Department: Department of Veterans Affairs
Location(s): Charleston, South Carolina
Salary Range: $52727 - $68549 Per Year
Job Summary: The Ophthalmology Technicians in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) support Ophthalmologists in diagnosis, treatment, prevention, follow-up care and patient counselling. At the Advanced Level, Health Technicians (Ophthalmology) perform difficult ophthalmic technical duties with considerable latitude for exercise of independent judgement.
Major Duties:
Qualifications: Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. English Language: Proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d). Certification: Certified as a Certified Ophthalmic Assistant (COA) with the Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology (JCAHPO). Experience: One year of experience in a health care field, such as but not limited to nursing, medical assistant, or health technician OR Education: Two years above high school with a minimum of six semester hours directly related to a health care field or associate degree in a health care field OR Combination of Experience and Education: Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying. Examples are listed below: a). Six months of experience in the health care field; and one year above high school; or b). Six months of experience in the health care field; and successful completion of a course for health care technicians, hospital corpsmen, medical service specialists, or ophthalmology technicians given by the U.S. Armed Forces; or c). Six months of experience in the health care field and completion of an independent study course in Ophthalmic Medical Assisting. Grade Determination:GS-09 (Advanced Level) Experience: In addition to meeting the basic requirements, to qualify for the GS-09 you must possess at least one (1) year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-08) ANDGS-09 Knowledge, skills and abilities, that must be clearly demonstrated in your resume: Ability to work with a team to provide technical guidance, plan, organize, and coordinate activities of a Health Technician (Ophthalmology) in order to effectively complete job duties of assignment such as distributing workload, monitoring the status and progress of work, monitoring accuracy of work, etc. Ability to communicate effectively in order to meet program objectives. This may include preparing reports in various formats and presenting data to various organizational levels. Ability to assist in Health Technician (Ophthalmology) development, outcome management, and strategic planning. Ability to act as liaison between Health Technicians (Ophthalmology) to resolve informal employee complaints and concerns. May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria). Preferred Experience: None References: VA Handbook 5005 Part II Appendix G25The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-08. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-09 (Advanced Level). hysical Requirements: This work requires some physical exertion such as prolonged periods of standing, bending, reaching, crouching, stooping, stretching, and lifting moderately heavy items such as manuals, record boxes, equipment or assisting patients. The work requires above average agility and dexterity. The incumbent may be required to travel to cover clinics in the area including the Main VA Clinic in Charleston, SC and the Joint Base Clinic in Goose Creek, SC.
How to Apply: All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the full questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 05/29/2026 to receive consideration to preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12937001. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package. NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date. To verify your application is complete, log into your USA JOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. To return to an incomplete application, log into your USA JOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USA JOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
Application Deadline: 2026-05-29