Audiologist

Veterans Health Administration • Bloomington, IN

9d • Onsite

About The Position

The Audiologist position is in the Audiology section of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Services (PMRS) and is a float position serving the southern Indiana tier, including Community Based Outpatient Clinics in Bloomington, Edinburgh, and Terre Haute. Duties are carried out throughout the medical center and in clinical and other patient-care areas. The position conducts, plans, and coordinates clinical and administrative aspects of contemporary audiology practice, serving Veterans with hearing, tinnitus, and balance-related needs.

The Audiologist provides audiological evaluations and treatment, including hearing-aid and amplification-system selection and fitting, programming digital hearing aids, auditory prosthetics and related devices, aural rehabilitation, and counseling for Veterans and families. The role assesses hearing and communication disorders across a full range of patient complexity, plans and monitors patient-centered treatment and rehabilitation, and supports patients with significant physical or psychological complications. It also develops treatment plans to help patients and caregivers maximize physical and social functioning, conducts a hearing-conservation program for employees at risk of noise exposure, and serves as a consultant and recognized subject matter expert for complex cases.

The work schedule is Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Telework is not available. The full performance level is GS-12, and selection may be at GS-11 or GS-12.

Requirements

• Doctor of Audiology (AuD) from an audiology program recognized by the Council on Academic Accreditation of ASHA, or another doctoral degree in hearing science or a directly related field from a USDE-recognized accredited institution.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• For GS-12 and above, a full, current, and unrestricted state, territory, commonwealth, or District of Columbia license; qualifying non-licensed applicants may be eligible for a temporary GS-11 graduate audiologist appointment.
• For GS-11, knowledge of principles and techniques for assessing and treating auditory and balance disorders; ability to perform functions within contemporary audiology scope of practice; and ability to interact with patients, families, and other health care professionals.
• For GS-12, one year of specialized experience comparable to the next lower grade, including audiology assessment and treatment, communication, contemporary audiology practice, interaction with patients and care teams, and application of relevant anatomy, physiology, acoustics, communication, psychoacoustics, and auditory pathophysiology.
• For GS-12, skill in determining the nature, type, and severity of hearing, communication, or vestibular disorders; counseling patients and families; advising other health professionals; and independently applying contemporary audiologic treatments across patient populations.
• U.S. citizenship is required, subject to the stated exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited under VA policy.
• Must meet applicable background and security investigation requirements, onboarding and identification requirements, and seasonal influenza vaccination requirements.
• Must serve a one- or two-year trial period, with continued employment subject to written certification that it advances the public interest.
• Submit a transcript and meet federal education recognition requirements; foreign education requires a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency.
• Resume must identify qualifying specialized-experience employment periods in mm/yyyy format and indicate full-time or part-time status and hours per week; any government position's grade level must also be listed.

Responsibilities

• Conduct, plan, and coordinate clinical and administrative aspects of contemporary audiology practice.
• Provide audiological evaluations and treatment services, including selecting and fitting hearing aids and other amplification systems, programming digital hearing aids, and providing auditory prosthetics and related devices.
• Provide aural rehabilitation and counseling to hearing-impaired Veterans and their families.
• Identify and evaluate people with disorders affecting reception and perception of speech, language, and other acoustic signals, across a full range of patient complexity.
• Evaluate the type and degree of hearing loss in patients who may not provide consistent or reliable responses to diagnostic testing.
• Plan, deliver, and monitor patient-centered treatment and rehabilitation, including for patients with significant physical and psychological complicating conditions.
• Design patient-centered treatment plans to help patients and caregivers maximize and restore physical and social functioning.
• Design, monitor, and conduct a comprehensive hearing-conservation program for employees at risk for noise exposure.
• Consult with other facility personnel on difficult and complex cases and serve as a subject matter expert on hearing, tinnitus, and balance disorders.

Benefits

• Federal employee benefits package; eligibility depends on position type.
• Selected applicants may request consideration of prior work or military service for annual leave accrual credit, subject to approval and not guaranteed.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree