Health Technician (Hearing Instrument Specialist)

About the role

This position is located in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) - Veterans Health Administration (VHA) - Mid-Atlantic Health Care Network (VISN 6) - Fayetteville VA Medical Center (VAMC) - Audiology Service at Wilmington HCC in Wilmington, North Carolina. The health technician supports the function of the clinical programs in Audiology and performs duties in all clinical and other patient care areas involved with the Audiology service.

Responsibilities

• Open Continuous Announcement until October 26, 2026; qualified applicants will be considered and referred as vacancies become available.
• Primary responsibility is for patient care – supporting diagnostic and treatment procedures, patient charting, and patient education that do not require a full professional audiology education or knowledge and skills represented by audiology licensure.
• Support functions include both direct patient care and administrative duties.
• Specific 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 and alerting devices (troubleshoots performance).
  • Providing basic hearing aid information for patients and caregivers consistent with the audiologist's treatment plan.
  • Assisting patients through triaging phone calls and audiology requests regarding priority and urgency, following the audiologist's plan of care.
  • Fabricating earmold impressions with proper (non-diagnostic) otoscopy.
  • Ordering earmolds based on plan of care through prosthetics or DLC and fitting and modifying earmolds.

Qualifications

Applicants pending completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

• United States Citizenship: Non‑citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• English Language Proficiency: Must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. §7403(f).
• Experience and Education: Either
  • Completion of the Department of Labor Apprenticeship Program for Hearing Aid Specialists, or
  • Successful completion of two academic years above high school that includes coursework related to the field: hearing science, human anatomy and physiology, hearing instrument science, gerontology, psychology, or other general healthcare areas.
• Foreign Education: Education completed outside the U.S. must be deemed at least equivalent to that gained in a conventional U.S. program by a private organization specializing in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials.
• Licensure or Registration: Must hold a full, current, and unrestricted license or registration to practice as a Hearing Instrument Specialist (HIS) in a state, territory, commonwealth, or the District of Columbia.
• Board Certification: Must hold active board certification from the National Board for Certification in Hearing Instrument Sciences (NBC‑HIS).
• Grandfathering Provision: 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).
• Physical Requirements: Light lifting and carrying (under 15 pounds); use of fingers and both hands required; near vision correctable at 13″ to 16″ to Jaeger 1 to 4; far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other.
• Mental and Emotional Stability: Ability to work outside and inside; work closely with others; distinguish basic colors and shades of colors; hearing (aid permitted).

Skills

In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must demonstrate the following knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs):

• Knowledge of basic anatomy of the head and neck.
• Knowledge of basic infection control procedures and guidelines.
• Skill in using basic computer software to complete tasks such as using email, creating spreadsheets, and word processing.
• Ability to communicate orally and in writing.
• Ability to follow verbal and written instructions.
• Ability to maintain stock and supply level inventories.
• Knowledge of normal and abnormal ear anatomy.
• Knowledge of hearing aids, hearing assistive technology, hearing aid manufacturers, and manufacturer software.
• Skill in documenting patient procedures and patient devices.
• Skill in providing patient education for hearing aid use, including assisting patient with hearing aid insertion, removal, and hygiene (cleaning and disinfection).
• Ability to provide patient education and training regarding hearing loss and communication strategies for various listening situations.
• Ability to solve problems or make decisions regarding hearing aids, hearing assistive technology, and patient care consistent with the documented and co‑signed plan of care under the supervision of an audiologist.
• Ability to prepare patient, equipment, and/or environment for audiology procedures.
• Ability to provide triage of patient telephone calls or audiology requests.

Schedule

Work Schedule: Monday – Friday, 8:00 am – 4:30 pm. Telework: Not Available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position.