Optometrist

Summary

This is an Open Continuous Announcement until September 30, 2026. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis. Qualified applicants will be considered and referred as vacancies become available. This is a floater Optometrist position, requiring the incumbent to provide coverage across all VA Hudson Valley Healthcare System locations in New York, including Carmel, Castle Point, Goshen, Montrose, Monticello, New City, Pine Plains, Port Jervis, and Poughkeepsie, as operational needs arise.

Duties

The Optometrist position is primarily located at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) Campus of the VA Hudson Valley Health Care System, located in Montrose, New York. While Montrose serves as the main work location, the incumbent must be able to provide coverage at other VA Hudson Valley Health facilities as operational needs arise. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. Duties include but are not limited to the following: Diagnose, manage, and treat visual and ocular problems through external and internal physical evaluation of the eye and ocular adnexa, using advanced optometric technology and medical imaging/information, laboratory results, radiology services, etc. Perform and document comprehensive or targeted eye examinations. Provide thorough refractive and ocular health assessments for patients. Order diagnostic studies pertinent to ocular evaluations. Provide urgent eye care services as needed. Provide patient care following national guidelines. Treat visual disorders through the prescription of corrective lenses, vision training, and pharmacological means. Prescribe medications for ocular diseases in accordance with federal and state laws, or refer patients to appropriate specialists if outside the scope of optometry practice. Prescribe and fit eyeglasses per the local facility VA directive for prosthetics. Coordinate medical eye care with other physicians within the facility when eye disease is concurrent with systemic disease. Consult with other healthcare disciplines as necessary to complete patient evaluations and ensure integrated care. Utilize appropriate referral for ophthalmological care when patients' ocular needs surpass the incumbent's scope of practice as defined by clinical privileges, VA regulations, and/or licensure restrictions. Educate patients based on findings to help them understand and cope with their eye problems. Provide quality patient education and involve the patient/family in decision-making processes. Engage in health promotion and disease prevention activities, including patient education and shared decision-making. Obtain consent for procedures when necessary and document appropriately. Record patient-provider transactions in the problem-oriented medical record and complete required data collection instruments, referrals, and medical records as required. Accurately document patient care activities in the Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) per WTVAHCS requirements. Adhere to hospital clinical privileges, Optometric accrediting agencies, medical staff bylaws, rules, policies, and regulations. Maintain updated Basic Life Support (BLS) certification. Support the Chief Optometrist and assist in all aspects of administrative duties as needed. Participate in the development and implementation of departmental policies and procedures. Contribute to performance improvement initiatives within the Optometry Service. Perform other duties as assigned. Pay: Competitive salary, annual performance bonus, regular salary increases Paid Time Off: 50-55 days of paid time off per year (26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year and possible 5 day paid absence for CME) Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Licensure: 1 full and unrestricted license from any US State or territory CME: May be eligible for a $1,000 per year reimbursement (must be full-time with board certification) Malpractice: Free liability protection with tail coverage provided Contract: No Physician Employment Contract and no significant restriction on moonlighting Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm Telework: Ad-hoc as determined by the agency policy. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized.

Requirements

All qualified candidates encouraged to apply. Open to U.S. Citizens but non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens. All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. 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. Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation.. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). You may be required to serve a probationary period. Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

Qualifications and evaluation

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment. NOTE: A formal pay-setting process will be used to determine your salary. The salary may be at any point in the range listed for this vacancy. 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. The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position. It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment. Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members. This is an Open Continuous Announcement and will remain open until September 30, 2026. The initial cut-off date for referrals of eligible applications will be September 2, 2026, with subsequent weekly cut-off dates. Eligible applications received after that date will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as needed basis until positions are filled. Applicant will remain active for 6 months after their initial application is received and/or updated. After that time, you must update your application through your USAJOBS account if you would like to be made active again for possible consideration during the open period.

Education

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

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 09/30/2026 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13043918. 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. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

Required documents

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes: Resume Special Note for Applications: To complete your application, please use the following link https://vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Resume.docx to download the standard Clinical Resume Document. This one-page document does not need to be modified and must be uploaded into the two-page restricted 'Resume' document upload field. Your full resume/CV may be uploaded without page limitation into the 'Other' document upload field. The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), etc. Cover Letter DD-214/ Statement of Service Disability Letter (VA) License CV Performance Appraisal Professional Certification Resume Separation Notice (RIF) SF-15 SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action Transcript Veterans' Preference Note: Preference eligible candidates and other Veterans will be given preference when qualification of candidates are approximately equal for Title 38 positions in VHA. When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit Feds Hire Vets - Veterans - Job Seekers - Veterans' Preference.

Additional information

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.