Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to current permanent employees of the Veterans Health Administration-VISN 6 Only.

Videos

VA Careers - Prosthetics: https://youtube.com/embed/3NUvF5jjErQ

Serves as a Prosthetic Representative (Supervisor) completing a variety of supervisory and non-supervisory prosthetic and sensory aids assignments, projects, activities independently to meet PSASs long-and-short term program goals.

Leads projects and project teams on activities related to prosthetic and sensory aid activities.

Serves as a VHA and PSAS representative on local facility committees, workgroups, and teams to address a variety of PSAS's issues, initiatives, and projects.

Assures compliance with accrediting agency and regulatory requirements; establishes and monitors performance and quality metrics; reviews and modifies work processes.

Seeks best practices from other VHA facilities to enhance PSAS's prosthetic and sensory aids program. Conducts visits to VISNs and VHA locations to collect, review, and analyze their best practice information.

Drafts, develops, and implements new local organizational policies, directives, and procedures that are consistent with national policies, procedures, and programs.

Maintains awareness of VA's, VHA's, and PSAS's requirements regarding The Joint Commission standards of care implementation.

Completes Prosthetic Representative, technical, programmatic, and administrative duties independently. Provides training, advice, and guidance related to various PSAS's administrative functions.

Oversees the operation of the Prosthetic, Orthotic, optical laboratories, including restorations activities.

Supervises staff that serves as an advisor to clinicians regarding selection, prescription, and acquisition of prosthetic devices.

Interprets prescriptions of clinicians to make certain that proper prosthetic devices are selected.

Possesses program responsibility for contracting, procurement; PSAS clinical services, customer service/reception, associated with medical, rehabilitative, and durable medical equipment devices, home durable medical equipment delivery and installation.

Prepares and authorizes purchase orders for a wide variety of prosthetic and orthotic devices.

Serves as a contract officer representative (COR) for PSAS contracts and chair facility committees and administer benefit programs.

Procures materials, supplies, and equipment for inventory; maintains, controls, and issues inventory; and refers veterans to proper clinical area for evaluation.

Monitors and ensures requests for items or services are completed and received following established timeframes; and confers with contractors, vendors, and other health care workers as needed.

Oversees PSAS's contract programs, such as orthotics/prosthetics, home oxygen, durable medical equipment, eyeglasses, and benefit programs.

Maintains continuous liaison with manufacturers and dealers of prosthetic supplies.

Oversees programmatic activities.

Works in collaboration with supervisor and senior staff to plan, develop, and prepare budget estimates.

Identifies and selects national CMS/ Health Care Procedural Coding System (HCPCS) codes are entered for every item purchased through and/or billed to ensure proper reporting.

Collaborates with clinical staff and Supply Chain Management to ensure surgical implants are Federal Drug Administration (FDA) approved.

Uses effective analytical and communication skills, and social awareness to identify, analyze, and resolve routine prosthetic issues.

Reviews, interprets, and applies laws concerning benefits available to disabled patients.

Responds to a variety of policy and correspondence inquires related to contractors, Congressional inquiries, Veteran concerns, specialty benefits program issues, new local and national guidelines implementation.

Participates in the department's public relations activities, i.e. lectures, town halls, and in-services.

Assures compliance with accrediting agency and regulatory requirements.

Provides education and training to Veterans, caregivers, VA clinical teams, and PSAS staff.

Interviews and selects candidates, recommends promotions, special advancements for performance and special advancements for achievement.

Ensures that all requests for hiring, promotions, awards, and disciplinary actions are justified and carried out according to appropriate VA Human Resources policies and procedures.

Works closely with human resources and senior management on a variety of functions concerning service employees.

Performs other related duties as assigned. Reports all finding to supervisor.

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday - 8:00 am to 4:30 pm
Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized
Telework: Ad Hoc, as determined by the Agency's needs.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 00000
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

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.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• 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. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).

Qualifications

Basic Requirements:

a. Citizenship. Citizen of the United States. After a determination is made that it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens, necessary personnel may be appointed on a temporary basis under authority of 38 U.S.C. 7405 without regard to the citizenship requirements of 38 U.S.C. 7402 or any other law prohibiting the employment of or payment of compensation to a person who is not a citizen of the United States. Candidates must meet all other requirements for the grade level and position concerned.

b. Experience and Education. Individual must meet at least one of the requirements below.

(1) Experience. One year of creditable experience that demonstrates: Knowledge of basic anatomy and medical terminology; knowledge of accounting methods; ability to research, analyze, comprehend, and apply decisions; basic knowledge of inventory management procedures; ability to use computer software packages for word processing, spreadsheet development, and database management; and ability to work independently and as a member of a team;
OR
(2) Education. A bachelor's degree from an accredited educational institution AND at least 24 semester hours in course work related to health care, public administration, or business. The 24 semester hours could include but is not limited to any combination from the following fields: occupational therapy, physical therapy, kinesiotherapy, social work, psychology, prosthetics, orthotics, respiratory therapy, assistive technology, business law, leadership, healthcare, public administration, or business management. This course work may have been completed within the degree or in addition to the degree;
OR
(3) Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying.

c. Grandfathering Provision. All persons employed in VHA as a Prosthetic Representative on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply:
(1) Employees grandfathered into the GS-0672 occupational series as prosthetic representatives may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journeyman) level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journeyman level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions.
(2) Prosthetic Representatives who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.
(3) Employees who are retained as a Prosthetic Representative under this provision and subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry as a prosthetic representative.

d. Foreign Education. To be creditable, education completed outside the United States must have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials, and such education must have been deemed at least equivalent to experience gained in conventional United States programs.

e. English Language Proficiency. Candidates will not be appointed under authority of 38 U.S.C. chapters 73 or 74, to serve in a direct patient-care capacity in VHA who are not proficient in written and spoken English. See Chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a, this part.

Grade Determinations. In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates:

GS-12 Prosthetic Representative (Assistant Chief)

(a) Experience. At least one year of experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level.

(b) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
1. Ability to perform the full range of supervisory duties, including responsibility for assignment of work to be performed; assessment of competencies; evaluation of performance; selection of staff; and recommendation of awards, advancements, and disciplinary actions.
2. Ability to analyze data and make recommendations to optimize quality, efficiency, performance, and productivity within the service.
3. Ability to manage a health care program that provides home medical equipment, rehabilitation services, home oxygen, visual or hearing impairment devices, assistive technology, orthotics, or prosthetics.
4. Knowledge of compliance and regulatory accrediting organizations.
5. Ability to manage, interpret, and present fiscal data (i.e. fund controls, contracts and equipment expenditures), forecast resource and equipment needs, and administer an allocated budget.

(c) Assignments. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty), and range of variety, and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. Assistant Chief positions are normally located at larger facilities that provide specialty services to smaller facilities and report to a PSAS Service Chief. Assignment as an Assistant Chief is restricted to those serving as a full Assistant to the Chief. Assistant Chiefs share with the Chief full responsibility for managing and supervising all phases of prosthetic operations. This person functions as the Chief of the service in the Chief's absence. They develop and maintain a system of internal reviews that ensure service programs operate in compliance with regulatory and accrediting organizations. They contribute to the effective utilization of resources, budgetary allocation and fiscal management. He/She makes selections; assigns personnel; and provides direction to subordinate staff. They manage the training and evaluation of staff and develop local organizational policies and procedures. Serves as liaison between Prosthetic Service and other departments. Typically, there are no subordinate supervisory prosthetic representatives at the facility level.

Note: The successful candidate must also be able to demonstrate the Knowledge, Skills and Abilities at all lower grade levels.

Preferred Experience: Experience as a Prosthetics Representative at the GS 11 level or higher.

References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/94 PART II APPENDIX G34

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS 12.

Physical Requirements: Pre-placement and periodic physical examinations are required for hybrid occupations to ensure workers are placed in positions where they can perform the essential functions of their job including their physical, mental and emotional capacities, without endangering their health or the health of their co-workers. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

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

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

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

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.