About this role
Job SummaryThis position is in the Dental Service of the VA Portland Health Care System located in Portland, OR. The primary purpose of the Dental Laboratory Technician is to independently fabricate a full range of complex, fixed and removable dental prostheses, including those requiring advanced technical skill, digital workflows, and clinical judgment - in direct support of patient care provided by staff dentists.
QualificationsTO QUALIFY FOR THIS POSITION AT THE GS-8 GRADE LEVEL, YOU MUST MEET THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA: ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY: In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), No person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. You must be proficient in basic written and spoken English in order to meet the requirements of this position. ~AND~ SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: You must possess one year of specialized experience that equipped you with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of this position, and that is typically in or related to the position. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-7 grade level in Federal service. Qualifying specialized experience includes: 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; Articulation and occlusion of cases to include full arch models with multi-unit castings to be articulated in the full range of mandibular excursions. NOTE: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. ~OR~ SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION FOR EXPERIENCE: You must possess one and a half years (1 1/2) of graduate level education with course work or an internship that is directly related to the work of this position. One year of full-time graduate education is the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent one year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the one year of full-time study requirement. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. ~OR~ COMBINATION OF EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION: You must possess equivalent combinations of successfully completed graduate level education (beyond the first year) and specialized experience, as described above, to meet total experience requirements. The education portion must include courses directly related to the work of this position. NOTE: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. 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/.
Major Duties***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION*** Duties include but may not be limited to the following: Fabricates fixed dental prostheses, including crowns, bridges, veneers, inlays, and porcelain-to-metal restorations. Selects and uses advanced materials (e.g., zirconia, titanium, layered ceramics) based on case complexity and esthetic requirements. Repairs dentures, including fractures, broken or missing teeth, and damaged clasps. Creates dental models and dies from impressions and prepares wax patterns for crowns, bridges, and other restorations. Performs laboratory processing procedures such as investing, casting, glazing, finishing, and polishing. Selects and sets denture teeth and mounts/articulates cases to establish proper occlusion, articulation, and jaw relationships. Uses digital scanners and CAD/CAM technology to design, mill, sinter, and finish dental restorations. Fabricates dental appliances such as nightguards, splints, fluoride trays, and surgical or radiographic guides. Consults with dentists to resolve discrepancies involving impressions, prescriptions, or occlusion, recommending technical solutions for difficult cases. Fabricates removable dental prostheses, including full and partial dentures. Trains students, work-study participants, and other trainees in fixed and removable prosthetic fabrication techniques. Maintains dental laboratory equipment in safe and efficient operating condition. Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; hours vary between 7:30am - 5:00pm PST Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approvedRequirementsYou must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required.? 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. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Required Documents" below for details. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.