Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

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Duties include but are not limited to:

• The audiologist at this level conducts, plans, and coordinates all clinical and administrative aspects of a full range of services associated with contemporary audiology practice.
• Clinical duties and responsibilities include direct patient care involving a full range of audiology and balance evaluation and treatment services, including the selection and fitting of hearing aids and other amplification systems and devices, aural (auditory) rehabilitation, and counseling of hearing-impaired veterans and their family.
• The incumbent identifies and evaluates individuals with hearing disorders in the reception and perception of speech, language and other acoustic signals to a full range of patient complexity.
• Administers the full range of tests including the testing of vestibular nerve function; evaluates the type and degree of hearing loss for patients who may be unable to provide consistent and reliable reaction to diagnostics.
• The incumbent is responsible for planning, delivering, and monitoring the effectiveness and clinical outcomes of patient-centered treatment and rehabilitative services for patients with significant physical and psychological complicating conditions.
• Incumbent plans, conducts, and coordinates auditory (aural) rehabilitation, tinnitus, and/or vestibular rehabilitation programs for patients.
• Incumbent serves as a consultant to other facility personnel involving the most difficult and complex cases and is a recognized subject matter expert on matters related to hearing, tinnitus, and balance disorders.
• The incumbent will be responsible for supervising, evaluating, mentoring, and precepting student trainees in audiology and maintained a liaison with affiliated colleges and universities.
• The incumbent will be responsible for the proper maintenance and calibration of the specialized electro-acoustic instrumentation.
• The incumbent will participate in research activities pertinent to clinical audiology.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30am - 4:00pm
Compressed/Flexible:Not Available.
Telework: Not Available.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 688-25068-F, 688-25069-F
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Available.
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• 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 dentification 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).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 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 trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

Basic Requirements:

• Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States (U.S.). Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a).
• English Language Proficiency. Audiologist candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).
• Education.
  1. Doctor of Audiology (AUD) from an audiology program recognized by the Accreditation Commission for Audiology Education (ACAE) or Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). HR office staff and management officials may verify a program's accreditation from ACAE at acaeaccred.org and CAA at caa.asha.org. OR
  2. Other doctoral degree in hearing science or a directly related field from an institution accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

NOTE: Effective January 1, 2007, the CAA in Audiology and Speech- Language Pathology of ASHA accredits only doctoral degree or AUD programs in audiology.

Foreign Education. To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must have been submitted to a private organization specializing in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials. Such education must have been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. programs.

• Licensure. Individuals must hold a full, current, and unrestricted license to practice audiology at the doctoral level in a United States state, territory, commonwealth, or the District of Columbia.
  1. The Under Secretary of Health, or designee, may appoint a candidate without a license who will be assigned to a research, academic, or administrative position with no patient care responsibilities. In such instances, HR office staff can only appoint these candidates in exceptional circumstances where their credentials demonstrate high professional attainment or expertise in the specialty area.
  2. All audiologists who perform compensation and pension examinations perform direct patient care duties and must possess a full, current, and unrestricted license to practice audiology and must meet the experience requirements under Section 2. D. See 38 C.F.R. § 4.85.
• Exception for Non-Licensed Audiologist.
  • Non-Licensed applicants who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements for licensure, may be given a temporary appointment as a graduate audiologist at the GS-11 grade under the authority of 38 U.S.C. § 7405(c)(2).
  • Non-Licensed individuals shall only provide care under the supervision of a fully licensed audiologists at or above the full performance level.
  • Non-Licensed individuals may only be appointed at the entry level and may not be promoted/converted to the GS-12 grade level until licensure is obtained.
  • Temporary appointments of non-Licensed audiologists may not be extended beyond two years or be converted to a new temporary appointment.
• Failure to Obtain Licensure. In all cases, the graduate audiologists must actively pursue obtaining the required licensure from the date of their appointment. HR office staff will provide unlicensed audiologists with written requirements to obtain licensure, the date by which the license must be acquired and the consequences for not becoming licensed by the deadline. Written notices must be provided prior to the entrance on duty date. Failure to obtain the required credentials by the prescribed date will result in termination of employment.
• Loss of Credential. Management officials, in collaboration with HR Office staff must immediately relieve employees who fail to maintain the required Licensure of the duties and responsibilities associated with this occupation which may also result in separation from employment.

GRADE DETERMINATION - Audiologist, GS-11.

Education. None beyond the basic requirements.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the basic requirements, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:

• Knowledge of principles and techniques in the assessment and treatment of auditory and balance disorders.
• Ability to perform functions associated with contemporary audiology scope of practice as defined by the American Academy of Audiology or the ASHA.
• Ability to interact with patients, families, and other health care professionals.

Assignment. Employees at this grade level serve in audiologist entry-level developmental positions. Audiologists perform audiology assessment and treatment intervention, exercise clinical judgment, adapt clinical procedures and techniques, and document in the medical record appropriate information related to patient care.

GRADE DETERMINATION Audiologist, GS-12.

Experience. In addition to the requirements at the GS-11 level, completion of one year of professional experience comparable to the next lower grade level is required for the GS-12. (Example of GS-11 Experience: perform audiology assessment and treatment intervention, exercise clinical judgment, adapt clinical procedures and techniques, and document in the medical record appropriate information related to patient care.)

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience for the GS-12, the following KSAs are required:

• Skill in determining nature, type, and severity of hearing/communication/vestibular disorders.
• Skill in counseling patients and family members regarding management of hearing/communication/vestibular disorders.
• Ability to provide professional advice and consultation in areas related to professional audiology to other health care professionals.
• Ability to independently apply professional contemporary audiologic treatments to the full range of patient populations.

Assignment. This is the full performance level for staff audiologists. At this level, audiologists are licensed to practice independently in the provision of audiologic services, consulting with peers and supervisors as appropriate. Audiologists serve as consultants to other health care professionals and are recognized subject matter experts (SME) on matters related to hearing, tinnitus, and balance disorders. The supervisor may assign staff audiologists to any VHA program and setting, such as inpatient or outpatient medicine, primary care, surgery, hearing health, neurology, rehabilitation medicine, geriatrics, compensation, and pension. Audiologists diagnose audiologic disorders, conduct audiologic, or neuro-audiologic assessments; treat auditory disorders through various modalities; and provide adjunctive interventions for the treatment of medical disorders. Audiologists consult with medical center staff on various patient care issues. Staff audiologists may be involved in program evaluation, teaching, training, and research activities. Among the modalities provided are individual, family, and group audiologic rehabilitation.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-11 to GS-12.

Physical Requirements: The incumbent will be required to walk patient from the waiting room to exam room, stand while performing audiology testing as needed, carry small packages (1 to 2 lbs.), have near vision correctable at 13" to 16", and have functional hearing (aid permitted).

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

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.

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; 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.