Summary
Incumbent functions as the Program Coordinator of the NWI VAHCS Vestibular Program and is responsible for providing comprehensive clinical services, and coordinating and overseeing the program. The incumbent is expected to carry out general duty assignments but also serves as the subject matter expert for health care providers regarding delivery of care in the area of vestibular disorders. Demonstrates advanced knowledge of specialized procedures and tests in evaluating vestibular disorders.
This job is open to
Clarification from the agency
This job is open to current permanent employees of the facility, Nebraska-Western Iowa VA Health Care System.
Area of Consideration - Eligible applications will be reviewed and referred in the following order:
1. Current permanent VA employees of the facility.
Duties
Major duties include, but are not limited to the following:
- The incumbent at this grade level is an advanced-practice, independent, licensed practitioner and applies advanced audiology knowledge, theories, and techniques to a full range of complex patient populations. In addition to clinical duties of a staff audiologist at the full practice level, incumbent has special clinical program responsibilities for implementation and ongoing operation of vestibular audiology services.
- In carrying out the clinical duties and responsibilities of this position, the incumbent: uses knowledge of contemporary audiology practice; exercises independent clinical judgment and adapts clinical procedures and techniques to accommodate age-specific and unique patient conditions, needs, and expectations; consults with physicians and other health care practitioners related to diagnostic evaluation and treatment; evaluates patients to determine nature, type, and severity of hearing disorders using a full range of diagnostic tests and techniques; extensive history taking, record review and consultation with family and other health care practitioners; plans, coordinates, and implements a full range of patient-focused treatment services designed to optimize function; documents in the medical record: evaluation results, diagnosis and clinical opinion, treatment plans, outcomes of treatment, changes in functional status and patient/family education; attends interdisciplinary team meetings; participates with other health care practitioners to address the global needs of the patient; advises on diagnosis and treatment; applies advanced theories and techniques to special patient populations, provides professional advice and counseling, and provide consultation as the SME in vestibular disorders for audiology.
- The incumbent is responsible for the oversight of the Vestibular Program for audiology: provides vestibular evaluation and treatment with an in-depth understanding of complex and difficult patients with multiple physical, sensory, motor, cognitive, or other issues that may complicate care; demonstrates advanced competence in the examination and treatment of patients with vestibular disorders; serves as a SME in the area vestibular disorders; reviews, updates and maintains policies and procedures related to the Vestibular Program; articulates and communicates goals, objectives, and focused initiatives to associated staff of the Vestibular Program, as well as guiding the team members on work methods, practices, and procedures; consults with the interdisciplinary team which includes primary care, neurology, otolaryngology, and pharmacy, creating and maintaining an ongoing working relationship within NWI VAHCS, for provision of vestibular services; and continually monitors and tracks the efficacy and quality of the program to make suggestions for ongoing improvement.
- The incumbent 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; and follows applicable informed consent, HIPAA rules on privacy and protecting patient rights.
- In carrying out the administrative duties and responsibilities of the position, incumbent: functions as Vestibular Program Coordinator; uses knowledge of contemporary audiology practices; articulates and communicates goals, objectives, and focused initiatives for a specialized clinical program, as well as guiding other service staff members on work methods, practices, and procedures; coaches the clinical team, evaluates, and tracks the performance of the vestibular program and makes recommendations for improvement; creates and maintains the handouts, training guides, questionnaires, and presentations for vestibular disorders and testing; and obtains assistance from supervisors or program managers on problems that may arise.
Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7:00am-3:30pm
Telework: Not Eligible
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Requirements
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; 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
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. § 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.
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:
Audiologist (Clinical Specialist), GS-13:
- Experience: At least two years of experience as a professional audiologist, with at least one year comparable to the next lower grade (GS-12) level.
- GS-12 level experience includes:
- 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.
- Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the KSAs required at the full performance level, the following KSAs are required:
- Advanced knowledge in a focused area of contemporary audiology practice to provide oversight of a specialty program.
- Skill to evaluate the specialty program to ensure deadlines and goals are met.
- Skill to coordinate initiatives and build consensus among interdisciplinary team members.
- Ability to monitor and report on work progress in the specialty program to adjust workload and processes.
- Ability to serve as the SME and provide education relating to the specialty program.
Preferred Experience: Experience completing comprehensive vestibular services. Experience completing posturography evaluations. Experience training Audiology doctoral students at all levels in vestibular evaluations.
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-13. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-13.
Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.
Education
IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application.
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
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.
VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.
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.
Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.
The VA Midwest Health Care Network advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being.
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.
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.
Review our benefits
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.
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.
This job is open to current permanent employees of the facility, Nebraska-Western Iowa VA Health Care System.
Area of Consideration - Eligible applications will be reviewed and referred in the following order:
1. Current permanent VA employees of the facility.
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.
Required Documents
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
- License
- Long-form resume/Curriculum vitae (CV)
- SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
- Transcript
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
- License
- Long-form resume/Curriculum vitae (CV)
- Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Document - can be found under qualification section of announcement
- Performance Appraisal
- Professional Certification
- SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
- Transcript
Veterans' preference does not apply for internal or other current permanent Federal agency employees.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from
schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
How to Apply
All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the full questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 10/26/2026 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13093735.
- To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
- Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.
NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.
Next steps
Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. After we receive application packages (including all required documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we will review applications to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email. Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made.
You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USA Jobs account and clicking on Applications. Information regarding your application status can be found in the USAJobs Help Center.
NOTE: Participation in the seasonal influenza program is a condition of employment and a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). It is a requirement that all HCP to receive annual seasonal influenza vaccination or obtain an exemption for medical or religious reasons. Wearing a face mask is required when an exemption to the influenza vaccination has been granted. HCP in violation of this directive may face disciplinary action up to and including removal from federal service. HCP are individuals who, during the influenza season, work in VHA locations or who come into contact with VA patients or other HCP as part of their duties. VHA locations include, but are not limited to, VA hospitals and associated clinics, community living centers (CLCs), community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs), domiciliary units, Vet centers and VA-leased medical facilities. HCP include all VA licensed and unlicensed, clinical and administrative, remote and onsite, paid and without compensation, full- and part-time employees, intermittent employees, fee basis employees, VA contractors, researchers, volunteers and health professions trainees (HPTs) who are expected to perform any or all of their work at these facilities. HPTs may be paid or unpaid and include residents, interns, fellows and students. HCP also includes VHA personnel providing home-based care to Veterans and drivers and other personnel whose duties put them in contact with patients outside VA medical facilities.