Clarification from the agency

This job is open to current permanent Department of Veteran Affairs employees, current permanent Federal employees of other agencies and all US Citizens. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

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Incumbent has overall responsibility for management and direction of large, geographically- separated, integrated health care facility. Incumbent plans, coordinates, and evaluates complex interdisciplinary services across the full continuum of care including not only audiology and speech-language pathology but also other focused rehabilitation, ancillary, or other health care services. The incumbent is responsible for oversight of clinical competence and performance of peers. Incumbent has the responsibility for general supervision of clinical and/or training programs, and overall technical and administrative oversight for operations within the service

EDUCATION

• Provides orientation/training of medical staff
• Assists in orientation and training of new staff
• Assists in the training and supervision of students, trainees, and fellows, providing feedback on progress toward established educational goals
• Keeps current with theory and practice through continuing education programs, journals, textbooks, and other literature, and in-service programs.
• Provides patient and family education including informed consent.

ADMINISTRATIVE

In carrying out the administrative duties and responsibilities of the position, incumbent:

• Develops, organizes, directs, manages, supervises, controls, and implements policies and procedures for complex service-level departments;
• Demonstrates skill in managing and directing work to include setting priorities and delegating tasks, meeting multiple deadlines, analyzing complex organizational problems in order to develop and implement effective solutions;
• Balances responsibilities applicable to a large service-level or multi-service organizational environment and to work with great autonomy;
• Has skill in interpersonal relationships in dealing with employees, team leaders, and managers and shows potential ability to supervise, motivate, and manage effectively a diverse clinical staff applicable to a service-level department in a large, complex, or multi-division facility;
• Has advanced knowledge of and ability to utilize evidence-based practices and clinical practice guidelines in multiple professional areas, and to guide the service staff in applying these tools;
• Has skill in problem solving and conflict resolution,;
• Shows potential ability to and knowledge of, and ability to budgets for a large, integrated services including not only speech-language pathology but also other focused rehabilitation, ancillary, or other health care services;
• Has overall responsibility for planning, assessing, and evaluating programs to ensure proper coordination between care delivered by the service and the overall delivery of health care within the facility;
• Delegates responsibilities to subordinate section or assistant chiefs (if applicable), planning, and scheduling work; assigning work to employees; accepting, amending or rejecting completed work; assuring that production and accuracy requirements are met; appraising performance and recommending performance standards and ratings; assigning delineated clinical privileges; approving leave; and effecting all levels of disciplinary measures;
• Exercises supervision, administrative management and direction of both professional areas in a unified audiology and speech-language pathology service or equivalent service-level department, or administrative management and program direction of other rehabilitation-related areas;
• Establishes and monitors productivity standards and production and performance priorities and accommodates to new and changing work conditions and contingencies, including staffing changes;
• Translates management goals and objectives into well-coordinated and controlled service operations.

Work Schedule: Monday- Friday 8:00am-4:30pm
Telework: Ad-hoc
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 09310F
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
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:

• English Language Proficiency: Audiologist must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7403(f).
• Citizenship: Must be a citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified candidates in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g, this part.)
• Education and Experience:

A master's degree, or its equivalent, in speech-language pathology, communication disorders or a directly related field from an accredited college or university and one year of creditable experience.
OR,
A doctoral degree in speech-language pathology, communication disorders and sciences or a related field, from an accredited college or university.

• 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.
• Loss of Credential. Management officials, in collaboration with HR Office staff, must immediately relieve employees of the duties and responsibilities associated with the occupation who fail to maintain the required certification, both current and in good standing, which may result in separation from employment. An SLP who has, or has ever had, their SLP license revoked, suspended, denied, restricted, limited or issued/placed in a probationary status may be appointed only in accordance with the provisions in Chapter 3, section B, paragraph 16 of this part.
• Grandfathering Provision. All persons employed in VHA in this occupational series or in another occupational series that are also performing the duties as described in the qualification standard on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade held, including positive education and licensure. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply:

1. SLPs may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance level or changed to a lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the full performance level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions.
2. If SLPs who are retained under this provision leave the occupation, they will lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of re-entry to the occupation.
3. SLPs initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard, must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment.
4. SLPs who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.

Grade Determinations: In addition to basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining grade for GS-14, Supervisory Speech-Language Pathologist.

• Experience: In addition to the basic requirements at the GS-13 level, completion of one year of professional experience comparable to the next lower level.
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the KSAs required at the full performance level, the candidate must demonstrate the following professional KSAs identified below.

1. Skill to translate management goals and objectives into efficient service operations.
2. Skill in providing clinical and administrative oversight of service operations within complex facilities and/or multiple sites.
3. Skill in conflict resolution to facilitate positive working relationships between employees, team leaders and management.
4. Ability to effectively collaborate with local, VISN and national leadership.

Assignments. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity and range of variety and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. Service chiefs at this level are responsible for managing a unified audiology and speech-language pathology service or equivalent organizational unit in a large, complex or multi-site medical center. They ensure that services provided are of high quality and are consistent with contemporary and evidence-based clinical practice. In providing direction for a specialized and complex service-level department, Service chiefs formulate objectives and priorities and implement plans consistent with the organization's long-term interest, capitalizing on opportunities and managing risks. Service chiefs must demonstrate active problem and conflict resolution skills and maintain effective interdepartmental relationships to accomplish the medical facility's mission and goals. Service chiefs manage budgets, determine resource needs, allocate resources and ensure appropriate service productivity, 15 efficiency and cost-effectiveness. They perform supervisory duties such as preparing personnel actions, performance management; planning, scheduling and assigning work; managing leave; assessing competencies; appraising performance; and recommending clinical privileges or scope of practice. Service chiefs ensure orientation and training programs are established for staff development and oversee academic affiliations, internship and fellowship programs.

Preferred Experience: Experience as supervisory speech pathologist or audiologist. Licensed Audiologist or Speech Pathologists. Employee management experience. Prior VA experience preferred.

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-14.

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

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; 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.

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.