Audiologist

Summary

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.

Duties

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Major Duties include but are not limited to:

• Provide audiological services to patients across a large geographic area, including patients with unusually severe or multiple impairments and patients served by other regional VA hospitals.
• Conduct compensation and pension examinations to assess hearing impairment for adjudication and medico-legal purposes.
• Counsel veterans, families, caregivers, and other responsible individuals regarding the nature, degree, and effects of hearing impairment and available treatment options.
• Perform specialized audiological procedures, including site-of-lesion testing, auditory brainstem response (ABR), and electronystagmography/videonystagmography (ENG/VNG), to support the differential diagnosis of auditory and balance disorders.
• Provide treatment and rehabilitation services, including hearing-aid selection and fitting, ear impressions, digital hearing-aid programming, and the selection and fitting of assistive listening devices.
• Inspect, modify, and repair amplification devices and earmolds.
• Provide hearing-conservation services for employees at risk of noise exposure.
• Develop and deliver comprehensive individual and group aural rehabilitation programs focused on amplification use, listening strategies, and optimization of residual hearing.
• Assist the supervisory audiologist with the instruction and supervision of audiology student trainees.
• Provide audiology-related instruction to residents and interns.
• Maintain and calibrate specialized electroacoustic and clinical instrumentation using appropriate technical knowledge and calibration equipment.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 7:30a-4p

Telework: Not available.

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 75179 & 10571-1

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized

EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.Contact [redacted], the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized.

Requirements

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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 identification 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;
• 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:

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• English Language Proficiency. Audiologist candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. a7 7403(f).
• Education.
  
  • 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
  • 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.
• 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.
  
  • 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. a7 7405(c)(2).

May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).

Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, candidates must meet the following grade-determining criteria for appointments at grade levels specified.

Audiologist, GS-11:

1. Education. None beyond the basic education and licensure.
2. Demonstrated 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.

Audiologist, GS-12:

1. 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. Experience includes but is not limited to performing 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.
2. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSA.
   
   • 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.

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: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service.

Education

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.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

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: 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. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

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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

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.