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Summary The primary purpose of the Health Technician - Orthotic Fitter is to support the clinical and administrative functions of the Prosthetic & Sensory Aid Service (PSAS) by constructing simple orthotic and prosthetics devices and fitting over the counter orthotic soft goods, as deemed appropriate and prescribed by VA and medical facility policies, procedures and treatment plans. Responsibilities This position involves a multi-grade career ladder. The major duties listed below represent the full performance level of GS-7. At the GS-6 grade level, you will perform assignments of a more limited scope and with less independence. You will progressively acquire the background necessary to perform at the full performance level of GS-7. Promotion is at the discretion of the supervisor and is contingent upon satisfactory performance, availability of higher level work, and availability of funds. Major duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to: Constructs/shapes and repairs common orthotic/prosthetic devices from casts and/or documents provided by clinician, such as repairs to custom foot orthoses and shoes, using a wide variety of materials. Under the direction of a Certified Prosthetist/Orthotist, constructs/shapes molded and custom-made orthoses/prostheses including but not limited to upper, lower limb, including shoe modifications, and spinal orthoses. Fits and dispenses non-custom orthotic soft goods. Assists with the repair, engineering, fitting and dispensing of orthotic appliances. Answers telephone inquiries directed toward the Service and responds appropriately. Assists in the managing of orthotic and prosthetic inventory within the Department, including chemical inventory. Requests patient specific items through the Remote Order Entry System (ROES). Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm. Position Description Title/PD#: Health Technician - Orthotic Fitter/PD23356A and PD23357A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized/Authorized 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. The VA Midwest Health Care Network advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being. Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job You must be a Veteran (See Statutory Requirements below) Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 Subject to background/security investigation You may be required to serve a probationary/trial period Selected applicants will be required to complete a physical Designated and/or random drug testing may be required Subject to background/security investigation A complete application package; Resume, Transcripts, etc 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. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period or trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement: 10/08/2025. English Language Proficiency: In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. Individual Occupational Requirement for 0640 Series: 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 - Health Technician. GS-06 Specialized Experience: At least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-05) in the Federal Service that has given you the particular knowledge, skills and abilities required to successfully perform the duties of the Health Technician in Prosthetics & Sensory Aid Service, and is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation. Specialized experience includes assisting in the fitting and dispensing of non-custom orthotic soft goods, therapeutic footwear, and prefabricated orthoses under supervision; performing basic patient screenings; documenting clinical or administrative information in medical or electronic records; preparing fabrication materials and/or making limited adjustments under guidance; maintaining inventory; and providing general administrative support such as answering phones, scheduling, or processing supply transactions. NOTE: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. GS-07 Specialized Experience: At least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-06) in the Federal Service that has given you the particular knowledge, skills and abilities required to successfully perform the duties of the Health Technician in Prosthetics & Sensory Aid Service, and is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation. Specialized experience includes independently fitting, sizing, and dispensing non-custom orthotic soft goods, therapeutic footwear, and foot orthoses; interpreting consults or work orders from clinicians; performing patient evaluations, taking accurate anatomical measurements, documenting clinical findings and device fitting information; constructing, repairing, or modifying orthotic/prosthetic devices using hand tools and fabrication methods; monitoring and managing orthotic and prosthetic inventory; and educating patients on the proper usage, adjustment, and care of devices. NOTE: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. ~OR~ Education: Successfully completed one year of graduate-level education (18 semester hours or equivalent) in a field directly related to the work of the Health Technician (Orthotic Fitter) position. Qualifying fields of study include, but are not limited to, orthotics, prosthetics, kinesiology, biomechanics, rehabilitation science, biomedical engineering, or health sciences. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED). ~OR~ Combination: Equivalent combinations of successfully completed graduate level education and specialized experience, as described above, which meet the total experience requirements for this grade level. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED). Preferred Experience: Experience in outpatient and/or inpatient settings as a orthotic fitter or therapeutic shoe fitter. Completion of precertification education course for the certification of Certified Fitter-orthotics or Certified Fitter-therapeutic shoes. American Board for Certification in Orthotics, Prosthetics and Pedorthics (ABC) or Board of Certification (BoC) certification as a Certified Fitter-orthotics or Certified Fitter-therapeutic shoes (CFo/COF or CFts). You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Attention to Detail Customer Service Decision Making Flexibility Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Reading Comprehension Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork 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: The position demands a moderate degree of exertion and a high degree of dexterity, long periods of standing and long-distance walking from clinic to clinic may be required. Other physical demands will include but not limited to; bending, kneeling, some lifting (not to exceed 50 lbs.) and work with some power tools. You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination. Work Environment: Office setting with an area to fit measure and repair prosthetic and sensory aid appliances as well as a laboratory setting with equipment to modify, fabricate and repair orthotic and prosthetic devices. Wards, nursing homes and clinics may also be visited. Occasional travel may be required to assess patients. PPE may be required for patient assessment and Laboratory work. 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 GS-06: Education may not be substituted for specialized experience for this grade level. GS-07: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education for this grade level. 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 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. The following will be communicated to applicants for VA employment in a testing designated position and will also be included in all VA vacancy announcements for such positions: All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drugs use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be well-qualified, applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors if applicable, and must be proficient in most of the requirements of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website which can be found at https://www.opm.gov/. Receiving Service Credit for 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. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. 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. Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.