Clarification from the agency

Eligible applications will be reviewed and referred in the following order: 1. Current permanent VA employees of the facility. 2. All other VA employees. 3. Current permanent Federal employees of other agencies. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

The duties and responsibilities are carried out in all clinical and other patient care areas involved with the Audiology service.. The health technician supports the function of the clinical programs in Audiology. The incumbent is a staff Health Technician (Audiology) under the supervision of a GS-12 audiologist or above.

• Greets and escorts patients.
• Responsible for patient care and supports diagnostic and treatment procedures.
• Completes patient charting and patient education.
• Supports functions include both direct patient care and administrative duties.
• Mentors and trains new Health Technicians (Audiology)
• Triage patients to an audiologist based on complexity of the procedures being completed.
• Sets up for advanced diagnostic procedures.
• Assists patient instructions and counseling on hearing loss or hearing aids either on an individual basis or in a group setting.
• Plans, coordinates and implements the audiologic rehabilitation one-to-one and group focused programs for the Audiology service under the direction and supervision of a licensed audiologist
• Utilizes an otoscope in performance of non-diagnostic otoscopy
• Demonstrates knowledge of the basic anatomy of the external ear and external auditory canal; ability to observe the difference between normal and abnormal
• Posses basic knowledge of instruments used in tests and procedures
• Must have basic knowledge in electronics required to troubleshoot hearing aids and assistive listening devices
• Demonstrates knowledge and experience in appropriate handling, troubleshooting and modification of hearing aids
• Adapts procedure to accomplish care where guidelines of the position do not apply.
• Performs impressions of the ear and invasive procedures such as cerumen management when necessary and assesses appropriateness in physical fit of technology.
• Handles complexity and a range of variety in education and instruction to patients and family members in a one-to-one or group setting under the direction of a supervising audiologist to optimize rehabilitative and health outcomes and establish realistic expectations for patients utilizing amplification, assistive listening devices, and accessories.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 7:00am-3:30pm
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: F05078
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Notifications:

• Current federal employees must submit copies of their most recent non-award SF50 (notice of personnel action). The SF50 must identify the position, title, series, grade, step, tenure and type of service (competitive or excepted). In some cases, more than one SF50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held.
• This position is covered by locality-based comparability pay.
• Veterans' preference does not apply for internal or other current permanent Federal agency employees.
• Narrative responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) may be required from the selectee in order to proceed with the appointment.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• 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:

• 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: HTA, HTSLP or HTASLP candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by38 U.S.C. § 7403 (f).
• Experience. Six months of experience comparable to the next lower level which demonstrates the knowledge, skills and abilities related to the duties of the position to be filled.

OR

• Education. Successful completion of two academic years above high school leading to an associate degree or a bachelor's degree with at least 12 semester hours in courses related to the position.

OR

• Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying. An example of a combination of experience/education is three months of experience comparable to the next lower level which demonstrates the knowledge, skills and abilities related to the duties of the position to be filled and one year above high school with a minimum of 6 semester hours related to the health care industry,
• Certification: Not required at the GS-07 level.

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:

GS-07 Health Technician Audiology:
Experience. Completion of one year of progressive experience and/or experience equivalent to the next lower grade level directly related to the position being filled.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:

• Ability to mentor and train new HTAs.
• Ability to prepare patients for advanced testing procedures performed by the audiologist, such as evoked potentials.
• Ability to develop and implement the technician role for a program in a focused area of audiology.

Assignment: For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity and range of variety as described in this standard at the specified grade level and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. The HTA at this level works under supervision and direction of a licensed audiologist. Assignments associated with this position include, but are not limited to: completing adjustments to hearing aid settings as outlined in the audiologist's plan of care, preparing patients for advanced diagnostic procedures such as evoked potentials and collaborating with audiology team to develop training programs for patients and staff.

Preferred Experience: Ideal candidates will demonstrate strong Veteran-centered customer service; comfort working with older adults, cognitive impairment and dementia; and the ability to remain calm, accurate, and courteous in various clinical settings to include outpatient, inpatient, and Community Based Outpatient Clinics. Experience supporting hearing aid mail processing and ROES certification, including walk-ins, troubleshooting, cleaning, inventory tracking, and inpatient hearing aid checks is highly desirable. Proficiency with electronic health records, strong communication skills, attention to detail, and the ability to multitask while supporting multiple providers are preferred. Tele-audiology experience is a plus but not required. Reliability, flexibility, and a collaborative team mindset are essential.

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-07.

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.

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

• Resume
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action

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
• Resume
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action (for Eligibility and/or Time-in-Grade): If you are a current federal employee, you must attach your most recent, non-award SF-50. This SF-50 should not be more than a year old and must show your current position, grade and step. Award SF-50's typically do not provide sufficient information and will not be accepted if they do not include Grade and Step.

In order to clearly demonstrate you possess the time-in-grade as required by the announcement, additional SF-50s should be attached which clearly demonstrate the minimum time-in-grade requirement.

Examples of appropriate SF-50's include:

• Within grade increases at the highest grade held.
• Promotions with an effective date more than one year old.
• SF-50's at the highest grade held with an effective date more than one year old.

Next steps