Supervisory Optometrist
Indian Health Service · Department of Health and Human Services
This job in plain English
This is a full-time supervisory optometrist job with the Indian Health Service (IHS), leading the optometry department and providing eye care to Native American communities. There is one open position at each of nine clinics in Arizona, North Dakota, New Mexico, and South Dakota. The job requires a background check and a review of your finances before you can be hired.
Can you apply?
Yes, if you are a U.S. citizen: this job is open to everyone.
- Native AmericansMembers of federally recognized tribes, through Indian preference.
- Open to everyoneAny U.S. citizen or national can apply. Some jobs also accept non-citizens; the announcement says so.
Other groups listed above may get extra consideration, for example veterans' preference.
The job is open to U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, and people who owe allegiance to the U.S. Native Americans with a tribal affiliation get absolute preference, as required by law for IHS jobs.
What you would do
- Provide eye exams and diagnose vision and eye problems.
- Provide emergency care for eye injuries and eye diseases.
- Coordinate eye care with other doctors and outside referrals.
- Help run screening programs, school programs, and diabetic eye checks.
- Supervise the optometry department, including staff evaluations, hiring, budget, and policies.
Do you qualify for GS-13?
With experience: You need at least 1 year of specialized experience at the next lower grade level, which is GS-12. This means work such as giving technical guidance to optometry staff, reviewing policies, quality assurance, diagnosing and treating eye conditions, prescribing lenses and eye medicines, or using eye diagnostic equipment.
With education: You need a Doctor of Optometry (OD) degree from a program accredited by the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education (ACOE) at the time you earned it. You also need a passing score on the National Board of Examiners in Optometry (NBEO) exams.
Licenses and certifications you need:
- Current, full, and unrestricted license to practice optometry in a U.S. state, D.C., Puerto Rico, or a U.S. territory
- Medical staff clinical privileges at the IHS facility, which you must get and keep
How to apply well
What to send:
- Resume with start and end dates, hours per week, duties, and supervisor name and phone number for each job
- Transcripts or a list of courses with titles, credit hours, and grades (encouraged)
- List of licenses and certifications with expiration dates
- Form BIA-4432, signed and dated, if claiming Indian preference
- DD-214 and SF-15 with supporting documents, if claiming veterans' preference
- CTAP or ICTAP documents, if claiming those programs
- Optional short essays (200 words or less each) on four questions; you must certify they are your own words and not written with AI
How you will be rated: HR first reviews your resume and documents to see if you meet the minimum qualifications. Qualified applicants then have a video interview with a panel of subject matter experts on accountability, administration and management, attention to detail, and medicine and optometry; you are rated Best Qualified, Well Qualified, or Qualified, and veterans' preference applicants move up within each group.
Tips for this job:
- Show hours per week and exact dates for every job on your resume, or you may lose consideration.
- Meet all minimum qualifications by the closing date, including your NBEO passing score and your full, unrestricted license.
- If you claim Indian preference, send a signed and dated Form BIA-4432, because preference is not given without it.
Good to know before you apply
Schedule: Full-time. On-call hours, nights, and weekends may be required.
Incentives and relocation: Relocation expenses may be reimbursed under agency policy. Recruitment or relocation incentives may be offered, subject to availability, with a service agreement of 6 months to 4 years. Student loan repayment is a separate, competitive program through IHS, NHSC, and HRSA.
Conditions of employment:
- U.S. citizenship required
- Selective Service registration for males born after 12/31/1959
- One-year supervisory probationary period may be required
- Federal background investigation; forms due within 5 calendar days
- Financial suitability review; unpaid federal debts or unresolved obligations may be disqualifying
- E-Verify employment check
- Direct deposit setup required
- Must follow the IHS employee immunization policy
- Designated position under Public Law 101-630; certain criminal convictions disqualify you
- Two valid forms of ID; a state ID or driver's license must be REAL ID-compliant
- On-call hours, nights, and weekends may be required
We wrote this summary automatically from the official announcement. The announcement on USAJOBS is the only one that counts: read it before you apply.
Job details
- Salary
- $170,030 – $221,041 per year
- Pay scale and grade
- GS-13 · General Schedule
- Locations
-
- Belcourt, North Dakota
- Eagle Butte, South Dakota
- Crownpoint, New Mexico
- Shiprock, New Mexico
- Sisseton, South Dakota
- Zuni, New Mexico
- Chinle, Arizona
- Polacca, Arizona
- Parker, Arizona
- Appointment
- Permanent
- Work schedule
- Full-time
- Service
- Competitive
- Security clearance
- Other
- Travel
- Not required
- Drug test
- Not required
- Supervisory
- Yes
- Occupation
- Optometrist (0662)
- Announcement
- IHS-27-HQ-13099103-DE
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