Prescription Eyeglass Maker Helper

Summary

The incumbent will assist iwith manufacturing and assembly of eyeglasses in the VISN 10/12 Eyeglass Laboratory located in Indianapolis, Indiana. The incumbent will work under the supervision of the Prescription Eyeglass Maker Supervisor. The incumbent will perform the basic duties involved in the optical fabrication and manufacturing process and will assist in the production of eyeglasses throughout the assigned areas of the OFL (Optical Fabrication Laboratory) to meet the needs of the Veteran.

Duties

• The incumbent will assist in the manufacturing and assembly of eyeglasses in the VISN 10/12 Eyeglass Laboratory located in Indianapolis, Indiana. The incumbent will work under the supervision of the Prescription Eyeglass Maker Supervisor. The incumbent will perform the basic duties involved in the optical fabrication and manufacturing process. The incumbent will assist in the production of eyeglasses throughout the assigned areas of the OFL (Optical Fabrication Laboratory) to meet the needs of the Veteran. Duties listed are not limited to: PRIMARY DUTIES The incumbent will learn the ability to perform the basic duties involved in the optical fabrication and manufacturing process. The incumbent will learn the workflow and the production of eyeglasses throughout the assigned areas of the OFL to meet the needs of the Veteran. Manufacture ophthalmic prescription eyeglasses with assistance and apply quality control measures at each station. The finished lenses will be approved or rejected with review by Prescription Eyeglass Maker Inspector. Demonstrate proper work methods from onset of getting a lens blank to the final finished eyeglasses. Follow the instructions received from the Prescription Eyeglass Maker Supervisor for area assignment in the OFL and correctly perform the required assignment tasks to produce prescription eyeglasses. Safe operation of all machinery and equipment involved in eyeglass production including proper and regular training in safety procedures and proper operation of the optical equipment. Apply processes and procedures for the efficient operation of the optical laboratory fabrication equipment and assures that maintenance activities are carried out in accordance with local, network and national VA policies. Complies with safety and housekeeping rules and ensures that assigned area of the OFL are properly cleaned and maintained daily. KNOWLEDGE AND SKILL The incumbent must be able to read, write, speak, interpret and follow written and oral instructions in English and transform those interpretations into actions required for equipment operation. The incumbent must have the dexterity to handle and use a variety of common hand and power tools used in optical fabrication and practice good operator care and maintenance of equipment used. WG-05 Level: In addition to the Knowledge and skills, primary duties acquired at the WG-04 level, the incumbent will learn how to identify recreational and occupational eyewear and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards that apply to each. The incumbent will demonstrate basic knowledge of the boxing system of frames and lenses, frame materials, and frame specifications. Occasionally, the WG-05 Helper performs more difficult work under close supervision. Detailed instructions are provided on new assignments along with close supervision and detailed review. All Levels: The incumbent will adhere to the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards that apply to each job. The incumbent will demonstrate the basic knowledge of the four-point & Segment alignments. The incumbent keeps work areas and equipment clean, secure, and orderly. Observes safe practices, safety procedures, and properly removes and disposes of waste, debris, and excess materials. Incumbent possesses adequate computer skills to perform data entry, understand databases and to use VA computer systems. The incumbent performs other related duties as assigned and is reliable and dependable. The WG 5 is the Full Performance Level. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:00a.m. - 3:30p.m. Position Description Title/PD#: Prescription Eyeglass Maker Helper/PD04563A Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/14/2026. EXPERIENCE: A specific length of training and experience is not required, but you must show evidence of training or experience of sufficient scope and quality of your ability to do the work of this position. Evidence which demonstrates you possess the knowledge, skills, and ability to perform the duties of this position must be supported by detailed descriptions of such on your resume. Applicants will be rated in accordance with the OPM Federal Wage System Qualification Standards. SCREEN-OUT ELEMENT: Your qualifications will first be evaluated against the prescribed screen out element, which usually appears as question 1 in the on-line questionnaire. Those applicants who appear to possess at least the minimal acceptable qualification requirement are considered for further rating; those who do not are rated ineligible and are eliminated. The potential eligibles are then rated against the remainder of the Job Elements: Interpret Instructions, Specifications (other than blueprint reading) Materials Technical Practices Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment 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. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Physical Requirements/Working Conditions: The incumbent performs tasks normally requiring moderate physical exertion, including occasionally lifting of up to 50 pounds. Work includes periods of standing for long periods on concrete floors, stooping, crouching, bending, pushing, pulling, carrying, reaching, and walking for up to twelve (12) hours in a given day. Heavy lifting (over 50 pounds) and strenuous exertion is occasionally necessary. The incumbent is standing or walking most of the time. The position requires manual dexterity. Incumbent must have the ability to maintain a high degree of mental alertness and concentration for up to twelve hours at a time.

Requirements

You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job 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 Subject to background/security investigation Pre-employment physical required 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) As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial 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 period or trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

How to apply

All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the 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 09/14/2026 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13047376. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USA JOBS 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. Beginning September 27, 2025, Federal agencies will only accept resumes up to two pages in length to comply with the Merit Hiring Plan. Resumes longer than two pages will result in ineligibility for further consideration for the position. USAJOBS will not allow you to upload or build resumes longer than two pages, and you will need to update the resumes in your profile before applying for a job. Resumes should include information relevant to the knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies of the position to which you are applying. VA is unable to make assumptions about qualifications if not clearly listed. Resumes must be legible so they can be reviewed for eligibility, minimum qualifications and other position requirements listed in the job announcement. If initial application submission is updated and resubmitted with a new resume, only the most current resume will be reviewed for consideration. Your resume must be 5MB or less. We recommend saving and uploading your resume as a PDF to maintain formatting and number of pages. We also accept GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, TXT, PDF, ODT or Word (DOC or DOCX). We do not accept PDF portfolio files. We recommend using a sans-serif font size like Lato, if available. Other widely available options are Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open San Source Sans Pro, Roboto or Noro Sans. Make your page margins 0.5 inches. Consider using 14-point size font for titles and 10-point for the main text in your resume. The resume builder can help you create a resume using these recommendations and uses the information in your USAJOBS profile to help you get started. Helpful Hints for Creating a Two-Page Resume: Prioritize most relevant and recent experience Use concise, results focused language Align language from the job announcement Focus on demonstrating skills and competencies Remove outdated or unrelated experience Use the USAJOBS resume builder Additional guidance on this new requirement and resume building tools can be found at: https://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/documents/resume/page-limit https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-information/merit-hiring-plan-resources/applicant-guidance-on-the-two-page-resume-limit/ Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities [i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities], and/or Disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. Contact the Agency Contact for information on how to apply under this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal/VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified, you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified (have a final rating of 85 or more) for this vacancy. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.