Supervisory Dentist

Summary Join the Indian Health Service as a Chief Dentist and make a meaningful impact providing compassionate, culturally responsive oral health care to American Indian and Alaska Native communities. This position leads the Dental Program while providing comprehensive preventive, restorative, surgical, and emergency dental services in support of quality patient care and the Service Unit mission A REAL ID will be required beginning May 7, 2025, in accordance with 6 C.F.R. 37.5 (2021). Learn more about this agency Duties Major Duties: Serves as Chief Dentist for the Dental Program, providing administrative oversight, clinical leadership, and direction for dental services within the Service Unit. Supervises assigned dental staff, including assigning and reviewing work, evaluating performance, approving leave, identifying training needs, and participating in recruitment and personnel actions. Provides a full range of dental services for pediatric and adult patients, including examinations, diagnosis, restorative dentistry, oral surgery, endodontics, prosthodontics, periodontal procedures, and emergency dental care. Performs both routine and complex dental procedures consistent with clinical privileges. Manages patient care activities, including clinic scheduling, referrals, consultations, and coordination of Purchased/Referred Care services. Ensures compliance with Indian Health Service policies, accreditation standards, infection control requirements, and quality improvement activities. Provides oral health education and preventive services to patients, families, and the community. Total Compensation Package - Check out IHS's outstanding total compensation package for this job: Total Compensation Dentist Requirements Conditions of employment Selectee may be subject to a probationary period U.S. Citizenship is required Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 This is a designated position covered by Public Law 101-630, requiring contact or control over Indian children. Due to this requirement, the agency must ensure that persons hired for these positions have not been found guilty of or pleaded nolo contendere or guilty to certain crimes. A one-year supervisory/managerial probationary period may be required upon selection/placement. The selected individual is required to obtain and maintain medical staff clinical privileges, including any licensure requirements. If privileges are not obtained or maintained during employment, the employee will be subject to adverse actions, up to and including removal from Federal service. Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit www.dhs.gov/E-Verify/. You will need to set up direct deposit so we can pay you. Background Investigation Requirement: This position requires the successful completion of a federal background investigation as a condition of employment. A background investigation is a standard process used by the Federal Government to verify an individual's identity, employment history, education, and other relevant information to determine suitability for Federal service. Upon receipt of instructions, applicants must complete all required background investigation forms within five (5) calendar days of issuance. Timely completion is critical to avoid delays in processing or a determination of unsuitability. Applicants are strongly encouraged to prioritize this requirement and to maintain regular communication with their assigned Personnel Security Specialist throughout the process. Prior to the appointment, candidates must present two valid forms of identification. If one of the documents is a state-issued ID or driver's license, it must be REAL ID-compliant. Qualifications To qualify for this position, your resume must state sufficient experience and/or education, to perform the duties of the specific position for which you are applying. 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; religious; spiritual; community; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer and part time experience. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week. BASIC REQUIREMENT(S): Education: Applicants must have a Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) or Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree from a school approved by the American Dental Association (ADA) or the Commission on Dental Accreditation(CODA) or an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained. Licensure: Applicants must have passed the National Board Dental Examinations (NBDE) which are developed and administered by the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations (JCNDE) and possess a current, full, and unrestricted license to practice dentistry in a State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States. Experience: In addition to meeting the above education and licensure requirements, applicants must have one or more full years of experience, equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, performing professional dentistry work for GS-12 level and above assignments. Qualifying experience involves the evaluation, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases, injuries, and disorders of the oral cavity and maxillofacial area. Examples of dentistry experience may include the removal of decay; filling cavities; straightening, extracting, and repairing teeth; treating gum diseases; performing corrective surgery; making measurements/models for dentures to replace missing teeth, administering anesthetics, writing prescriptions; and performing other requirements of the position. Some dentists specialize in an area, such as, but not limited to, the following: Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Pediatric Dentistry, Periodontics, Prosthodontics, Endodontics, Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Dental Public Health. For the above specialty areas, experience, education, board certification, and/or training must clearly establish the applicant's status as a specialist. Agencies should review the applicant's experience to determine the types and difficulty of the cases dealt with, the level of knowledge and understanding of the specialization regularly required, the extent of diagnostic skills and treatment planning ability involved, and the pertinent graduate study acquired. Medical Requirements Applicants must be able to distinguish shades of color. Additional Requirements for the GS-12 (or equivalent) Grade Level In addition to the above Basic Requirements for the GS-11 (or equivalent) level, Applicants must complete a 2-year residency program in dentistry, oral health, craniofacial sciences, or a related medical science; or Equivalent experience, equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, and/or training. Your resume must demonstrate at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector performing the following type of work and/or tasks: Qualifying experience involves the evaluation, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases, injuries, and disorders of the oral cavity and maxillofacial area. Examples of Dentistry experience may include the removal of decay; Filling cavities; Straightening, extracting, and repairing teeth, treating gum diseases; Performing corrective surgery; Making measurements/models for dentures to replace missing teeth, administering anesthetics, writing prescriptions; Administer treatment greater than usual difficulty, deal with cases presenting patient behavior and communication problems; Supervise a dental program, which includes managing the budget and staff. Prepare schedules for completion of work. Develop training needs of employees. Develop performance standards and complete performance evaluations. Supervisory Abilities: This is a supervisory position and candidates, in addition to the professional qualifications listed, must have demonstrated in their work experience or training, that they possess, or have potential to develop, the qualities of successful supervision, as required for this position. You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement. Education This position has an education requirement. You are strongly encouraged to submit a copy of your transcripts or a list of your courses including titles, credit hours completed, and grades. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted in the application package. Official transcripts will be required from all selectees prior to receiving an official offer. Only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education may be credited. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: https://www.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/. Additional information Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. IHS may offer newly-appointed Federal employees credit for their directly related previous non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. This position is ineligible for the Bargaining Unit. Recruitment or relocation incentives may be authorized. A service agreement will be required. The Indian Health Service (IHS), National Health Service Corps (NHSC), and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) have student loan repayment programs for qualifying health disciplines. This is a competitive process separate from the hiring process. Opportunities for LRP are based on agency hiring priorities and availability of funds. For additional information please visit: For IHS - http://www.ihs.gov/loanrepayment/ You will be evaluated for this position in accordance with the OPM Merit Hiring Plan. As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide short essay responses (200 words or less each) to the following four questions. How has your commitment to the Constitution and the founding principles of the United States inspired you to pursue this role within the Federal government? In this role, how would you use your skills and experience to improve government efficiency and effectiveness? How would you help advance the President's Executive Orders and policy priorities in this role? How has a strong work ethic contributed to your professional, academic or personal achievements? Your responses are optional and will not be scored. However, they may be reviewed by hiring managers and agency leadership (or designees) during the evaluation process. You will be asked to certify that your responses are written in your own words and that you did not use a consultant or artificial intelligence (AI) tool (such as ChatGPT or Copilot). Financial Suitability Requirement: This position requires a review of the applicant's financial history as part of the personnel security and suitability determination. Applicants must demonstrate financial responsibility, maintain good standing with creditors, and satisfy all legal financial obligations prior to applying. Individuals with substantial delinquent or unresolved financial obligations-including, but not limited to, delinquent federal or state tax liabilities, defaulted federal student loans, court-ordered fines or fees, or child support arrears-may be deemed unsuitable for employment with the Indian Health Service (IHS). Expand Hide  additional information Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution. Benefits Review our benefits