Supervisory Health Technician (Ophthalmology)

Veterans Health Administration • West Haven, CT

7d • Onsite

About The Position

VA Connecticut Healthcare System is hiring a full-time Supervisory Health Technician (Ophthalmology) in Surgical Services at the West Haven Campus in West Haven, Connecticut. The position is above the full-performance level and requires one year of experience equivalent to GS-09. The incumbent provides technical guidance and coordinates the work of ophthalmology health technicians, while also performing the full range of health technician duties, including testing with optical equipment and assisting with eye injections and oculoplastic procedures.

The supervisor plans and organizes staff activities, distributes and monitors workload, reviews work accuracy and progress, supports staff development and outcome management, and contributes to strategic planning. The role includes resolving informal employee concerns, communicating program information through reports and presentations, and carrying out supervisory, administrative, and program-management responsibilities. These may include staff assignments and competency assessments, performance evaluations, staff selection, recommendations regarding awards and discipline, policy and procedure development, equipment requests, workload analysis, budget execution, and quality and regulatory compliance.

The position also requires timely and properly formatted patient notes and consults in accordance with VA policy and medical-center practices. Proper hygiene and infection-control procedures, universal precautions, and safe cleaning and processing of reusable medical equipment are required. The work schedule is Monday through Friday on a day tour. The position is not eligible for compressed or flexible scheduling, telework, or virtual work.

Requirements

• One year of experience in a health care field, or qualifying education, or an equivalent combination of experience and education. Qualifying education includes two years above high school with at least six semester hours directly related to a health care field, or an associate degree in a health care-related field.
• For the GS-10 grade determination, one year of experience equivalent to GS-9 is required.
• Certified Ophthalmic Assistant (COA) certification from the Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology (JCAHPO) is required at or above the full-performance level.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• Ability to work independently, set priorities, delegate tasks, meet multiple deadlines, analyze organizational problems, and implement effective solutions.
• Ability to develop policy, manage equipment requests, and conduct workload analysis in Ophthalmology Service.
• Demonstrated leadership and managerial skills, including interpersonal relations and conflict resolution.
• Ability to perform the full range of supervisory duties, including work assignment, competency assessment, performance evaluation, staff selection, and recommendations for awards, advancement, and discipline.
• U.S. citizenship is required, subject to the stated VA policy exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited.
• Must meet VA pre-employment conditions, including applicable drug screening, background/security investigation, physical evaluation, onboarding, identification, and seasonal influenza vaccination requirements.
• Must complete all application requirements and serve a one- or two-year trial period.
• Foreign education used to qualify must be evaluated as equivalent to U.S. education by an appropriate credential-evaluation organization.

Nice To Haves

• Supervisory experience is highly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical guidance and plan, organize, and coordinate the activities of Health Technicians (Ophthalmology).
• Distribute workload and monitor work status, progress, and accuracy.
• Communicate effectively to meet program objectives, including preparing reports and presenting data to organizational levels.
• Assist with staff development, outcome management, and strategic planning.
• Act as a liaison among ophthalmology health technicians to resolve informal employee complaints and concerns.
• Perform the duties of a GS-5 through GS-9 Health Technician (Ophthalmology), including testing with optical equipment.
• Write timely patient notes in the proper format and complete encounters in accordance with VA policy and business rules.
• Enter consults in a timely manner according to accepted medical-center practices.
• Maintain proper hygiene and infection-control practices and use universal precautions when cleaning and processing reusable medical equipment and assisting with eye injections and oculoplastic procedures.
• Set priorities, delegate tasks, meet deadlines, analyze organizational problems, and implement solutions to improve quality, efficiency, performance, and productivity.
• Develop policy, manage equipment requests, and provide workload analysis for Ophthalmology Service.
• Assign work, assess competency, evaluate performance, participate in staff selection, and recommend awards, advancements, or disciplinary actions as appropriate.
• Monitor clinical performance of staff, volunteers, and students; assure staff orientation and competency assessment.
• Assure compliance with accrediting and regulatory requirements and the quality management program, initiating corrective action as needed.
• Develop policies and procedures, manage document control, and develop performance standards, position descriptions, and functional statements.
• Manage assigned-area administration, including budget execution, and maintain interdepartmental relations to support medical-center goals.
• Plan, assess, and evaluate programs and coordinate care within the facility or non-VA care as appropriate.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and regular salary increases.
• 37–50 days of annual paid time off per year, including 13–26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, and 11 paid Federal holidays.
• Potential credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior work or military service, subject to approval.
• Up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave after 12 months of employment, in connection with birth, adoption, or foster-care placement.
• Eligible full-time employees may qualify for a childcare subsidy after 60 days of employment, subject to income and other eligibility limits.
• Traditional federal pension, with five-year vesting, and federal 401(k) with up to 5% in VA contributions.
• Federal health, vision, dental, term-life, and long-term-care insurance; many programs can be carried into retirement.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Education Level: No Education Listed