Dental Laboratory Technician

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Summary

Dental Laboratory Technician Developmental position, located in the Dental Service, EOVAHCS, Ernest Childers Tulsa, Oklahoma. The primary purpose of this position is to serve as a mid-level dental laboratory technician. The work requires a high degree of skill and precision, a working knowledge of the general contour of supporting tissues, and articulation of its application to the fabrication of appliances.

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Overview

• Accepting applications

• Open & closing dates

  03/12/2025 to 03/19/2025

• Salary

  $44,959 - $71,932 per year

• Pay scale & grade

  GS 6 - 8

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  Location

  1 vacancy in the following location:

  • Tulsa, OK 1 vacancy

• Remote job

  No

• Telework eligible

  No

• Travel Required

  25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.

• Relocation expenses reimbursed

  No

• Appointment type

  Permanent

• Work schedule

  Full-time

• Service

  Competitive

• Promotion potential

  8

• Job family (Series)

  • 0683 Dental Laboratory Aid And Technician

• Supervisory status

  No

• Security clearance

  Not Required

• Drug test

  No

• Position sensitivity and risk

  Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

• Trust determination process

  • Credentialing
  • Suitability/Fitness

• Financial disclosure

  No

• Bargaining unit status

  Yes

• Announcement number

  CBSU-12707783-25-KB

• Control number

  833593700

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This job is open to

• Federal employees - Competitive service

  Current federal employees whose agencies follow the U.S. Office of Personnel Management's hiring rules and pay scales.

• Federal employees - Excepted service

  Current federal employees whose agencies have their own hiring rules, pay scales and evaluation criteria.

• Internal to an agency

  Current federal employees of the hiring agency that posted the job announcement.

• Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)

  Federal employees whose job, agency or department was eliminated and are eligible for priority over other applicants.

• Land and base management

  Current or former employees of a base management agency.

• Veterans

  Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces or a spouse, widow, widower or parent of a veteran, who may be eligible for derived preference

• Military spouses

  Military spouses relocating under PCS orders or whose spouse is 100% disabled or died while on active duty.

• Individuals with disabilities

  Individuals who are eligible under Schedule A.

• Peace Corps & AmeriCorps Vista

  Individuals who have served at least 2 years with the Peace Corps or 1 year with AmeriCorps VISTA.

• Special authorities

  Individuals eligible under a special authority not listed in another hiring path.

Clarification from the agency

Open to Status Candidates (current, permanent federal employees; reinstatement eligible; Veterans; Schedule A; Military Spouse; Postal Service/Peace Corps and other Authorities; and employees eligible under an Interchange Agreement Note: First consideration will be given to current, permanent employees working for the VA Eastern Oklahoma Health Care System (EOVAHCS) to include associated VA Community Outpatient Clinics (CBOC).

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Duties

Major duties of this position include, but are not limited to:

• Uses dental laboratory materials such as impression materials, stones, waxes, acrylics as well as the use of laboratory equipment such as hand tools, dental lathes, vacuum former, model trimmers, handpieces and articulators.
• Receives and pours impressions with proper dental stone for study casts and master casts for complete and partial removable dentures including boxing and beading, trimming and mounting casts as needed.
• Pours casts and perform minor removable prosthesis repairs with assistance.
• Packages, logs out and ships cases going to outside laboratories.
• Maintains proper stocking levels of all laboratory materials and inventory, working with other lab technicians as well as clinic supervisors and acquisition management personnel.
• Maintains proper stocking levels of all laboratory materials and inventory, working with other lab technicians as well as clinic supervisors and acquisition management personnel.
• Maintains records indicating dates of receipt of shipment of cases and the number and status of cases in process.
• Applies knowledge of variation in tooth form and anatomy, and function of the normal mouth to interpret prescriptions and properly design partial dentures and set teeth for full or partial dentures.
• Surveys master casts for partial dentures to implement design prescribed by the dentist.
• Studies master cast to identify the undercuts and teeth to be used for retention of the denture and blocks out undesirable undercuts.
• Uses dental laboratory materials and equipment as well as digital scanner, sandblaster and pumice station.
• Fabricates both hand and soft dental splints as per laboratory prescriptions.
• Scans impressions and casts with the Digital Dental Lab Scanner in preparation to send the scanned files to the Dental Laboratory for fabrication of the dental prosthesis.
• Surveys, interprets designs and fabricates fixed, semi-fixed, or removable partial dentures or complete dentures for cases that involve such abnormalities as acute malocclusion, or other conditions that present particular problems in providing for retention of the denture, and improving or restoring mastication or other mouth functions.
• Applies a thorough understanding of normal and abnormal conditions in determining the prosthetic design that best patient care needs.
• Completes design features needed to provide stability, balance, function and fit, with minimum stress on supporting natural teeth or tissue.

Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level.

Work Schedule: Monday to Friday 7:30 am - 4:00 pm
Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized
Position Description/PD#: Dental Laboratory Technician/PD14054-A, PD14052-A, and PD14051-A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized Help

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• You may be required to serve a probationary period
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Valid drivers license
• Pre-employment physical
• 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 dentification 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)
• Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 03/19/2025.

Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS6 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS5. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.

This position has an Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR) that must be met in order to be considered:

• Specialized Experience Examples of qualifying specialized experience include:
  • Use of dental laboratory material such as impression materials, plasters, stones, hydrocolloids, waxes, metals, acrylics, porcelain, and similar materials.
  • Use of laboratory equipment such as hand tools, dental lathes, engines, and hand pieces, furnaces, casting machines, presses, flasks, and related equipment.
  • Use of precision instruments such as articulators, surveyors, and microanalyzers.
  • Construction of dental prosthetic appliances.

OR

• Education: Successful completion of a full 4-year apprenticeship program consisting of at least 2000 hours a year directly related to the position.

Note: The successful completion of training courses in dental laboratory work in the Armed Forces or other Federal agencies will be allowed appropriate credit for specialized experience on a month-for-month basis up through GS-5.
Licensed professional dentists will be considered qualified for any grade level if they have, in the aggregate, the required experience in dental laboratory procedures.

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

To qualify for GS 6:

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS 5 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Use of dental laboratory material such as impression materials, plasters, stones, hydrocolloids, waxes, metals, acrylies, porcelain, and similar materials. Use of laboratory equipment such as hand tools, dental lathes, engines, and hand pieces, furnaces, casting machines, presses, flasks, and related equipment.

OR

• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successful completion of a full 4 year apprenticeship program consisting of at least 2000 hours a year.

To qualify for GS 7:

• Specialized Experience: Use of dental laboratory material such as impression materials, plasters, stones, hydrocolloids, waxes, metals, acrylies, porcelain, and similar materials. Use of laboratory equipment such as hand tools, dental lathes, engines, and hand pieces, furnaces, casting machines, presses, flasks, and related equipment. Use of precision instruments such as articulators, surveyors, and microanalyzers. Construction of dental prosthetic appliances.

OR

• Education: One full year of graduate education directly related to the position meets the requirements for GS-7.

To qualify for GS 8:

• Specialized Experience: Use of dental laboratory material such as impression materials, plasters, stones, hydrocolloids, waxes, metals, acrylies, porcelain, and similar materials. Use of laboratory equipment such as hand tools, dental lathes, engines, and hand pieces, furnaces, casting machines, presses, flasks, and related equipment. Use of precision instruments such as articulators, surveyors, and microanalyzers. Construction of dental prosthetic appliances. Knowledge of the configuration of the upper and lower jawbone, and the relationship of the tongue to the gums and the roof and floor of the mouth in the waxing full dentures, and in the blocking out master casts for full partial dentures while also preserving the horizontal and vertical bite relationships established by the dentist, in the relining and repair of the prosthesis, in the polishing of final prosthesis and in milling of the prosthesis.

OR

• Education: One and half full year of graduate education directly related to the position meets the requirements for GS-8 or master's degree directly related meets the requirements for GS-8.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

• Analytical Thinking
• Applies Technology to Tasks
• Medicine and Dentistry
• Quality Assurance
• Technical Competence

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.

Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

Physical Requirements: The work is mostly sedentary but also requires standing, bending, reaching, lifting heavy materials, and general dental laboratory functions. This work involves periods of sitting and standing. It involves the use of various dental lab machines. Extensive and detailed use of the hands is required.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Education

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on 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/.

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit or 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.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process.

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.

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  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. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

  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.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

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.

For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.

Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the 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.

• Help

  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. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

  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.

• As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.

  To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
  

  • Resume
  • Transcript
  
  
  
  The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please make sure you have included other documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), documentation to support Veterans Preference claims, or ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees). You will not be contacted for additional information.
  
  • Cover Letter
  • DD-214/ Statement of Service
  • Disability Letter (Schedule A)
  • Disability Letter (VA)
  • License
  • Other (1)
  • PCS Orders
  • Professional Certification
  • Proof of Marriage Status
  • Resume
  • Separation Notice (RIF)
  • SF-15
  • SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
  • Transcript
  
  
  SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action (if applicable for Time in Grade and/or Eligibility):
  • Most recent SF-50 if you are a current or former Federal employee
  • An SF-50 showing your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade
  • Award 50's do not provide sufficient information and will not be accepted for the purpose of verifying time-in-grade.
  • Examples of appropriate SF-50's include:
    • Within grade increases at the highest grade held; or
    • Promotions with an effective date more than one year old; or
    • SF-50's at the highest grade held with an effective date more than one year old.
  RESUME REMINDER Your resume must include the following information for each job listed:
  • Job title Duties (be as detailed as possible) Month & year start/end dates (e.g. June 2007 to April 2008)
  • Full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week)
  • Series and Grade, if applicable, for all Federal positions you have held
  • Please be aware that your answers will be verified against information provided on your resume. Be sure that your resume clearly supports your responses to all of the questions by addressing your work experience in detail.
  • Recommended: Even though we do not require a specific resume format, your resume must be clear so that we are able to fully evaluate your qualifications. To ensure you receive appropriate consideration, please list the duties you performed under each individual job title. If we are unable to match your experiences with the positions held, you may lose consideration for this vacancy. We cannot make assumptions regarding your qualifications.
  Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit Feds Hire Vets - Veterans - Job Seekers - Veterans' Preference.

  If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

  Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

  Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect