Optometrist

Optometrist

The Veterans Health Administration was seeking a part-time Optometrist for the VA Northern Indiana Health Care System in Marion, IN. The Optometrist provides comprehensive vision care services to outpatients and inpatients, diagnoses and manages complex ophthalmic conditions, interprets ophthalmic imaging, collaborates with other clinical disciplines, supports disability and compensation exams when requested, and reviews teleretinal images with clinical recommendations when assigned.

Agency: Veterans Health Administration

Facility: VA Northern Indiana Health Care System

Location: Marion, IN

Vacancies: 1

Salary: $123,007 - $128,000 per year

Pay Scale & Grade: AD-15

Promotion Potential: None

Work Schedule: Part-time, 24 hours per week; Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm

Appointment Type: Permanent

Telework: Not available

Remote: No

Travel Required: 25% or less

Relocation Expenses: Not reimbursed

Drug Test: Required

Security Clearance: Not required

Position Sensitivity/Risk: Non-sensitive / Low Risk

Background Check: Credentialing and suitability/fitness required

Financial Disclosure: Not required

Federal Service: Excepted Service

Union Representation: Yes

Supervisory Status: No

Functional Statement: Optometrist

Announcement Number: CBSR-12875220-26-AE

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide quality, comprehensive vision care services to outpatients and inpatients as assigned.
• Diagnose and manage a wide range of ophthalmic conditions, including complex conditions.
• Demonstrate expertise in ophthalmic imaging and interpretation of results.
• Maintain current knowledge of developments in the management and treatment of diseases and illnesses through formal and informal continuing education.
• Work collaboratively with other disciplines to provide integrated care services.
• Revise work schedules and assignments on short notice to meet unpredictable workload changes, deadlines, Veteran needs, and facility performance targets.
• Participate in OPPE, Ongoing Professional Practice Evaluation, and other peer review activities when requested.
• Conduct disability and compensation exams when requested.
• Review teleretinal images and make clinical recommendations when requested.

Basic Qualifications:

• Must be a U.S. Citizen. Non-citizens may only be appointed when qualified citizens cannot be recruited in accordance with VA policy.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Must have a Doctor of Optometry degree from an approved school or college of optometry.
• The optometry degree must have been obtained from a school or college approved by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for the year the program was completed.
• Approved schools include United States and Canadian schools or colleges of optometry accredited by the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education for the year the program was completed.
• Must possess a current, full, and unrestricted license to practice optometry in a U.S. State, Territory, Commonwealth, or the District of Columbia.
• Must maintain current registration in the state of licensure if required for continuing active licensure.
• Must have successfully completed residency training approved by VA in an accredited post-graduate optometry training program; or
• Must have comparable experience consisting of two years of licensed clinical optometric practice in the United States with active involvement in the management of medically complex patients.
• Must be subject to a background/security investigation.
• Must pass a pre-employment physical examination.
• Must pass pre-employment drug testing and remain subject to testing requirements for this testing designated position.
• Selective Service registration is required for males born after December 31, 1959.
• Must complete all application requirements and online onboarding requirements.
• Must participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program as required for Department of Veterans Affairs health care personnel.
• Selected applicant may be required to serve a probationary period.

Eligibility:

• This announcement was open to the public, including U.S. Citizens, Nationals, or those who owe allegiance to the United States.
• The two-page resume requirement did not apply to this occupational series.
• This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.
• This announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

Education and Licensure Requirements:

• Doctor of Optometry degree is required.
• College transcripts were required.
• Copy of current, full, and unrestricted optometry license was required.
• Education must be from an institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
• Foreign education must be supported by a certificate of foreign equivalency if used to meet qualification requirements.
• Applicants pending completion of educational, certification, or licensure requirements could be referred and tentatively selected, but could not be hired until all requirements were met.

Physical Requirements:

• Must possess both fine and gross motor skills to properly operate ophthalmic equipment.
• Requires standing, sitting, walking, and carrying light items.
• Requires the ability to sit and operate a computer.
• Requires the ability to push a wheelchair and assist patients in an age-specific manner.
• Requires vision to detect fine detail.
• Requires good listening skills to communicate with and gather information from patients.
• Pre-employment examination or evaluation was required as part of the hiring process.

Benefits and Professional Support:

• Part-time employees earn one hour of paid time off for every 10 hours worked and may carry over a maximum of 240 hours.
• Traditional federal pension with five-year vesting.
• Federal 401(k)-style retirement plan with up to 5% VA contribution.
• Federal health, vision, dental, term life, and long-term care insurance options.
• One full and unrestricted license from any U.S. State or Territory is accepted for VA practice.
• Possible CME reimbursement up to $1,000 per year.
• Free liability protection with tail coverage provided.
• No physician employment contract and no significant restriction on moonlighting.

Evaluation Criteria:

• Applicants were evaluated based on qualifications, application materials, resume, CV, and supporting documentation.
• Experience had to be clearly and specifically described because the agency stated it would not make assumptions.
• Resume had to include job title, detailed duties, month and year start and end dates, and full-time or part-time status with hours worked per week.
• Salary was to be set through a formal pay-setting process and could be any point within the listed salary range.

Required Documents:

• Professional Certification
• Resume
• Standard Clinical Resume Document uploaded into the restricted resume field
• Full resume or CV could be uploaded separately into the Other document upload field without page limitation
• Assessment Questionnaire responses
• College transcripts showing Doctor of Optometry degree
• Copy of current, full, and unrestricted optometry license
• SF-50 / Notification of Personnel Action, if current or former federal employee
• Performance appraisal, if applicable
• DD-214 / Statement of Service, if claiming Veterans' preference
• SF-15 and supporting documentation, if claiming 10-point Veterans' preference
• Cover letter, disability letter, separation notice, and other supporting documents, if applicable

Application Deadline: June 30, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. ET

Status: Closed

This announcement for a part-time Optometrist position with the VA Northern Indiana Health Care System closed on June 30, 2026.

Government Jobs

Show more