- Position Title
- Health Technician (Ophthalmology)
- Agency
- Veterans Health Administration
- Announcement Number
- CBTC-12710120-25-JLC Opens in new window
- Open Period
- Tuesday, March 25, 2025 to Friday, April 4, 2025
For preview purposes only. To apply, please return to the USAJOBS announcement and click the Apply button.
Eligibilities
1.
Are you currently employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs?
This includes: Career/Career Conditional or Excepted Service (i.e. Canteen, Hybrid, Title 38, etc. and meets interchange agreement requirements). This does not include temporary, term or temporary intermittent.
To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your most recent Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50). Your SF-50 must include enough information to be able to determine that time-in-grade requirements have been met (if applicable) and include your position title, pay plan/series/grade, tenure and the type of appointment (i.e. Competitive or Excepted). Please be aware that award SF-50's do not always include this pertinent information.
This includes: Career/Career Conditional or Excepted Service (i.e. Canteen, Hybrid, Title 38, etc. and meets interchange agreement requirements). This does not include temporary, term or temporary intermittent.
To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your most recent Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50). Your SF-50 must include enough information to be able to determine that time-in-grade requirements have been met (if applicable) and include your position title, pay plan/series/grade, tenure and the type of appointment (i.e. Competitive or Excepted). Please be aware that award SF-50's do not always include this pertinent information.
2.
Are you an employee of the facility indicated for this position?
This includes: Career/Career Conditional or Excepted Service (i.e. Canteen, Hybrid, Title 38, etc. and meets interchange agreement requirements). This does not include temporary, term or temporary intermittent.
To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your most recent Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50). Your SF-50 must include enough information to be able to determine that time-in-grade requirements have been met (if applicable) and include your position title, pay plan/series/grade, tenure and the type of appointment (i.e. Competitive or Excepted). Please be aware that award SF-50's do not always include this pertinent information.
This includes: Career/Career Conditional or Excepted Service (i.e. Canteen, Hybrid, Title 38, etc. and meets interchange agreement requirements). This does not include temporary, term or temporary intermittent.
To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your most recent Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50). Your SF-50 must include enough information to be able to determine that time-in-grade requirements have been met (if applicable) and include your position title, pay plan/series/grade, tenure and the type of appointment (i.e. Competitive or Excepted). Please be aware that award SF-50's do not always include this pertinent information.
3.
Are you a current permanent Federal employee from an agency other than Department of Veterans Affairs?
To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your latest Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50) or equivalent personnel action form.
To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your latest Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50) or equivalent personnel action form.
Preferences
1.
Which of the following items describes your current or recent (within the last five years) political appointee service?
If you responded yes to any of the items below, you will need to include a SF-50 specifying your prior service.
If you responded yes to any of the items below, you will need to include a SF-50 specifying your prior service.
Your resume must be submitted in English and include the following information for each job listed:
- Job title Duties (be as detailed as possible)
- Month & year start/end dates (e.g. June 2007 to April 2008)
- Full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week)
- Series and Grade, if applicable, for all Federal positions you have held
- Please be aware that your answers will be verified against information provided on your resume. Be sure that your resume clearly supports your responses to all of the questions by addressing your work experience in detail.
By submitting your application, you are certifying, to the best of your knowledge and belief, all the information submitted by you with your application for employment is true, complete, and made in good faith, and that you have truthfully and accurately represented your work experience, knowledge, skills, abilities and education (degrees, accomplishments, etc.). The information you provide as part of your application may be investigated. You are also certifying, and acknowledging, that misrepresenting your experience or education, or providing false or fraudulent information in, or with your application, may affect your eligibility for appointment and/or continued employment. False or fraudulent statements may be punishable by fine or imprisonment (18 U.S.C. 1001).
If you are basing your qualifications on education (or a combination of education and experience) or if the position requires a college education to qualify, you must submit a copy of your transcripts with your application.
Assessment 1
Thank you for your interest in the Health Technician (Ophthalmology) position with our West Palm Beach VA Healthcare Center at the Northern Expansion Clinic in Vero Beach, FL. We will evaluate your resume and your responses to this Assessment Questionnaire to determine if you qualified for this position. Your responses are subject to verification. Please review your responses for accuracy before you submit this questionnaire. Choose the one answer that best describes how you meet the qualification requirements. Please provide an answer to each question.
Full performance level for this position is GS-08. Grade levels that you may be selected for are GS-05, GS-06, GS-07 or GS-08.
Full performance level for this position is GS-08. Grade levels that you may be selected for are GS-05, GS-06, GS-07 or GS-08.
BASIC REQUIREMENTS for Health Technician (Ophthalmology). The following section is used to determine if you meet the basic requirements for this vacancy. Please choose the most appropriate answer in response to the following questions.
1.
Experience and Education
Experience. One year of experience in a health care field, such as but not limited to nursing, medical assistant, or health technician.
OR;
Education. Two years above high school with a minimum of six semester hours directly related to a health care field or associate's degree in a health care related degree.
OR;
Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying. Examples are listed below:
Please select the appropriate response for your education and/or experience level.
Experience. One year of experience in a health care field, such as but not limited to nursing, medical assistant, or health technician.
OR;
Education. Two years above high school with a minimum of six semester hours directly related to a health care field or associate's degree in a health care related degree.
OR;
Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying. Examples are listed below:
- Six months of experience in the health care field; and one year above high school; or
- Six months of experience in the health care field and successful completion of a course for health care technicians, hospital corpsmen, medical service specialists, or ophthalmology technicians given by the U.S. Armed Forces; or
- Six months of experience in the health care field and completion of an independent study course in Ophthalmic Medical Assisting.
Please select the appropriate response for your education and/or experience level.
Select “Yes” or “No” to the following question(s).
2.
Certification. All applicants must be certified as a Certified Ophthalmic Assistant (COA) with the Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology (JCAHPO). The COA certification is JCAHPO's entry-level certification examination for a Health Technician (Ophthalmology).
Do you possess the above required certification with JCAHPO?
- NOTE: You MUST submit documentation with your application package.
Do you possess the above required certification with JCAHPO?
Grandfathering Provision. All persons employed in VHA as a Health Technician (Ophthalmology) on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including certification requirements. 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:
- Such employees 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 journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions.
- Health Technicians (Ophthalmology) who were 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.
- Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or certification that meet all the basic requirements of the qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation.
- Health Technicians (Ophthalmology) who are converted to title 38 hybrid status 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 to the occupation.
Select “Yes” or “No” to the following question(s).
3.
English Language Proficiency. Health Technicians (Ophthalmology) must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d) and 38 U.S.C. 7407(d).
Are you proficient in both written and spoken English?
Are you proficient in both written and spoken English?
GRADE REQUIREMENT for Health Technician (Ophthalmology). The following is used to determine the grade requirements for a Health Technician (Ophthalmology) at the GS-05, GS-06, GS-07, and GS-08 grade level. For Health Technician (Ophthalmology) GS-05 grade level nothing beyond the basic requirements is required. Your responses are subject to verification and must be demonstrated in your resume. Please be as detailed as possible in your resume and ensure you demonstrate how you meet the specialized experience and/or knowledge, skills and abilities required for the position. No assumptions will be made.
Select “Yes” or “No” to the following question(s).
4.
Health Technician (Ophthalmology), GS-6 (Developmental Level 1)
Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level.
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level.
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
- Knowledge of general outpatient clinical policies and procedures in a healthcare environment.
- Ability to obtain, document and record demographic and medical information from patients in order to develop an accurate medical record.
- Ability to use basic ophthalmic equipment.
- Knowledge of basic disinfection of non-critical reusable medical equipment.
Do you possess the requirements for the GS-06 grade level described above? Be detailed in your resume as to how you meet the above experience and KSAs requirement. No assumptions will be made.
5.
Health Technician (Ophthalmology), GS-7 (Developmental Level 2)
Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-06 grade level.
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
Do you possess the requirements for the GS-07 grade level described above? Be detailed in your resume as to how you meet the above experience and KSAs requirement. No assumptions will be made.
Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-06 grade level.
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
- Knowledge of anatomy and function of the eye and basic ocular pharmacology.
- Knowledge of outpatient eye care policies and procedures in a health care environment.
- Ability to use basic ophthalmic diagnostic equipment to perform preliminary ocular testing.
- Ability to perform minor extraocular surgical assisting.
- Ability to provide eye care patient education.
Do you possess the requirements for the GS-07 grade level described above? Be detailed in your resume as to how you meet the above experience and KSAs requirement. No assumptions will be made.
6.
Health Technician (Ophthalmology), GS-8 (Full Performance Level)
Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-07 grade level.
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
Do you posses the above requirements for the GS-08 grade level as described above? Be detailed in your resume as to how you meet the above experience and KSAs requirement. No assumptions will be made.
Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-07 grade level.
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
- Ability to perform advanced tonometry and pupil evaluation.
- Ability to perform calculations for selection of intraocular lens.
- Knowledge of clinic based ophthalmic surgical assisting.
- Knowledge of eye anatomy and physiology.
- Knowledge of medication effects and proper instillation in the eye.
- Knowledge of optics.
- Knowledge of proper cleaning and maintenance of clinic equipment.
Do you posses the above requirements for the GS-08 grade level as described above? Be detailed in your resume as to how you meet the above experience and KSAs requirement. No assumptions will be made.
7.
Verification Statement - Select the appropriate answer to the statement below. Failure to provide an answer will result in your application not being considered for this position.
I certify that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, all of the information included in this questionnaire is true, correct, and provided in good faith. I understand that if I make an intentional false statement or commit deception or fraud in this application and its supporting materials, or in any document or interview associated with the examination process, I may be fined or imprisoned (18 U.S.C. 1001); my eligibilities may be cancelled; I may be denied an appointment; or I may be removed and debarred from Federal service (5 C.F.R. part 731). I understand that any information I give may be investigated and that responding "No" or providing no response to this item will result in my not being considered for this position.
I certify that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, all of the information included in this questionnaire is true, correct, and provided in good faith. I understand that if I make an intentional false statement or commit deception or fraud in this application and its supporting materials, or in any document or interview associated with the examination process, I may be fined or imprisoned (18 U.S.C. 1001); my eligibilities may be cancelled; I may be denied an appointment; or I may be removed and debarred from Federal service (5 C.F.R. part 731). I understand that any information I give may be investigated and that responding "No" or providing no response to this item will result in my not being considered for this position.
REMINDER - You must provide a complete application package which includes:
- Resume - Your resume must include the following information for each job listed:
- Job title and Grade Level (for Federal positions)
- Duties (be as detailed as possible and ensure they demonstrate how you meet the specialized experience and knowledge, skills and abilities required for the position)
- Month & year start/end dates (e.g. June 2007 to April 2008)
- Full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week)
- Copy of transcripts documenting the required degree - If you are basing your qualifications on education (or a combination of education and experience) or if the position requires a college education to qualify, you must submit a copy of your transcripts with your application.
- If you are a current Federal Employee, you must submit a copy of your most recent SF-50 - Notification of Personnel Action (Not an award SF-50)
- Proof of current certification, licensure or registration (if applicable)