The incumbent works within the Prosthetic and Prosthetic & Sensory Aids Service at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center. The incumbent communicates and interacts with physicians, allied health professionals, patients, and caregivers in various clinical settings, as a subject matter expert to develop the treatment plan for various orthotic and prosthetic devices.

Duties

The duties of the position include but not limited to: Assist certified clinicians with fabrication needs and device adjustments. Performs repairs and adjustments to prosthesis and orthoses. Fabricate a variety of prosthetic limbs at all amputation levels using all common prosthetic equipment, tools, and materials (this include CAD and 3D printing technologies). Develop fabrication plans and material selection. Works with physicians and other team members in assistance with Prosthetic & Orthotic adjustments. Prepare molds, arch supports custom made/repaired devices and any type of modification required ensuring proper fit and function of devices. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday. 8:00am to 4:30pm. Subject to change depending on the needs of the agency. Position Description Title/PD#: Health Technician/PD03791A Physical Requirements: Duties require extensive periods of standing and walking. Regular and recurring bending, lifting, stooping, stretching, pushing, reaching, carrying supplies and similar activities. Duties require the incumbent to be able to lift occasionally objects weighing as much as 50lbs. Requires proper use of body mechanics. Incumbent must be able to work in stressful situations. Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level.

Requirements

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job
• Subject to a background/suitability investigation
• Designated and/or random drug testing may be required
• May serve a probationary period
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• A complete application package; Resume, Transcripts, etc
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement. Individual Occupational Requirement: Positions in this series range widely in type and include support duties to medical or health personnel such as audiologists, speech pathologists, medical officers, and optometrists. Therefore, technician experience is experience that required application of the knowledge, methods, and techniques of the position to be filled. In addition to the Individual Occupational Requirement, you must meet the following to qualify at the GS-06 level: Specialized Experience GS-06 - One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-05 grade level in the federal service); experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience includes: ability to assist Orthotic & Prosthetic staff by providing technical support; direct experience fabricating, adjusting, repairing and maintaining orthoses and/or prostheses; proficient in current fabricating techniques; skilled in the use of appropriate equipment and material properties. This experience must be supported by your resume to be creditable. OR Substitute education for experience - To qualify, applicant must have successfully completed a half year (9 credits) of graduate education or completed an internship directly related to the position. If education is used to meet specialized experience requirements, then such education must include courses directly related to the work of the position. (Transcripts required) OR Combination of experience and education - Equivalent combination of education (beyond the undergraduate education, if related) and specialized experience as described above. This education and experience must have provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities to do the work of the position. (Transcripts required) 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.

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. 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.

Contacts

• Address Michael E DeBakey VA Medical Center 2002 Holcombe Boulevard Houston, TX 77030 US
• Name: Johnette Weber-Sadofsky
• Phone: 319-509-7198
• Email: [email protected]