Clarification from the agency

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

Major duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:

• Perform otoscopic examination and cerumen removal
• Perform behavioral and electrophysiologic assessments to diagnose hearing and balance disorders- Identify, evaluate, diagnose, manage, treat disorders of human hearing, balance, tinnitus, and other disorders.
• Independently perform accurate compensation and pension examinations of the auditory/vestibular system.
• Perform comprehensive and complete audiological evaluations and special audiological procedures (Acoustic Reflex and decay, Otoacoustic Emissions, and Middle Ear Impedance, etc.) to assist the Otolaryngologist or Neurologist in the differential diagnosis of auditory and vestibular disorders or disease entities.
• Identify and evaluate abilities of reception and perception of speech, language, and other acoustic signals: peripheral and central auditory disfunctions; and evaluate the type and degree of hearing loss for normal hearing, individuals with hearing disorders, and patients who are normally unable to provide consistent and reliable responses to diagnostics.
• Administer the full range of tests within an Audiologist's scope of practice to include but not limited to audiometric assessments, electro-physiologic tests, vestibular assessments, tinnitus assessments, auditory processing assessments, cochlear implant assessments and ototoxic assessments in person or via telehealth services as required.
• Provide comprehensive rehabilitation programs for aural rehabilitation, tinnitus rehabilitation, and vestibular rehabilitation to patients when this type of clinical management is indicated.
• Treat hearing disorders through a variety of modalities and provide adjunctive interventions for treatment of medical disorders.
• Makes appropriate medical referral.
• Administers aural rehabilitation.
• Select and dispense tinnitus maskers and devices; referral to or conducting tinnitus education or PTM class as part of a comprehensive tinnitus rehabilitation program.
• Administer vestibular rehabilitation with treatments such as canalith repositioning techniques and other balance rehabilitation strategies.
• Responsible for direct services of a remedial and sometimes preventative nature which encompass hearing conservation for employees, DAV drivers, and patients; make recommendations for use of hearing protection and the issuance of ear defenders for prevention of acoustic trauma for those individuals working in a noisy environment or have been exposed to ototoxic substances; counsels on hearing conservation techniques for ototoxic and noise exposed patients and sometimes may make a recommendation for change of job in those cases where hearing loss is progressing due to high noise level exposure.
• Precepting student trainees in audiology.
• Participate in research activities and/or quality improvement projects pertinent to clinical audiology.
• Responsible for the proper maintenance, infection control needs, and calibration of the specialized instrumentation utilized in the assessment of the auditory vestibular system.
• Determines the appropriateness of amplification devices and systems such as hearing aids, sensory aids, hearing assistive devices, alerting and telecommunication systems, and caption devices for Veterans with hearing impairment taking into consideration physical, acoustic, cosmetic, situational, and contextual factors
• Selecting, evaluating, fitting, and programming amplification devices and systems customize to the individual needs of Veterans; verifying the effectiveness of such devices or systems; counseling and training Veterans in the use of amplification devices and systems and determining the benefit of amplification devices and systems.
• Determining candidacy based on hearing and communication information for auditory implants
• Evaluate and provide treatment and management for Veterans with tinnitus using techniques that include but are not limited to educational counseling, biofeedback, masking, sound therapy, hearing aids, directed counseling, and combined methods
• Measuring functional outcomes, consumer satisfaction, effectiveness, efficiency and cost-benefit of practices and programs to maintain and improve the quality of audiology services
• Participating in education and administration of audiology graduate and professional education programs including education, mentoring, and supervision of associated health trainees
• Training, supervising, and managing health technicians and other support personnel.

Work Schedule: 4-10s: 7:00am - 5:30pm, either Monday-Thursday, Tuesday-Friday or Wednesday-Saturday
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 593-00250-F: GS-12. 593-00249-F: GS-11.
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.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• 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:

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• 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).
  • 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.
• 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.
• Grandfathering Provision. All individuals employed in VHA in this occupational series or in another occupational series performing the duties described in the qualification standard on the effective date of the 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 of this standard but previously met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply:
  • (1) Audiologists may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journeyman) level or changed to a lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journeyman level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions.
  • (2) Audiologists who are converted to title 38 hybrid status under this provision and subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of re-entry to the occupation.
  • (3) Audiologists who are appointed temporarily 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 meet the basic requirements of the standard.
  • (4) Audiologists initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard, must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation.
• 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.
• English Language Proficiency. Audiologist candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).

Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining grades.

GS-11

• Education. None beyond the basic requirements.
• In addition to the basic requirements, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs):
  • (a) Knowledge of principles and techniques in the assessment and treatment of auditory and balance disorders.
  • (b) Ability to perform functions associated with contemporary audiology scope of practice as defined by the American Academy of Audiology or the ASHA.
  • (c) 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.

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.
• In addition to the KSAs required at the full performance level, the following KSAs are required:
  • (a) Skill in determining nature, type, and severity of hearing/communication/vestibular disorders.
  • (b) Skill in counseling patients and family members regarding management of hearing/communication/vestibular disorders
  • (c) Ability to provide professional advice and consultation in areas related to professional audiology to other health care professionals.
  • (d) Ability to independently apply professional contemporary audiologic treatments to the full range of patient populations.

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).

Grandfathering Provision.

Employees in VHA in this occupation, under a permanent, appropriate, and legal placement on the effective date of the qualification standard, are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade and/or assignment held, including positive education and licensure, where applicable. For employees who do not meet all the basic or assignment specific requirements in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed, the following provisions apply:
(1) Employees may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level, or be changed to a lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or be newly placed in supervisory or managerial positions.
(2) Employees 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.
(3) Employees retained in this occupation under this provision who subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of re-entry to the occupation.
(4) Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional licensure that meets all the basic or assignment specific qualification requirements of this standard must maintain the required credential as a condition of employment in the occupation.
(5) NOTE: This grandfathering provision is not intended to regularize appointments/ placements.

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's work is moderate. Heavy lifting (45 lbs. and over); Moderate Carrying (15-44 lbs.); Straight Pulling, Pushing, reaching above shoulder, Walking (up to 3 hours); Standing (up to 3 hours); Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; Near vision correctable at 13" to 16"; Both eyes required; Depth perception; Ability to distinguish basic colors; Ability to distinguish shades of color; 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; 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.

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

• Resume

Special Note for Applications: To complete your application, please use the following link https://vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Resume.docx to download the standard Clinical Resume Document. This one-page document does not need to be modified and must be uploaded into the two-page restricted 'Resume' document upload field.

Your full resume/CV may be uploaded without page limitation into the 'Other' document upload field.


The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), etc.

• Cover Letter
• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Disability Letter (VA)
• Other (1)
• Professional Certification
• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-15
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit Feds Hire Vets - Veterans - Job Seekers - Veterans' Preference.

Veterans' preference does not apply for internal or other current permanent Federal agency employees.

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