Physical Therapist- Service Chief

To qualify for this GS-14 Physical Therapist Service Chief position, you must be a U.S. Citizen, hold a current and unrestricted physical therapy license, and meet one of the education/experience combinations below. Additionally, you need one year of progressively complex experience equivalent to GS-13 and demonstrated KSAs.

• U.S. citizenship required; non-citizens may be appointed only if qualified citizens cannot be recruited.
• Bachelor's degree in Physical Therapy plus five years of progressively independent experience as a physical therapist.
• Master's degree in Physical Therapy plus two years of progressively independent experience as a physical therapist.
• Doctorate degree in physical therapy.
• Current, full, active, and unrestricted license to practice physical therapy in a state, territory, or commonwealth of the U.S. or the District of Columbia.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English as required by VA Handbook 5005.
• One year of progressively complex experience equivalent to the GS-13 grade level.
• Advanced knowledge of evidence-based practices and clinical practice guidelines in multiple professional areas.
• Skill in managing interpersonal relationships and conflict resolution with employees, discipline leads, and administrators.
• Ability to translate extensive rehabilitation knowledge into local policy development.

Supervise and assign work to PM&R professionals (PT, OT, PTA, COTA, TR, SLP, Audiologists), trainees, administrative support, and volunteers.

• Oversee PM&R consult management for appropriateness, clinical triage, and clinical review of requests for contracted services.
• Coordinate scheduling for all consults for new patients.
• Coordinate with other services in PM&R treatment, treatment scheduling, and delivery of care.
• Serve as a consultant to PM&R staff and other hospital personnel in evaluating and planning rehabilitation treatment.
• Resolve problems that interfere with delivery of PM&R services.
• Perform and provide oversight of consistent and timely documentation of patient encounters in the electronic medical record in accordance with accepted practice, Joint Commission, facility, and PM&R Service requirements.
• Perform and provide oversight of competent documentation of patient care.

Must be a U.S. citizen.

• Selective Service Registration required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Must complete an online onboarding process.
• Must provide acceptable form of identification (REAL ID compliant after May 7, 2025).
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is required for all VA Health Care Personnel.
• Must meet and maintain physical and drug test program requirements as per hospital policy.
• Position may require walking, ambulating patients, patient transfers, and lifting up to 50 pounds.

Complete benefits package as a federal employee, including health insurance, retirement, and paid leave.

• Annual leave accrual based on years of service; prior work or military experience may qualify for credit toward a higher leave accrual rate.
• Access to a range of benefits designed for federal careers; eligibility depends on position type and work schedule.

Open the official application portal and with your the official application portal/Login.gov account.

• Complete the online application questionnaire; you can preview the questions before starting.
• Attach your federal resume and all required documents as specified in the Required Documents section.
• Submit your complete application package by 11:59 PM (ET) on 08/03/2026.
• After submission, you will receive a confirmation email. You can check your application status in your the official application portal account.

This position is open to Madison VA employees only.

• This is an Excepted Service position and does not confer competitive status.
• The 2-page resume requirement does not apply to this position; use the standard Clinical Resume Document as a cover sheet and upload your full resume/CV in the 'Other' document field.
• Veterans' preference does not apply for internal or other current permanent federal agency employees.
• If you are relying on education, ensure it is from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Foreign education requires a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a condition of employment; exemptions may be granted for medical or religious reasons.
• Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the VA prohibits requesting criminal history prior to a tentative job offer.
• Agency contact: Ruth Joseph, Phone (478) 272-1210 X72092, Email [email protected].
• Address: William S Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, 2500 Overlook Terrace, Madison, WI 53705.

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated health care system in the United States, providing care to veterans at over 1,200 facilities. The William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital in Madison, Wisconsin, is a Complexity Level 1b facility offering complete medical and rehabilitation services. This position is within the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Service (PM&RS), which delivers physical, occupational, recreational, and speech therapies as well as audiology. The Service Chief role is critical to ensuring high-quality, coordinated care for veterans.

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