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Chief of Dental

Veterans Health Administration · Department of Veterans Affairs

Open to the publicPermanentFull-time
Location
Bedford, MA
Salary
$240,000 – $270,000/yr
Pay grade
GS 15
Openings
1
Posted
Oct 7, 2026
Closes
Closes in 21 days

Summary

VA Bedford Healthcare is seeking a Chief for our Dental Service. The Chief, Dental Service provides overall leadership, clinical direction, and administrative oversight for the Dental Service, ensuring high-quality, Veteran-centered care, staff education and training, and efficient use of resources. The Chief plans, directs, coordinates, provides, and continuously improves dental health services responsive to Veteran needs and Medical Center goals.

Duties

The Dental Chief allocates up to 60% effort to direct patient care and 40% to administrative duties and the department is organizationally aligned as an independent Service Line under the Deputy Chief of Staff. The Chief is accountable to the VHA Bedford HCS Deputy Chief of Staff (DCOS) and collaborates with facility leadership to achieve strategic objectives

Clinical duties (~60%) include:
  • Oral and radiographic examinations; diagnosis of pathological or irregular oral conditions.
  • Administration of local anesthesia; routine and complex restorations.
  • Simple extractions and routine surgical procedures.
  • Other evaluations and procedures as approved by the VHA Bedford HCS Credentials and Privileging process.
Administrative duties (~40%) include:
  • Developing and implementing Dental Service policies, procedures, and performance improvement activities.
  • Participating in strategic, operational, and programmatic planning; setting long- and short-term goals.
  • Ensuring compliance with oversight and regulatory standards (e.g., Joint Commission, OSHA, CAP, OIG).
  • Overseeing resource allocation, staffing, equipment acquisition, and space management.
  • Establishing program monitors and outcome measures; using data-driven quality assurance processes.
  • Ensuring timely completion of evaluations, including performance evaluations for supervised staff, and required documentation (Medical Center, VISN, VACO).
  • Chairing/serving on committees, workgroups, and systems redesign projects as assigned by VAMC leadership.
  • Preparing requests for funding and grant proposals as needed.
  • Complying with procurement and approving official responsibilities per VHA Handbook 1730.01 and applicable Federal/VA/local regulations.
  • Reports to the Deputy Chief of Staff, VHA Bedford HCS. Receives broad guidance and is responsible for planning and executing assignments, directing the work of others, resolving conflicts, and developing methods and policy interpretations on own initiative. Completed work is reviewed for soundness of overall approach and effectiveness in meeting requirements. Supervises dentists, dental hygienists, assistants, and clerical staff; manages performance plans, competency, continuing education, and personnel actions.
  • Meets the needs of Veterans while supporting VA missions; consistently communicates and treats Veterans, their representatives, visitors, and VA staff with courtesy, tact, and respect. Provides consistent information according to established policy; handles conflicts constructively; empowers staff to resolve issues at the lowest level; and encourages creativity in service improvement.

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm
Telework: As determined by the agency policy. Ad-hoc Only
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

Dentist Basic Requirements
  • A degree of Doctor of Dental Surgery or Dental Medicine resulting from a course of education in Dentistry. The degree must have been obtained from one of the schools approved by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for the year in which the course of study was completed. Approved schools are (1) United States and Canadian schools of dentistry listed by the Commission on Dental Accreditation(CODA), in the list published for the year in which the course of study was completed.(2) Schools (including foreign schools) accepted by the licensing body of a State, Territory, or Commonwealth (i.e., Puerto Rico), or the District of Columbia as qualifying for full and unrestricted licensure provided the licensure requirements include a written examination measuring science achievement and a performance examination measuring clinical competence certification, and must obtain a copy of the ECFMG certificate, if claimed by the applicant. ~AND~
  • Completed, or you are currently completing, a residency program in general practice or specialty, or comparable experience as a dentist actively involved in treating medically compromised patients. ~AND~
  • Currently hold, or will hold, a current, full and unrestricted license to practice dentistry in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia. Note: Dentists must maintain current registration in the State of licensure if this is a requirement for continuing active, current licensure.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Physical Requirements: Per VA Directive and Handbook 5019 - a physical evaluation will be conducted based on the physical requirements of the position. A physical evaluation prior to placement is required. Applicants must have the mental and physical ability to perform core privileges required by the specialty position in addition to any specialty privileges requested.

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/.

Requirements

  • All qualified candidates encouraged to apply. Open to U.S. Citizens but non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens.
  • 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.
  • Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
  • 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.
  • Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation.
  • Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
  • You may be required to serve a probationary period.
  • Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

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