Department: Department of Veterans Affairs
Location(s): San Francisco, California
Salary Range: $93089 - $121011 Per Year
Job Summary: The Dental Assistant Supervisor independently performs complex work in assigned specialties while receiving general administrative supervision, supervises the work of other dental assistants, and administratively manages all duties related to the dental assistant staff, including creation of work schedules, assignment to duties, training, approval of leave, performance appraisals, etc.
Major Duties:
Qualifications: To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 05/20/2026. 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. Experience: Six months experience that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work, or provides familiarity with the work OR Education: Successful completion of a 1-year dental assistant program accredited by the American Dental Association's Commission on [Dental] Accreditation (CODA). Experience/Education Combination: Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying. Certification Public Law 97-35 requires that persons who administer radiologic procedures meet the credentialing standards in 42 CFR Part 75. Essentially, they must have successfully completed an educational program that meets or exceeds the standards described in that regulation, and is accredited by an organization recognized by the Department of Education, and be certified as radiographers in their field. (1) Provisions for Certification of Radiologic Competence(a) Successful completion of the Dental Radiation Health and Safety Examination administered by the Dental Assisting National Board, Inc.; OR,(b) Successful completion of the Principles and Practice of Dental Radiology and Radiographic Safety courses and examinations developed by the Assistant Under Secretary for Health for Dentistry OR,(c) Successful completion of a radiation health and safety program or examination approved by a state board of dentistry or the Department of Defense (DoD) (2) Non-certified applicants who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements for certification of radiologic competence may be given a temporary appointment as a graduate dental assistant under the authority of 38 U.S.C. § 7405 (a) (1) (D). Failure to obtain certification during that period is justification for termination of the temporary appointment. This [will result in removal from the GS-681 series and] may result in termination of employment (3) Certification in basic life support methods is highly desirable. (4) Certification by the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB). The American Dental Association (ADA) recognizes DANB as the national certification for Dental Assistants. DANB certification is not required, but highly desirable for the appointment of Dental Assistants up to and including the full performance level, and is required for all positions above the full performance level. (5) Loss of Credential. An employee in this occupation who fails to obtain licensure/certification/registration within the required time frame, or who fails to maintain the required licensure/certification/registration must be removed from the occupation, which may also result in termination of employment. English Language Proficiency. Dental assistants must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a, this part. Grade Determinations: Knowledge of Current Professional Dental Assistant Practices. To be creditable, the experience must have required the use of knowledge, skills, abilities (KSAs), and other characteristics (also referred to as "core competencies") associated with current professional dental assisting practice. Evidence of such experience includes graduation from a certified dental assisting training program, experience in private practice, VHA, Department of Defense (DoD), or other federal, state, community or charitable health care agency. GS-8 Supervisory Dental Assistant - Experience. At least 1 year of experience at the next lower grade level (GS-7)that demonstrates the core competencies described at that level. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following technical KSAs and demonstrate the potential to acquire the assignment specific KSAs designated by an asterisk (*) 2. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities a. Advanced knowledge of dental assisting across multiple areas of practice, and the demonstrated ability to provide guidance to staff dental assistants. b. Skill in coordinating clinical work flow and assignments. c. Ability to assist the Chief in Dental Clinic operations related to policy development, equipment requests and workload analysis. d. Ability to establish and maintain effective and cooperative work relationships. e. Ability to analyze clinically appropriate data effectively to optimize quality, performance, and productivity within section. f. *Ability to perform supervisory functions such as assessing competency, providing performance appraisals and managing training. 3. Assignment. The supervisory dental assistant is responsible for the supervision, administrative management, and direction of dental assistants. The incumbent may be delegated full administrative and professional responsibility for planning and directing the dental assisting activities for the service or equivalent unit at an independent outpatient clinic. They have full supervisory responsibility over a section or equivalent work unit which would require three or more dental assistants. Typical duties include: making work assignments, monitoring of staff dental assistant clinical performance, conducting performance appraisals, and other clinical and administrative responsibilities as assigned by the Service Chief to ensure that the mission of the service and the medical center has been satisfied]. References: VA Handbook 5005, Appendix G36 dated April 19, 2011. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-08
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 05/20/2026 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12944226. 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: 2026-05-20