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
• 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
• 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
• 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: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, candidates must meet the following grade-determining criteria for appointments at grade levels specified
• Audiologist GS-12 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)
• Examples of qualified professional experience include but are not limited to: Performing 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
• Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the experience requirement, applicant must demonstrate the following knowledge, skills, and abilities
• 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
• 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-12
• The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-12
• Physical Requirements: Lifting up to 35 pounds, intermittently
• moderate carrying (15-35 pounds), intermittently
• lifting over 35 pounds with assistive devices in accordance with the Safe Patient Handling Policy except in emergent situations requiring prompt patient care
• pulling, intermittently
• pushing, intermittently
• reaching above the shoulders, intermittently, both hands required
• walking, intermittently
• standing, intermittently
• kneeling, intermittently
• and repeated bending.