Summary This position is located in the Audiology and Speech Pathology Service at the Orlando VA Healthcare System and is based out of the Viera VA Clinic in Viera, FL. The duties and responsibilities are carried out throughout the organization at all clinical and patient care areas involved with the service. The Audiologist is assigned to a primary duty station but will routinely travel to other sites in accordance with facility policy as part of their Special Clinical Program responsibilities. Responsibilities The Audiologist (Clinical Specialist) provides leadership and direct oversight in the design, development, implementation, planning and management of the specialty program. They serve as coaches or facilitators for the interdisciplinary team and are responsible for training all support staff and trainees as it relates to the specialty program. The Audiologist (Clinical Specialist) plans, conducts and coordinates all aspects of diagnostic evaluation and treatment of hearing impairment and/or balance disorders. The duties of this position are to perform independently the full range of audiological activities for the care of inpatients and outpatients presenting with the most difficult and complex hearing disorders, including those patients whose communicative abilities are compounded by emotional and/or extreme physical symptoms, on an independent basis. Duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to: Serving as the subject matter expert for cochlear implants (CIs) and auditory osseointegrated implants (AOIs). Adhering to the guidelines and clinical practice recommendations regarding CIs/AOIs provided by Veterans Health Administration (VHA) including VA Cochlear Implant Advisory Board Clinical Practice Recommendations. Incorporating and training others on appropriate principles and practices for ongoing clinical management related to CIs/AOIs. Possessing advanced clinical knowledge in the audiology profession with emphasis on cochlear implants including software experience with the VA cochlear implant devices on contract; use of cochlear implant accessories; advanced troubleshooting techniques and ongoing monitoring of clinical innovations. Coordinating all CIs/AOIs device trainings for staff audiologists, health technicians, TCTs, and residents as well as interdisciplinary providers. Providing direct patient care involving a full range of audiology and balance evaluation and treatment services, including the selection and fitting of hearing aids and other amplification systems and devices, aural (auditory) rehabilitation, and counseling of hearing-impaired Veterans and their family. Identifying and evaluating individuals with hearing disorders in the reception and perception of speech, language, and other acoustic signals to a full range of patient complexity. Administering the full range of tests including the testing of vestibular nerve function and vestibular rehabilitation, evaluating the @type and degree of hearing loss for patients who may be unable to provide consistent and reliable reaction to diagnostics. Planning, delivering and monitoring the effectiveness and clinical outcomes of patient-centered treatment and rehabilitation services for patient with significant physical and psychological complicating conditions. Planning, conducting and coordinating auditory (aural) rehabilitation, tinnitus, and/or vestibular rehabilitation programs for patients; designing patient-centered treatment plans to assist patients and caregivers to maximize and restore to the greatest extent possible physical and social functioning; and designing, monitoring and conducting a comprehensive hearing conversation program for employees at risk for noise exposure. Work Schedule: 7:00am - 5:30pm Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday (subject to the needs of the service) Telework: Not available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement # 81877F Audiologist (Clinical Specialist) Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: May be authorized for a highly qualified candidate subject to approval, available funding, and in accordance with agency policy. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized. PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): 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. You may be required to serve a trial period. 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). You must meet all qualifications requirements within 30 days after the closing date of this announcement and before placement of the position. 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: Be a citizen of the United States. 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. 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. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, candidates must meet the following grade-determining criteria for appointments at grade levels specified. 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 level. While we no longer require essay-style responses to our Knowledge's Skills, Abilities, and Other Characteristics (KSAOs), you must be able to demonstrate that you possess the (below) competencies which are necessary to perform the work of the position. Please ensure your resume/CV/application contains sufficient information to support the level of experience/education/training; otherwise, we will not be able to award you credit for the experience/education/training you claim. These are the KSA's for this subject position: 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. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. This position is being filled above the full performance level at GS-13. Physical Requirements: Work is primarily sedentary, and most of the duties can be accomplished sitting comfortably, while others require walking, standing, bending, and carrying or moving items, notebooks, papers, and books. The work is performed in an office and Medical Center setting but will routinely travel to other sites. Work is typically performed in an adequately lighted and climate-controlled office. Education IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Must have a 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. 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: 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.
