Health Technician (Optician)

This position is located in the Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks (VHSO), Surgical Service, Eye Clinic in Fayetteville, AR, and VHSO Community Based Outpatient Eye Clinics. Will independently provide direct patient care services in ophthalmic dispensing involving education, selection, verification, adjustment and repair of ophthalmic lenses and eyewear.

• Independently provide direct patient care services related to patient education, selection, ordering, verification, troubleshooting, adjustment and repair of ophthalmic lenses and eyewear.
• Educate the patient on the lens materials, lens designs, frames, tints and coatings that have been prescribed and will assist patient in the selection and ordering of proper fitting standard eyewear frames with understanding of frame selection to include the following: size, materials, relationship between frames, lenses and face.
• Measurements of interpupillary distances, optical centers, and multifocal or progressive addition lens segment heights will be accurately obtained and documented.
• Properly adjust eyeglasses for comfortable fit and proper alignment of optical centers and segment heights for optimal visual performance and will Instruct/educate patients on how to wear and care for eyeglasses.
• Skills to repair broken or defective eyeglasses. The incumbent will provide necessary information for a pair of spectacles to be duplicated, to include prescription, lens type and form, centration and fitting positions, frame details and lens surface treatments.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 08:30am-5:00pm (Subject to change based on the needs of the agency.)
Position Description/PD#: Health Technician (Optician)/PD03147A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 07/16/2026.

Applicants must meet the experience requirements relevant to this position. For this Health Technician-Phlebotomy/Acute Care, GS-06 position: To qualify at the GS-06 grade, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 level or higher. Specialized Experience to include, but not limited to:

• Perform spectacle data collection using a manual lensometer
• Experience and Knowledge of opticianry services
• Design, measure, fit and adapt lenses and frames.

SCREEN OUT ELEMENT: Your qualification will first be evaluated against the prescribed screen out element, which usually appears as question 1 in the online questionnaire. Those applicants who appear to possess at least the minimal acceptable qualification requirement are considered for further rating: those who are rated ineligible and are eliminated. The potential eligibles are then rated against the remainder of the job elements.

Competencies:

• Attention to Detail
• Clerical
• Customer Service
• Technical Competence
• Technical Problem Solving

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 Demands: The work requires an ongoing mix of sitting, standing, walking, bending, and carrying light weight items. Many of the positions major duties require a high degree of manual dexterity and accuracy. All patient care activities require PC keyboard and mouse use for data entry in the electronic patient record. Occasional heavy lifting will be required. In some instances, interaction with patients, caregivers, and staff can become intense, and the employee may be placed in a position of stress.

Work Environment: The work area has good lighting, heating, cooling and ventilation. The work area is generally shared by multiple staff in close proximity. Work is primarily performed in an outpatient clinic setting or office with occasional patient care visits to inpatients. Risk/discomforts in this job could be possible injury when adjusting/repairing glasses and exposure to communicable diseases. Masks and gloves are readily available as a safety precaution. Environment of care rounds are done monthly to ensure areas are clean and safe both for patients and employees.

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/.

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the 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 identification 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 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 period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.