Summary

This position serves as a Dental Laboratory Technician located within the Dental Service - Spark Matsunaga Ambulatory Care Center (ACC) - Honolulu - HI at the VA Pacific Island Health Care System (VAPIHCS). The primary purpose of the position is to be responsible for the operation of the dental laboratory facility where the dental prosthetic appliances are fabricated on the prescription of the dentist.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position - applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement - 07/14/2025. 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 GS-9 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-7. 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. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Individual Occupational Requirements: for this position these include having specialized experience detailed through examples of: 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. Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade of GS8 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization that has equipped you with the particular knowledge - skills - and abilities (KSA's) to perform successfully the duties of the position - and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Examples of specialized experience would typically include - but are not limited to designing - fabricating and repairing routine and highly complex fixed partial dentures and single crown restorations; manufacturing - toolmaking - production and processing of very complex prostheses; testing new materials with dentists used in prosthesis construction and fabrication; pouring primary and final impressions; fabricating custom trays; fabricating bite rims; mounting casts on articulators; setting teeth for trial dentures/partials; investing - packing - processing and finishing dentures/partials. OR - Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed two full years of graduate education or a master's degree that is directly related to the work of this position as a Dental Lab Technician. One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent one year of full-time study; if that number cannot be obtained from the transcript - 18 semester hours will be considered as one full academic year of graduate study. OR - Combination: Equivalent combinations of successfully completed graduate level education and specialized experience - as described above - may be used to meet total experience requirements. The education portion must include courses directly related to the work of the Dental Laboratory Technician position. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Manufacturing Production and Processing Teaching Others Technical Competence Toolmaking 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: Long periods of standing - sitting and bending are required. The work requires above average agility and dexterity 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/.

Duties

• The duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to the following: Designs - fabricates and repairs routine and highly complex fixed partial dentures and single crown restorations made of gold - porcelain - acrylic - porcelain fused to gold and all combinations thereof
• complete dentures - and removable partial dentures made of acrylic - chrome and combinations thereof
• This includes very complex prostheses made for abnormal jaw relationships - closed bites - occlusal orthotics and other than routine situations such as maxillofacial appliances - precision attachments - and implants restorations
• Pouring primary and final impressions
• fabricating custom trays
• fabricating bite rims
• mounting casts on articulators
• setting teeth for trial dentures/partials
• investing - packing - processing and finishing dentures/partials
• polishing prosthesis following adjustment
• fabricating night guards
• fabricating provisional prostheses
• repairing broken prostheses
• adding teeth to prostheses
• pouring and pinning final crown and bridge impressions
• sectioning dies
• fabricating fluoride trays
• fabricating stints
• fabricating transitional partials - managing implant fabrication process and adapting wrought wire clasps Works closely with the prosthodontist - periodontist - and other dental specialists in the development of dental prostheses fabricated on the prescription of the dentist
• Coordinates operational maintenance program of laboratory equipment
• Interacts with Biomedical staff in the maintenance and replacement of equipment
• Performs teaching assignments associated with the dental assistants - and at times - staff dentists regarding laboratory and safety issues
• Other duties as assigned
• Work Schedule: Monday to Friday - 7:00am - 3:30pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Position Description/PD#: Dental Laboratory Technician/PD03224-O Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: May be Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized