Orthotic Seating Specialist

POSITION SUMMARY: The Orthotic Seating Specialist (OSS) is primarily responsible for fabricating Aspen Seating orthoses and Ride Designs seating systems as a licensed practitioner and core clinical and technical resource for the Aspen Seating Clinic. The OSS performs the following duties in collaboration with the interdisciplinary team.

PRINCIPAL JOB DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Collaborates with the Seating Clinician(s) to complete and interpret clinical evaluations for clients referred to Aspen Seating for custom seating and positioning systems.
• Confirms that client information intake is complete and captures current circumstances, client goals, functional needs, and clinical presentation including results of a comprehensive mat table assessment to determine postural support and skin protection priorities.
• Communicates and collaborates with the Aspen Seating personnel and the client’s family representative(s) and interdisciplinary team (i.e., personal care providers, therapists, medical providers, Assistive Technology Professionals, others) to confirm beneficial features of the custom seating system.
• Fabricates custom seating systems through established processes to meet identified client needs relevant to the device or surface for which the system is designed (e.g., wheelchair, bed, personal care equipment, adaptive sports equipment).
• Facilitates timely and appropriate client trial of the custom system during the fabrication process to identify opportunities for improvement and complete modifications before the system is finalized.
• With delivery of the custom seating system, provides comprehensive education for the client, their family representative(s) and their interdisciplinary team to facilitate long term safe and effective use of the custom system provided.
• Communicates with colleagues to facilitate peer collaboration to review client outcomes and investigate and resolve unique challenges or unusual circumstances to provide optimal seating systems for clients.
• Provides consultative and/or direct hands-on support to seating system production staff for challenging and/or unique techniques to support optimal fabrication of seating systems for clients.
• Assists in teaching Ride Certification courses to share knowledge and advance professional skills.
• Supports Aspen/Ride customer base (e.g., clients, clinical professionals, associated stakeholders) as Aspen Clinic schedule and demands allow.

REQUIRED SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

• Advanced degree (Master of Science or Master of Arts) from an accredited Orthotics and Prosthetics academic program.
• Certification as a Prosthetist/Orthotist.
• At least four years of Orthotic and Prosthetic related experience and training involving prosthetic limb, orthosis, and/or seating system fabrication.
• Knowledge of client evaluation priorities, simulation strategies, and fabrication approaches to provide custom seating systems (e.g., certification as Ride Designs Level II Custom Systems Practitioner).
• General awareness of client circumstances for which custom seating systems are potentially beneficial such as wheelchairs, sleep surfaces, personal care equipment, transportation surfaces and adaptive sports technologies.
• Broad experience and insight interacting with individuals with disabilities across varied circumstances.
• Awareness of and appropriate application of published research findings that directly substantiate and/or facilitate optimized shape, function, and fabrication of seating systems for varied situations.
• Maintains educational and administrative requirements to maintain professional credentials. Schedules continuing education and professional development activities around clinic responsibilities.

COMPETENCIES:

• Analytical – Synthesizes complex or diverse information; Collects and researches data; Uses intuition and experience to complement data; Designs work flows and procedures.
• Problem Solving – Identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner; Gathers and analyzes information skillfully; Develops alternative solutions; Works well in group problem solving situations; Uses reason even when dealing with emotional topics.
• Technical Skills – Assesses own strengths and weaknesses; Pursues training and development opportunities; Strives to continuously build knowledge and skills; Shares expertise with others.
• Customer Service – Manages difficult or emotional customer situations; Responds promptly to customer needs; Solicits customer feedback to improve service; Responds to requests for service and assistance; Meets commitments.
• Interpersonal Skills – Focuses on solving conflict; Maintains confidentiality; Listens to others; Keeps emotions under control; Remains open to others’ ideas and tries new things.
• Oral Communication – Speaks clearly and persuasively in positive or negative situations; Listens and gets clarification; Responds well to questions; Demonstrates group presentation skills; Participates in meetings.
• Teamwork – Balances team and individual responsibilities; Exhibits objectivity and openness to others’ views; Gives and welcomes feedback; Contributes to building a positive team spirit; Puts success of team above own interests; Able to build morale and group commitments to goals and objectives; Supports everyone’s efforts to succeed.
• Quality Management – Looks for ways to improve and promote quality; Demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness.
• Ethics & Organizational Support – Treats people with respect; Keeps commitments; Inspires the trust of others; Works with integrity and ethically; Upholds and supports organization’s values and goals. Follows policies and procedures.
• Judgment – Displays willingness to make decisions; Exhibits sound and accurate judgment; Supports and explains reasoning for decisions; Includes appropriate people in decision-making process; Makes timely decisions.
• Safety & Security – Observes safety and security procedures; Determines appropriate action beyond guidelines; Reports potentially unsafe conditions; Uses equipment and materials properly.
• Adaptability – Adapts to changes in the work environment; Manages competing demands; Changes approach or method to best fit the situation; Able to deal with frequent change, delays, or unexpected events.
• Attendance / Punctuality – Is consistently at work and on time; Ensures work responsibilities are covered when absent.
• Dependability – Follows instructions; responds to management direction; Takes responsibility for own actions; Keeps commitments; Commits to long hours of work when necessary to reach goals; Completes tasks on time or notifies appropriate person with an alternate plan.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an associate to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• The employee is regularly required to stand, bend, walk and use hands.
• The ability to climb, balance and stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl may be required.
• The employee must regularly move up to 10 lbs., frequently lift/move up to 50 lbs., and occasionally lift/move up to 75 lbs.
• The environment is that of a clinical setting, technical fabrication shop and shipping warehouse, where the employee is regularly exposed to moving mechanical parts and fumes or airborne particles.
• The noise level is considered moderate.