, stretching, pushing, reaching, carrying supplies and similar activities. Duties require working with machinery including grinders, ovens, drill presses, and other machinery necessary to fabricate custom limbs and braces. Duties require incumbent to be able to lift. Occasionally it may be necessary to lift supplies and objects weighing as much as 50 pounds. Requires use of proper body mechanics. Incumbent must be able to work in stressful situations. S/he must be able to maintain tight deadlines to get Veterans equipment in a fast, efficient manner. 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

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

Contacts

• Address VA Portland Health Care System 3710 Southwest US Veterans Hospital Road Portland, OR 97239 US
• Name: Emily E Hammond
• Phone: 208-422-1000 X4835
• Email: [email protected]