Founding Lead Speech-Language Pathologist — Brain Health Program

Job title: Founding Lead Speech-Language Pathologist — Brain Health Program (Part-Time, Path to Full-Time)

Company: APC Hearing Center

Location: Torrance, CA (on-site)

Schedule: Part-time, 3 days per week — Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday (about 24 hours/week), with patients until 6:00 pm

Employment type: W-2 hourly employee, with a path to full-time team lead

Pay: $55.29 per hour (about $69,000/year at 3 days; equivalent to $115,000/year full-time), plus performance and program-build bonuses

Build a program, not just a caseload

APC Hearing Center is a multigenerational audiology practice in Torrance with decades of patient relationships and a strong reputation in the South Bay. Research shows hearing health and brain health are closely linked — hearing loss is one of the leading modifiable risk factors for cognitive decline. We're launching a Brain Health and speech-language program built on that science, and we want a speech-language pathologist to build it with us from the ground up.

This is a founding lead role. You start three days a week. As the program grows, you'll lead a team of SLPs, clinical fellows, SLPAs, and graduate student externs.

What you'll build: six service lines

1.     Brain Health (core program) — a cash-based program for adults who want to stay sharp: lessons, activities, and live group sessions built on the established risk-factor research. Includes two tracks built with our audiologists: hidden hearing loss (listening-in-noise training and communication strategies) and tinnitus (attention, coping, stress and sleep education, co-led groups).

2.     Pediatric speech-language therapy, including AAC — evaluation and treatment, with referrals from our pediatric audiology patients.

3.     Cochlear implant aural rehabilitation — auditory training and communication therapy for adult and pediatric CI recipients, alongside our CI audiologists.

4.     Central auditory processing — our audiologists diagnose; you lead the language-based treatment program.

5.     Memory and cognitive-communication care — therapy for adults with memory concerns or cognitive-communication changes, including Cognitive Stimulation Therapy groups.

6.     Post-stroke rehabilitation, including feeding and swallowing — aphasia, dysarthria/apraxia, cognitive-communication, and dysphagia.

What you'll do

• Design the protocols, evaluations, and curriculum for each service line using ASHA best practices, then tell us what materials, assessments, and software you need. We fund them.

• See patients about 70% of your time: 90-minute evaluations, 30-minute pediatric sessions, 60-minute adult sessions, and live groups.

• Keep documentation to a high standard: SOAP notes within 24 hours, evaluation reports within 48 hours.

• Build referral relationships with primary care physicians, neurologists, pediatricians, and our audiology team. Paid non-patient time goes to this outreach.

• Help shape patient education, including our monthly Brain Health newsletter.

• Track patient outcomes from day one so we can show what works.

• As the team grows: hire and onboard, hold short 1:1s twice a month, run weekly team meetings, audit documentation, and supervise clinical fellows, SLPAs, and graduate externs.

Required qualifications

• Master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology

• Current California SLP license, or eligibility for one

• ASHA Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC-SLP)

• At least 5 years of clinical SLP experience (10+ preferred)

• Clinical experience in at least two of: pediatrics, adult neurogenic disorders (stroke, cognitive-communication), aural rehabilitation/cochlear implants, auditory processing

• Eligible to supervise clinical fellows (RPEs) and SLPAs in California, or willing to complete the required supervision training

• Available on-site Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, with patients until 6:00 pm

Strongly preferred

- AAC experience (school-based) or feeding/swallowing experience (medical setting) — ideally both

• Bilingual English/Spanish

• Adult neuro experience: aphasia, dysphagia, dementia or memory care, TBI

• Program development, supervision, or private practice experience

• CST (Cognitive Stimulation Therapy) training, or interest in getting certified

Who you are

• A self-starter who wants to build something from scratch and will put in the time to grow it

• A leader who builds a team where front office and clinicians are treated as equals

• Evidence-based and ethical — you explain the science honestly and never oversell

• Organized and strong with documentation

• Warm with patients of every age, from toddlers to older adults

What we provide

• W-2 hourly employment

• Professional liability insurance and credentialing support

• All program materials, assessments, and therapy tools

• Health benefits

• Paid time off: 1.5 weeks part-time, 3 weeks full-time

• Continuing education allowance

• Tuition and student-loan assistance (Section 127), up to $5,250 per year tax-free

• Bonuses for building the program and for meeting performance criteria

• A clear path to full-time team lead as the caseload grows

• A real say in what this program becomes

How to apply

Send your resume and a short note (3–5 sentences) describing a program or service you built, or one you would love to build.

APC Hearing Center is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds and consider qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records in accordance with the California Fair Chance Act and the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance.