All requirements must be met by the close date of this announcement, 02/21/2025
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:
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- English Language Proficiency. Audiologist candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).
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-13 Supervisory Audiologist
Experience: At least two years of experience as a professional audiologist, with at least one year comparable to the next lower grade level, GS-12. AND
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the KSAs required at the full performance level
- 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;
- Provide professional advice and consultation in areas related to professional audiology to other health care professionals:
- Independently apply professional contemporary audiologic treatments to the full range of patient populations.),
the following KSAs are required:
- Skill in conflict resolution to facilitate positive working relationships between employees, team leaders, and managers.
- Skill in applying evidence-based practices in a professional area.
- Ability to analyze organizational and operational challenges to develop and implement solutions.
- Ability to develop the abilities and strengths of current employees.
- Ability to balance responsibilities, set priorities, and delegate tasks to meet multiple deadlines.
- Ability to analyze data to manage workload, quality, performance, and productivity within the section.
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.
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.
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 reentry 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.