Summary The position is at the full performance level located in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Health Administration (VHA), at the Southern Arizona VA Healthcare System, Dental Service.

The primary purpose of the Dental Laboratory Technician provides completion and assignment of workload in a manner consistent with skills of technicians and needs of staff dentists.

This position is responsible for quality control evaluation of in-house and VA and Non-VA lab products. Responsibilities Duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to : Collaborates with all Staff Dentists including both general and specialist dentists to design and fabricate complex dental or intra-oral maxillofacial appliances.

Developing the design of the appliance, personally fabricating, or overseeing the fabrication of the appliance, and resolving problems in its fabrication.

Involved in complex removable and fixed oral maxillofacial appliance including, fixed, semi-fixed, or removable implant cases, partial and complete dentures.

• Does digital Scanning, designing of prosthesis, and milling using equipment and materials as provided. Functions include pouring primary and final impressions;
• fabricating custom trays; fabricating bite rims; mounting casts on articulators; setting teeth for trial dentures / partials;
• investing, packing, processing and finishing dentures. Polishing prosthesis following adjustment; fabricating night guards;
• fabricating provisional prostheses; repairing broken prostheses; adding teeth to prostheses. Fabricating fluoride trays;

fabricating transitional partials, managing implant fabrication process, fabricating wrought wire clasps, and performs quality assurance and inspections on prostheses fabricated by outside laboratories, including prescription compliance.

Resolves any difficult design and fabrication in an efficient and effective manner that is consistent with VHA SAVAHCS Dental policy.

Maintains and oversees maintenance of all in-house labs. Assist with assignment of tasks that are assigned to contract lab technicians.

Maintains case log and track cases sent to outside labs for the SAVAHCS Dental Service due to this position's expansive knowledge and subject matter expertise and will serves as primary communicatory between Dental Service and outside labs performing work on behalf of veteran patients of Southern Arizona VA HCS this can include aspects of quantity and quality of work.

Propose and design dental models for illustrating the ways in how that model and its design affects oral functions and esthetics for use in instructing and planning for patient's needs.

Provide available written instructions, reference materials and supplies for any activities for learning. Give on the job training to new employees in accordance with established procedures and practices of Dental Laboratory.

Instruct employees in specific tasks and job techniques and make available written instructions, reference materials and supplies.

Maintain a current knowledge and answer questions of other employees on procedures, policies, directives, etc. The Dental Lab tech is responsible to maintain logs for lab contracts, track lab cases to and from contract labs, and maintains inventory for dental lab.

Work Schedule : 5-4-9 or M- F Virtual : This is not a virtual position. Position Description / PD# : Dental Lab Technician / PD01574A Relocation / Recruitment Incentives : Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI) : Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS) : Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report : Not required Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.

S. Citizen to apply for this job 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 To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 03 / 08 / 2024.

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 by the closing date of this announcement.

For a GS-08 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07. 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.

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 next lower grade GS-07 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.

Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to : Use of dental laboratory material such as impression materials, plasters, stones, hydrocolloids, waxes, metals, acrylics, porcelain, and similar materials.

Use of laboratory equipment such as hand tools, dental lathes, engines, and hand pieces, furnaces, casting machines, presses, flasks, and related equipment.

Use of precision instruments such as articulators, surveyors, and microanalyzers. Construction of dental prosthetic appliances.

OR, Education : Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed one and a half years of graduate education directly related to the work of the position.

One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study.

If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement.

TRANSCRIPTS MUST BE INCLUDED IN APPLICATION PACKAGE).. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position : Administration and Management Technical Competence 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 : Long periods of standing, sitting, and bending are required. It is necessary to climb onto counters to replenish plaster bins.

The ability to lift plaster boxes weighing 30 pounds from the floor to the counter to the plaster bins is required. 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 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 : https : / / sites.ed.gov / international / recognition-of-foreign-qualifications / . Additional Information Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave : Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee.

Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience.

This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

Special Employment Consideration : VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.

3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities , and / or Disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more.

Contact the Agency Contact for information on how to apply under this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal / VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies.

To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy.

To be well-qualified : applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job.

Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http : / / www.opm.gov / policy-data-oversight / workforce-restructuring / employee-guide-to-career-transition / .

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.

Last updated : 2024-03-08