Health Technician (Hearing Instrument Specialist)

Summary

This position is located in the Audiology & Speech Service at the W.G. "Bill" Hefner VAMC in Salisbury, NC. The duties and responsibilities are to be carried out in all clinical and other patient care areas involved with the Audiology. The health technician supports the function of the clinical programs in Audiology. This is an open continuous announcement until September 30, 2026. Qualified applicants will be considered and referred as vacancies become available.

Duties

• Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Duties include but are not limited to: Hearing aid troubleshooting and repair. Performing visual and auditory checks of hearing aids and hearing assistive technology-including all hearing aid accessories as well as alerting devices (troubleshoots performance). Fabricating earmold impressions with proper (non-diagnostic) otoscopy. Ordering earmolds based on plan of care through prosthetics or DLC and fitting and modifying earmolds, if necessary. Providing basic hearing aid information for patients and caregivers consistent with the audiologist's treatment plan, including but not limited to, realistic expectations, communication strategies, and/or aural rehabilitation. Assisting in set up and delivery of face-to-face and telehealth visits by preparing the equipment for patient evaluation and other audiology procedures including but not limited to daily biologic listening calibration of audiometric equipment and calibration of real-ear equipment. Assisting patients with hearing aid connectivity including but not limited to downloading applications (or apps), pairing devices in the app, Bluetooth pairing, and pairing hearing aid accessories. The Health Technician (HIS) completes documentation per medical center policy for timeliness for each episode of care and codes procedures as appropriate in the patient record in preparation for co-signature by the audiologist. Maintaining comprehensive supply and equipment tracking systems to include monitoring stock of RME and consumable items. Ensuring proper inventory levels to complete the daily tasks. Prioritizing the acquisition of all supplies and equipment regarding date of expiration and may maintain a loaner hearing aid inventory. Processing incoming devices from patients with concerns related to their hearing aids or hearing assistive technology. Preparing and charging (if required) hearing aids and assistive devices for delivery. Receiving devices and restoring settings of hearing aid/hearing assistive technology after repair or replacement from manufacturer, Denver Logistics Center (DLC). Maintaining proper levels of mailing/shipping supplies. The Health Technician (HIS) receives and completes incoming communications from Veterans (electronic and telephone), and facilitates follow-up based on audiologist's treatment plan to include ordering supplies through DLC. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases. Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on military service experience. Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child. Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66. Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Telework: Not Eligible Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized This announcement will remain open, unless a selection is made before the closing date. Applications will be reviewed and referred to the hiring manager as they are received. It is recommended that you submit your application as early as you can to ensure that your application is considered. Once a selection has been made, this posting will be terminated. Department of Veteran Affairs employees will be given first consideration during selections process and are required to submit a most recent (non award) SF 50.

Requirements

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 identification 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.

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/.