Chief of Dental

Veterans Health Administration • Bedford, MA

4d • Onsite

About The Position

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.

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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Proficient in written and spoken English.
• 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).

Nice To Haves

• 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.
• 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.
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.
• 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.
• Note: Dentists must maintain current registration in the State of licensure if this is a requirement for continuing active, current licensure.
• Per VA Directive and Handbook 5019 - a physical evaluation will be conducted based on the physical requirements of the position.
• Applicants must have the mental and physical ability to perform core privileges required by the specialty position in addition to any specialty privileges requested.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Responsibilities

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Benefits

• A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package.
• As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding.
• Review our benefits
• Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent.
• Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree