Summary The incumbent of this position independently performs all steps required in the Dental Service involving all the phases of fabrication and repair of full and partial dentures as well as other prosthetic appliances including items such as splints, stints, mouth guards, fixed CEREC restorations, full cast crowns, surgical obturators, custom trays, wax rims, and fabrication of implant supported over-dentures. Responsibilities Duties and Responsibilities: A high percentage of denture cases require the recontouring and positioning of teeth in unusual arrangements to secure proper functional results in overcoming acute and chronic abnormalities. The prosthetic appliances produced in Dental Service include the complete range of prosthetic appliances available to the dental profession. The incumbent possesses an extremely high degree of precision, dexterity and skill in providing an end product of high quality. Varied duties and responsibilities include regular and recurring case work such as constructing crowns and bridge dentures, including fabrication of fixed bridges, jacket crowns and veneers with acrylic plastic and porcelain. This process requires special knowledge and a high degree of skill in processing and acrylic and porcelain, duplicating tooth colors and hues, and accurate and artistic shaping of plastic and porcelain into exact anatomical tooth crown, including abnormalities, such as fillings and stains, etc. Additionally, the incumbent works closely with the dentist in staining and reglazing of ceramic porcelain crowns, so that proper color characteristics are incorporated into the finished restoration. As the occasion demands, incumbent sets up artificial teeth for denture cases of unusual or abnormal nature. Such work involves unusual arrangements of teeth to create special esthetic effects and functional results under adverse conditions, the recontouring of stock artificial teeth in an artistic manner; the fabrication of individually processed teeth; and the perfection of balanced occlusion in centric and eccentric maxillo-mandibular relationships. Work Schedule: 7:45am - 4:30pm, Monday - Friday Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Dental Lab Tech/ PD068790 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): 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 You may be required to serve a probationary/trial 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. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 03/13/2026. 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. Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR): The Dental Laboratory Aid and Technician Series, 0683 has a minimum qualification entry requirement: 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. AND, In addition to meeting the Individual Occupational Requirements, applicants must meet the specialized experience and/or education below. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: To qualify for this position at the GS-8 level, you must meet one of the following: Specialized Experience: At least one (1) full year of specialized experience, equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-7) in the Federal Service, that has given you the particular knowledge, skills and abilities required to successfully perform the duties of a Dental Laboratory Technician, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Experience should 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; and construction of dental prosthetic appliances. At this grade level, qualifying specialized experience also includes: independently performing the full range of functions required to construct fixed or removable partial dentures, or complete dentures for cases that do not involve acute abnormalities of the mouth; applying a thorough knowledge of the variations in tooth form and the anatomy and function of the normal mouth to interpret the dentist's prescription, design partial dentures, and set teeth for full or partial dentures; applying thorough knowledge of dental laboratory materials, and skill in their use; using laboratory tools and equipment such as dental laboratory drills and lathes and surveying instruments, with skill and precision. 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: Successful completion of at least one and one-half (11/2) years of graduate level education with course work or an internship 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. NOTE: Licensed professional dentists will be considered qualified for any grade level if they have, in the aggregate, the required experience in dental laboratory procedures. Transcripts must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. OR Combination: Equivalent combination of successfully completed graduate education and specialized experience, as described above for the GS-8 level. The education portion must include graduate courses directly related to the work of the position. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Technical Competence: Uses knowledge that is acquired through formal training or extensive on the job experience to perform one's job; works with, understands, and evaluates technical information related to the job; advises others on technical issues. Quality Assurance: Knowledge of principles, methods, and tools of quality assurance and quality control used to ensure a product fulfills functional requirements and standards. Analytical Thinking: Solves problems/issues quickly and effectively, involving a methodical step-by-step approach to thinking; breaks down complex problems into single and manageable components and considering each part in detail; Makes a systematic comparison of various alternatives; Notices discrepancies and inconsistencies in available information; Identifies a set of features, parameters, or Applies Technology to Tasks: Selects and understands procedures, machines, or tools that will produce the desired results; identifies or solves problems in machines, computers, or other technologies as they are related to performing tasks. Medicine and Dentistry: Knowledge of the diagnosis and treatment of injuries, diseases, and deformities, including preventive health-care measures. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Analytical Thinking Applies Technology to Tasks Medicine and Dentistry Quality Assurance 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: See VA Handbook 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 There is no educational substitution at this grade level. 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. 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.
