Summary This position functions in the Dental Laboratory as a fully qualified and experienced technician. His/her advice is sought on a regular and recurring basis by the staff dentist. By applying an in depth knowledge of a full range of Dental laboratory Services and Functions and exhibiting the seasoned Judgement normally expected by the journeyman specialist, he/she performs the following lab functions of the most complex nature. Responsibilities 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. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 7:30am-4:00pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Dental Lab Technician/PD06324A Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 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. 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, 11/05/2025. 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-7 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-6. For a GS-8 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-7 For a GS-9 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-8. 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. This position has an Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR). Specialized Experience: Examples of qualifying specialized experience include : 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. To meet the minimum qualifications for this position at the GS-7 grade level, you must meet one of the following: EXPERIENCE: One (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-6 level in the Federal service that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of this position. Specialized experience includes: Ability to utilize digital dentistry and be familiar with the process and procedures in the modern digital laboratory techniques. Ability to provide advices in the design and uniques prostheses for the best outcomes. Ability to design and construct teaching models of different prosthetic appliances Carves and contours wax to duplicate the appearance of natural oral tissues. Removes excess wax, smoothes and polishes surfaces, exercising extreme care at all stages of bbricat1on not to disturb the position of the artificial teeth. OR, GRADUATE EDUCATION: Successfully completed 1 full year of graduate level education that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with application. Education cannot be credited without documentation. OR, COMBINATION: Possess equivalent combination of successfully completed graduate level education and specialized experience directly related to the work of the position as outlined above that meets the requirements of the position. NOTE: If using education combined with specialized experience to qualify, a copy of your transcript is required. To meet the minimum qualifications for this position at the GS-8 grade level, you must meet one of the following: EXPERIENCE: One (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-7 level in the Federal service that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of this position. Specialized experience includes: Blocks out master casts, waxes complete dentures for try-in, according to dentist prescription, for checking final tooth arrangement appearance and speech function in the patients mouth by the prescribing dentist. Shapes wax to contours desired in the final dentures, and to the thickness required to maintain facial contours, insure comfort and provide proper fit. This includes presenting a finished Maxillary denture with a nearly uniform thickness of 2.5mm. Carves and contours wax to duplicate the appearance of natural oral tissues. Removes excess wax, smoothes and polishes surfaces, exercising extreme care at all stages of bbricat1on not to disturb the position of the artificial teeth. OR, GRADUATE EDUCATION: Successfully completed 2 full years of graduate level education that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with application. Education cannot be credited without documentation. OR, COMBINATION: Possess equivalent combination of successfully completed graduate level education and specialized experience directly related to the work of the position as outlined above that meets the requirements of the position. NOTE: If using education combined with specialized experience to qualify, a copy of your transcript is required. To meet the minimum qualifications for this position at the GS-9 grade level, you must meet one of the following: EXPERIENCE: One (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-6 level in the Federal service that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of this position. Specialized experience includes: Construct wrought wire buccal arm clasps to reduce tension on teeth and prolong their life. Reproduces dentures with high degree of precision and accuracy. Fabricates crown, inlays and fixed partial dentures from gold alloys, porcelain or acrylic materials, alone or in combination, according to the requirements of the case. Selects appropriate porcelain or acrylic facings of proper shade, size and shape. Articulates casts, adapts wax to die and carve pattern to proper anatomical contour and occlusion. Work closely with oral surgeons, prosthodontists, and other dental, medical, and laboratory specialists in the design and fabrication of intraoral maxillofacial appliances and restorations. OR, GRADUATE EDUCATION: Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a degree that is directly related to the work of the Dental Laboratory Technician position. Such graduate education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. OR, COMBINATION: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an appropriate combination of specialized experience and education. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: 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 work is mostly sedentary with occasional standing and lifting of up to 50 pounds. 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 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. 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. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.
