Prosthetic Representative (Assistant Chief)

Summary

The Prosthetic Representative (Assistant Chief) for the Veterans Healthcare System of the Ozarks is fully responsible for sharing full responsibility with the Chief for directing, supervising, and managing all phases of the prosthetic service operations. This individual serves as Chief of the service in the Chief's absence. The VHSO has active specialty services including Spinal Cord Injury, Home Based Primary Care, Low Vision services, and Prosthetic Implants.

Duties

Duties of the Prosthetic Representative (Assistant Chief) include, but are not limited to: Manages procurement and contracting for the VHSO Prosthetic Program to include, distributing national prosthetic contract requirements and guidelines as part of the National Prosthetics Clinical Management Program (PCMP) to staff, reviewing PCMP contract compliance, ensuring usage of Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) contracts, and VISN 16 contracts and blanket purchasing agreements (BPA), preparing procurement requests, evaluating proposals for work, acting as a COR for procurements and VISN 16 contracts, and/or maintaining procurement and contracting records. Reviews contracting and procurement for small procurements that require varying approaches initiation of new ideas and demonstrated resourcefulness. Initiates and prepares contracts to secure adequate resources to facilitate operations to include determining appropriate costs, performs costs analyses, and communicates both orally and in writing with contractors. Incumbent exercises authorizations for obligation and expenditures of funds. Contributes to developing an annual specific-purpose budget for the Prosthetics and Sensory Aids Service by evaluating financial trends, ensuring compliance with agency guidance, and executing the budget on a facility program level. Coordinates budget and planning processes in order to inform upper management on key issues, which impacts agency processes and decision-making and future facility budget planning. Gathers information for programs and reviews budget formulations and workload analysis submissions. Monitors budget allocation and execution to ensure that operating program objectives are met. Performs in-depth, rigorous analysis of budget requests by employing techniques such as cost benefit analysis, program trade-offs, and exploring alternative methods of funding. Monitors the use and rate of expenditure of budgeted funds through continuing dialogue with facility administrative and clinical staff, review of written documents, and examination of obligations and expense totals. Determines the service's personnel requirements and controlling expenditures. Determines resource requirements and recommends resource allocations based on priorities and needs. Follows the network business plan through the coordination and cooperation of the facility's prosthetic program and ensures that the functions, abilities, and plans link to and effectively supports VHA, Network, VHSO and VISN 16 Prosthetics initiatives, goals, plans, programs, and achievements with internal and external stakeholders. Ensure that objective requirements of Public Law 104-262 (Provision of Prosthetic Services) and Public Law 107-135 to maintain capacity to provide for the specialized treatment and rehabilitative needs of disabled Veterans (including spinal cord dysfunction, blindness, amputations, and mental illness) are met. Participates in national initiatives, intra-agency workgroups and/or committees. Assists in the drafting and/or recommending national policies or directives. Works with facility to develop policy, SOP's, and memorandums that align with national policies and directives. Seeks best practices from other VHA facilities to enhance PSAS's program to meet Veteran's needs. Develops functional statements, performance standards and competencies. Handles administrative matters pertinent to all issues related to the facilities Prosthetic Program. Prepares specific instructions for ongoing operations and/or implements policies designated by higher-level personnel. Serves on or chairs various committees such as the Home Oxygen Committee, or any others as assigned by the Medical Center. Ensures compliance with Joint Commission Home Care and hospital standards and other regulations governing this function; works closely with oxygen and medical equipment companies to assure maximum delivery of their services and compliance to their contracts; coordinates quality assurance monitoring of this equipment program and represents program to Joint Commission and VA audit teams. Furthering the goals of equal employment opportunity by taking positive steps to assure the accomplishment of affirmative action objectives and by adhering to nondiscriminatory employment practices in regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or handicap. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm, subject to change based on the needs of the facility. Compressed/Flexible: Available Telework: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 564-00584-F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Requirements

You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. 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 examination. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. Must be able to independently operate Government Vehicle. Must provide clean driving record report from the DMV during the pre-employment process. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 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 trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications

Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. English Language Proficiency. Candidates will not be appointed under authority of 38 U.S.C. chapters 73 or 74, to serve in a direct patient-care capacity in VHA who are not proficient in written and spoken English. See Chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a, this part. Experience and Education. Individual must meet at least one of the requirements below. Experience. One year of creditable experience that demonstrates: Knowledge of basic anatomy and medical terminology; knowledge of accounting methods; ability to research, analyze, comprehend, and apply decisions; basic knowledge of inventory management procedures; ability to use computer software packages for word processing, spreadsheet development, and database management; and ability to work independently and as a member of a team; or Education. A bachelor's degree from an accredited educational institution AND at least 24 semester hours in course work related to health care, public administration, or business. The 24 semester hours could include but is not limited to any combination from the following fields: occupational therapy, physical therapy, kinesiotherapy, social work, psychology, prosthetics, orthotics, respiratory therapy, assistive technology, business law, leadership, healthcare, public administration, or business management. This course work may have been completed within the degree or in addition to the degree; or Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying. Foreign Education. To be creditable, education completed outside the United States must have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials, and such education must have been deemed at least equivalent to experience gained in conventional United States programs. May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria). Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates: GS-12 Prosthetic Representative (Assistant Chief) Experience. At least one year of experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: 1. Ability to perform the full range of supervisory duties, including responsibility for assignment of work to be performed; assessment of competencies; evaluation of performance; selection of staff; and recommendation of awards, advancements, and disciplinary actions. 2. Ability to analyze data and make recommendations to optimize quality, efficiency, performance, and productivity within the service. 3. Ability to manage a health care program that provides home medical equipment, rehabilitation services, home oxygen, visual or hearing impairment devices, assistive technology, orthotics, or prosthetics. 4. Knowledge of compliance and regulatory accrediting organizations. 5. Ability to manage, interpret, and present fiscal data (i.e. fund controls, contracts and equipment expenditures), forecast resource and equipment needs, and administer an allocated budget; Preferred Experience: One year of experience actively monitoring prosthetic program contracts; Experience training new staff and provide refresher training when needed; Experience developing budgets for fund control points and ensuring budgeted amounts are not exceeded; Experience identifying needs/excess of prosthetics funds; Experience with monitoring purchasing to include credit card purchase orders and reconciliations; Experience working with multi-disciplinary teams and upper management; Experience generating reports and interpreting results from several different data source. i.e. NPPD and PCM reports; Experience with prosthetic consult management to include reviewing open and pending consults, prioritizing, and assign work to staff; and experience formulating policies and processes related to current Prosthetics and Rehabilitative items and service laws, regulations, directives, handbooks and clinical practice recommendations. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. Physical Requirements: Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation, see Duties section for essential job duties of the position. May require standing, lifting, carrying, sitting, stooping, bending, puling, and pushing. May be required to wear personal protective equipment and undergo annual TB screening or testing as conditions of employment. Work Environment: Work is performed in an office/clinic setting with minimal risks that requires normal safety precautions; the area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. However, the work environment requires someone with the ability to handle several tasks at once in sometimes stressful situations.

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/. How You Will Be Evaluated

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment. 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. The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position. It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment. Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members. Other Information

Area of consideration - Eligible applications will be reviewed and referred in the following order: 1st Area of Consideration - current permanent "Veterans Health Care Systems of the Ozarks" employees; 2nd Area of Consideration - current permanent Veterans Healthcare Administration employees; 3rd Area of Consideration - current permanent VA Nationwide employees; 4th Area of Consideration - all other applicants based on Veterans' Preference. Receiving Service Credit for 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. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. 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.