Supervisory Optometrist

Summary

This is an exciting opportunity for a dedicated Supervisory Optometrist to join our healthcare team. This leadership role provides comprehensive eye care services, oversees clinical operations, and promotes quality patient outcomes. As a key member of the organization, you will help advance ocular health and improve access to care while leading a team committed to excellence and service for Native American communities.

Duties

• Provides direct patient care for optometry patients through exams, diagnosis of visual and ocular problems through external and internal physical evaulation of the eye.
• Provides emergency care services including diagnosis and treatment of ophthalmic trauma and pathology consistent with clinical services.
• Coordinates medical eye care with other physicians within the clinic and refer and coordinates through purchase referred care when necessary.
• Assist with provision of screening programs, school programs and diabetic retinopahty.
• Provides direct supervision and direction for the Optometry Department for Optometrist and Health Technician to include performance evaluations, recruitment, budget and policies and procedures for the department.
• Physical Demands: The work involves walking, sitting, standing, reaching and bending in the assessment and treatment of patients.

Requirements:

• IHS Selectees whose duties and responsibilities require them to work permanently, temporarily, or occasionally in an IHS healthcare facility must comply with the IHS Employee Immunization Policy related to vaccine-preventable diseases, consistent with recommendations for healthcare workers. Vaccine exemption requests may be available, as outlined in the IHS Employee Immunization Policy and facility guidance.
• The selected individual is required to obtain and maintain medical staff clinical privileges, including any licensure requirements. If privileges are not obtained or maintained during employment, the employee will be subject to adverse actions, up to and including removal from Federal service.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

• Selectee may be subject to a probationary period
• ESEP appointees typically serve a two year trial period
• U.S. Citizenship is required
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• A one-year supervisory/managerial probationary period may be required upon selection/placement.
• On-call hours, nights, weekend may be required.
• This is a designated position covered by Public Law 101-630, requiring contact or control over Indian children. Due to this requirement, the agency must ensure that persons hired for these positions have not been found guilty of or pleaded nolo contendere or guilty to certain crimes.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, your resume must state sufficient experience and/or education, to perform the duties of the specific position for which you are applying. 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; religious; spiritual; community; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer and part time experience. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week.

Basic Requirement for Optometry Series 0662

1. Education: Applicants must have a Doctor of Optometry degree from an educational program that is accredited by the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education (ACOE) at the time the degree was obtained.
2. Licensure: Applicants must have received a passing score on the National Board of Examiners in Optometry (NBEO) examinations and possess a current, full, and unrestricted license to practice optometry in a State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States.

In addition, to the Basic Requirements, you must also meet the Minimum Qualifications stated below-

Minimum Qualifications for the GS-0662-13 :

Your resume must demonstrate at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector performing the following type of work and/or tasks: Examples include providing technical guidance to optometry staff; reviewing and/or revising policies and procedures; assisting with quality assurance activities; diagnosing, managing, and treating conditions and diseases of the human eye and visual system such as examining eyes, diagnosing problems or impairments, prescribing corrective lenses, and prescribing therapeutic drugs to treat specific eye conditions; and operating optometric diagnostic and treatment instruments and equipment.

Time In Grade

Federal employees in the competitive service are also subject to the Time-In-Grade Requirements: Merit Promotion (status) candidates must have completed one year of service at the next lower grade level. Time-In-Grade provisions do not apply under the Excepted Service Examining Plan (ESEP).

You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement.

Education

This position has an education requirement. You are strongly encouraged to submit a copy of your transcripts or a list of your courses including titles, credit hours completed, and grades. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted in the application package. Official transcripts will be required from all selectees prior to receiving an official offer.

Only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education may be credited. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: https://www.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

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. IHS may offer newly-appointed Federal employees credit for their directly related previous 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.

This position is ineligible for the Bargaining Unit.

You will need to set up direct deposit so we can pay you.

Recruitment or Relocation Incentives and/or Permanent Change of Station may be authorized and is subject to availability and service unit approval. If offered, you will be required to sign a service agreement. The service period may not be less than 6 months and may not exceed 4 years. Failure to fulfill the service agreement will result in repayment of the incentive.

This position meets the criteria specified in pillar number one of the five pillars of the PHS Commissioned Corps. PHS Commissioned Officers interested in performing the duties of this position within the Commissioned Corps MUST apply online under the merit promotion announcement indicated above in order to receive consideration. For more information on PHS Commissioned Corps, visit the website at: https://www.usphs.gov/.

The Indian Health Service (IHS), National Health Service Corps (NHSC), and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) have student loan repayment programs for qualifying health disciplines. This is a competitive process separate from the hiring process. Opportunities for LRP are based on agency hiring priorities and availability of funds. For additional information please visit:

For IHS - http://www.ihs.gov/loanrepayment/

For NHSC - https://nhsc.hrsa.gov/loanrepayment/

For HRSA Nurse Corps - https://bhw.hrsa.gov/loansscholarships/nursecorps

This position has no promotion potential.

You will be evaluated for this position in accordance with the OPM Merit Hiring Plan.

As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide short essay responses (200 words or less each) to the following four questions.

1. How has your commitment to the Constitution and the founding principles of the United States inspired you to pursue this role within the Federal government?
2. In this role, how would you use your skills and experience to improve government efficiency and effectiveness?
3. How would you help advance the President's Executive Orders and policy priorities in this role?
4. How has a strong work ethic contributed to your professional, academic or personal achievements?

• Your responses are optional and will not be scored.
• However, they may be reviewed by hiring managers and agency leadership (or designees) during the evaluation process.
• You will be asked to certify that your responses are written in your own words and that you did not use a consultant or artificial intelligence (AI) tool (such as ChatGPT or Copilot).

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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