Lead Health Technician (Optometry)

Veterans Health Administration • Warren, OH

21h • Onsite

About The Position

The VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System is recruiting for a Lead Health Technician to function in the Optometry Service. This position is located in Warren, Ohio. The lead health technician (optometry) leads three or more GS-7 health technicians (optometry) and assists with technician oversight duties. Duties include making work assignments, monitoring workflow, providing input on performance, maintaining efficient clinic flow, and addressing patient complaints and/or concerns, as well as patient health technician (optometry) relationships. The role also oversees eye clinic reusable medical equipment (RME) disinfection activities, including research, ordering, and staff training to ensure RME competency, and provides staff education and training activities to ensure staff competency in eye and vision care duties and tasks.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• 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 forms of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements.
• 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).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.
• Will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period.
• One year of experience as a health technician or assistant in the health care field demonstrating the applicant's ability to perform the work or by demonstrating a basic understanding of work in the health care field; OR
• Successful completion of two academic years above high school with a minimum of 12 semester hours related to health technician/assistant or health technician (optometry)/assistant or associate degree, or completion of an independent study course in an optometry related technician or assistant field; OR
• Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying.
• Six months of experience comparable to the next lower level which demonstrates the knowledge of optometry assistant theory and practices and general understanding of the health technician/assistant duties and one year above high school with a minimum of six semester hours of health technician/assistant or health technician (optometry)/assistant related courses.
• Successful completion of a course for health care technicians or assistants, hospital corpsmen, medical service specialists, or hospital training in a program given by the U.S. Armed Forces, the U.S. Maritime Service, or the U.S. Public Health Service, may be substituted on a month-for-month basis.
• One year of experience comparable to the next lower level, GS-7, which demonstrates the knowledge, skills and abilities related to the duties of the position to be filled.
• Ability to determine preliminary objective estimate and/or refinement of the optical status of the eye, not to include the patient's final subjective refraction.
• Ability to triage and manage eyeglasses issues (e.g., measurement of vertex distance, base curve, prism correction, center thickness, slab off, Fresnel prism, decentration, etc.).
• Ability to perform accurate assessment of accommodation, near point of convergence and ocular alignment (far and near).
• Ability to assist the eye care provider (optometrist or ophthalmologist) with ophthalmic procedures.
• Ability to assist with obtaining accurate ocular cultures and smears.
• Knowledge and ability to provide advanced patient education for eye health and/or vision conditions.

Nice To Haves

• 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).

Responsibilities

• Making work assignments
• Monitoring workflow
• Providing input on performance
• Maintaining efficient clinic flow
• Address patient complaints and/or concerns, as well as patient health technician (optometry) relationships
• Oversees eye clinic reusable medical equipment (RME) disinfection activities, including research, ordering, and staff training to ensure RME competency
• Provides staff education and training activities to ensure staff competency in eye and vision care duties and tasks
• Ability to assign, coordinate and oversee health technician (optometry) daily duties, tasks and other responsibilities as appropriate.
• Ability to provide and/or monitor staff education and training activities, including interdisciplinary training as necessary.
• Ability to manage and oversee eye clinic RME disinfection activities that include researching manufacturers' cleaning and disinfection recommendations, ordering appropriate RME related supplies, as well as ensuring health technician (optometry) clinic staff RME competency.
• Ability to address and resolve patient complaints and/or concerns and addressing patient health technician (optometry) relationships.
• Ability to develop and train health technicians (optometry) to ensure competency in performance of eye and vision care duties, activities and tasks.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and regular salary increases
• 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year)
• Up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.
• Childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66.
• Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting)
• Federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA
• Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Associate degree