Health System Specialist
What you'd do
The VA Research Program strives to promote Veteran-centered care to improve patient experiences and outcomes across VA healthcare and community settings, and to advance value-driven care by providing Veterans the highest quality care at the lowest financial burden. The position is vital within the ORD and the facilities where research programs are conducted. Research Program Managers provide the link between Veterans and highly innovative projects.
Major duties
The Health System Specialist will initially serve in a developmental assignment to allow the individual to gain the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform the full range of duties described in the target position description. Major duties include but are not limited to: Providing the customer with consistent information according to established policies and procedures. Staying informed on guidelines relating to animal protections and advises Research and IACUC leadership, as needed. Ensures animal research is reviewed, approved, and conducted in accordance with appropriate Federal, State and VA regulations and guidelines, funding agency specific guidelines, institutional policies, and appropriate accreditation standards. Serving as the accreditation Facility Liaison, e.g., Association for the Assessment and Accreditation for Laboratory Animal Care International (AAALAC), human accreditation, etc., and is responsible for the preparation of accreditation applications, maintenance of standard operating procedures in accordance with accreditation agency standards, maintenance of institutional forms in accordance with accreditation agency standards, and maintenance of committee operations in accordance with accreditation agency standards. Serving as a member of the Research Administration staff and as such, and maybe called upon to use their skills and knowledge to assist other members of the Research Administration staff and to provide occasional cross-coverage. Overseeing the protocol review process of multiple programs and committees, ensuring projects are reviewed by appropriate personnel, including the Information System and Security Officer (ISSO) and Privacy Officer (PO), and issues related to project management are resolved. Serves in an advisory capacity to committee members and committee support staff and provides education and guidance on applicable policies and procedures. Serves as the institutional contact to answer questions of Institutional Animal Care and Use regarding regulation and policy. Responsible for efficient and compliant processes for research project review, approval, and the oversight of animal studies. Educates the investigative community of local and external policies and procedures with regards to research involving animal and human subjects. Educates research committee Chairpersons, research committee members, research investigators, research coordinators, and other research staff on all Research committee regulatory policies and procedures. Education sessions are performed in both informal and formal settings. Work Schedule: Full-time; Monday - Friday, 7:30am - 4:00pm Telework: This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Health System Specialist/PD99586S Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.
What you need to qualify
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 07/15/2026. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENTS (IOR) for the Health System Administration Series 0671: Undergraduate and Graduate Education (for IOR): Major study -- hospital administration, public health administration, or related fields such as business or public administration with course work in health care administration. OR Specialized Experience (for IOR): Progressively responsible analytical or administrative, or clinical management or supervisory experience in the health care field. This work may have been performed in an operating health care facility or a higher organizational echelon with advisory or directional authority over such facilities. Work must have involved a close working relationship with facility managers and analysis and/or coordination of administrative, clinical, or other service activities, and provided knowledge of the following: Missions, organizations, programs, and requirements of health care delivery systems; Regulations and standards of various regulatory and credentialing groups; and Government-wide, agency, and facility systems and requirements in various administrative areas such as budget, personnel, and procurement. AND MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-09) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: applying analytical and evaluative techniques in support of investigative studies involving human subjects, animal study research, research safety and security, and research information security; providing technical/consultative guidance regarding Institutional Review Board matters and operations; assisting with development and implementation of program informing processes and policies; analyzing data and preparing data presentations; developing action plans to resolve problems or improve efficiency. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, or LL.M., if related. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond a master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D., if related. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.
Before you apply
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