Summary This position is located within VA Altoona, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Services (PMRS) and reports to the Chief of Staff. Incumbent is responsible for the administrative supervision, management and implementation of facility goals. Directly supports Service Line management and the Executive Leadership Team, and VISN 4 as an administrative consultant responsible for planning, organization, development, direction, and evaluation of its program affecting the medical center. Responsibilities The Chief, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Services (Chief, PM&RS) reports to the Chief of Staff. The Chief, PM&RS, is responsible for the administrative supervision, management, and implementation of facility goals of the physical medicine and rehabilitation program at the James E. Van Zandt VA Medical Center, a Complexity Level 3 facility with more than 60 employees, five (5) Center Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs), and 14-county catchment area. The incumbent serves and is charged with responsibility over all medical and non-medical activities and workflow of Acupuncture, Audiology, Chiropractic, Home-Based Primary Care - Rehab, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Prosthetics, Recreation Therapy, Speech Pathology, and specialty clinics such as Amputee, Brace, Pain Management, and Wheelchair Seating and Power Mobility. Major duties include, but may not be limited to: Independently plans, implements, directs, and manages all technical and operational aspects of PM&RS at Altoona VAMC. Plans, develops, and implements short and long-term goals and objectives as part of strategic planning, in collaboration with the Executive Leadership Team, to ensure the provision of quality services to meet the needs of our patient population. Develops and issues direction and policy to clinic staff given the extensive scope of the specialties and the large multi-state geographic referral area. Oversees the resources of the service, coordinating the development and implementation of budgetary, regulation and policy, position management, space and equipment programs, and advises/ recommends priorities to the Executive Leadership Team. Prepares and submits reports as required; directs, obtains, and consolidates planning information from subordinate units; and directs / recommends action or adjustments necessary to achieve required objectives. Developing, providing, and coordinating programs for therapies and clinics, which include physicians, fellows, residents, allied health disciplines, and administrative staff. Maintains program requirements/ validation criteria for assigned organizations and directs supervisors and staff members to participate in cyclic or special evaluations. Performs other duties as directed. Work Schedule: 8:00am - 4:30pm, Monday - Friday Telework: Ad-hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 / Supervisory Audiologist 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. 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 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). 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. 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. English Language Proficiency: Audiologist candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). Grade Determinations: Supervisory Audiologist, GS-14 Experience: At least three years of experience as a professional audiologist, with at least one year comparable to the next lower grade level (Skill to evaluate programs to ensure efficient and appropriate integration of care; Ability to develop contingencies and align resources to achieve program goals; Ability to effectively interpret and apply facility, VISN and national audiology and speech pathology services policies; Ability to effectively create service-level policies and priorities to align with facility strategic plan; Ability to supervise professional staff.), must fully meet the KSAs at that level. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Skill in promoting collaboration to accomplish goals. Skill in translating management goals and objectives into efficient service operations. Skill in balancing operational resources to ensure appropriate delivery of service operations. Ability to supervise a diverse staff. Ability to effectively interact and collaborate with local, VISN and/or national leadership. Ability to establish and monitor productivity standards, production and performance priorities to achieve management goals and objectives. Reference: VA HANDBOOK 5005, PART II, APPENDIX G29 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-14. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-14. Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary but requires some walking and in times of staff shortages or absences, assisting with direct patient care activities. Work is performed in an office and/or clinic setting within a medical center environment; however, travel may be required to visit CBOC facilities and attend conferences. Telework is available via an ad hoc agreement, i.e., inclement weather or other facility emergency. Education 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 Receiving Service Credit or 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.
