Audiologist

Summary

Audiologist, serves within the Salem VAMC Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Service, providing comprehensive audiologic care. Performs diagnostic hearing, balance, and auditory evoked potential evaluations; hearing aid assessment, fitting, programming, and follow-up services; and Compensation and Pension (C&P) examinations. Prepares expert medical opinions for disability determinations and provides rehabilitative services for patients with hearing and balance disorders.

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Duties

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Duties include, but are not limited to:

• Assess the nature, type, and severity of hearing/communication/vestibular disorders: Identifies and evaluates individuals with hearing disorders in the reception and perception of speech, language, and other acoustic signals. Administers the full range of tests, including auditory evoked potentials, videonystagmography, tinnitus, and balance assessment; evaluates the type and degree of hearing loss; administers compensation and pension evaluations; and provides an expert opinion regarding the etiology of auditory dysfunction, as needed.
• Recommends remedial measures to mitigate hearing loss: Responsible for direct services of a remedial and preventative nature. Services include the selection, evaluation, and fitting of hearing aids, assistive listening devices, and accessories; and issuance of hearing protection. Incumbent plans, conducts, and coordinates auditory (aural) rehabilitation, tinnitus and/or vestibular rehabilitation programs for patients; designs patient-centered treatment plans to assist patients and caregivers to maximize and restore to the greatest extent possible physical and social functioning; and designs, monitors, and conducts a comprehensive hearing conservation program for employees at risk for noise exposure.
• Counsels patients and family members on managing hearing communication and vestibular disorders: Counsels patients, family, and other health care providers on hearing loss and hearing loss management, and provides patient educational resources. Incumbent serves as a consultant to other facility personnel involving the most difficult and complex cases.
• Provides professional advice and consultation in areas related to professional audiology to other health care professionals: Serves as consultant to other health care professionals and is recognized as a subject matter expert (SME) on matters related to hearing, tinnitus, and balance disorders. The supervisor may assign staff audiologists to any VHA program and setting, such as inpatient or outpatient medicine, primary care, surgery, hearing health, neurology, rehabilitation medicine, geriatrics, compensation and pension.
• Independently applies professional contemporary audiology treatments to the full range of patient populations: Applies clinical skills in such areas as hearing conservation, electrophysiological assessment and interpretation, central auditory function assessment and treatment, counseling for coping with tinnitus, and analysis and fitting of advanced amplification technology. Applies knowledge, theories, and techniques to a full range of complex adult patients. Applies knowledge of embryology, genetics, pharmacology, basic physiology/disease processes, and the effects of high-intensity noise on the auditory mechanism.

Work Schedule : Monday-Friday, 7:45 am - 4:30 pm

Telework : Ad-hoc

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement # : 000000

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives : Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized

Requirements

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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 ( 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.
• 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 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a).
• 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).
• 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. Must 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. Exception: 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. § 7405(c)(2). Non-Licensed individuals may only be appointed at the entry level and may not be promoted/converted to the GS-12 grade level until licensure is obtained.

Grade Determinations.

GS 11 Audiologist

1. Education. None beyond the basic requirements.
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.
3. 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 Audiologist (Full Performance Level)

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, GS-11.
2. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the KSAs required at the full performance level, the following KSAs are required:
   • 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.

Preferred Experience: Audiology licensure within the United States or United States territory and hearing aid experience.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit

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

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.

Education

• 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.

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: 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:

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.

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.

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.

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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.