Health Science Specialist
What you'd do
The position serves as the Human Protections Administrator and is the primary contact for human research protection and projects. The position is responsible for the management of the Human Research Protection Program (HRPP), including general administration, planning, and oversight of all matters related to research involving human subjects. Incumbent oversees the development of education program for varying roles within the human research community that is in step with all regulatory agencies.
Major duties
This is a non-bargaining unit position. This is a non-bargaining unit position. The initial application review cut-off for this job announcement is 50 applications. The first 50 applications received will be considered first. Applications received after the initial cut-off number (50 applications) may not receive consideration unless otherwise requested by management. If management requests additional certificates, applicants will continue to be reviewed in groups of 50 in the order they applied. Note: Submitting multiple applications will change the order in which your application is reviewed. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package: VA Total Rewards Work Schedule: Full-Time Mon-Fri 8:00am -4:30pm Compressed/Flexible Schedule: Available Telework: Available (Ad-hoc) Duty Location Status: Will work from a VA owned or leased space Position Description Title/PD#: Health Science Specialist/ PD242900 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required Physical Demands: The work is primarily sedentary, although some slight physical effort may be required. No special physical demands although it may involve some walking, standing, bending, or carrying of light items such as binders, books, instructional materials, and thick files. Concentration and sustained performance under prolonged stress is required due to time factors involved and the nature of work Major Duties: Ensure the Human Research Protection Program (HRPP) evolves with the needs of the organization, implementation, and maintain records of a comprehensive healthcare system education program Ensure training on compliance for the human research community, including researchers, clinical coordinators, administrators, principal investigators, students, subcommittee members, and the healthcare system's executive management staff. Provide guidance and counsel on incorporating compliance-related activities into the day-to-day operations of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) office, as well as to IRB committee members, human studies investigators and other Research Healthcare Group staff. Ensure regulatory policy updates are disseminated to investigators and perform ongoing monitoring of all areas of human protection compliance and act decisively on issues of potential non-compliance. Reviews submissions of human studies projects for pre-review of new projects and continuing review of on-going projects, using an electronic submission and review system
What you need to qualify
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 08/10/2026. 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-13 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-12. 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. Provide a copy of your last or most recent SF-50, "Notification of Personnel Action" to indicate your current federal status. You must also submit additional SF-50(s) to clearly demonstrate one year time-in-grade as required in the announcement. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate that you possess one year time-in-grade. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one year time-in-grade. 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. AND Basic Requirements: This section covers the basic requirements for this vacancy. For positions at the GS-13 grade level, applicants may qualify by meeting or exceeding the minimum proficiency level established for each of the required competencies, in addition to meeting the minimum qualification requirement as demonstrated through the assessment of skills identified through the agency's job analysis. Applicants must meet the requirements of the competency-based qualification standard to be fully qualified. NOTE: The basic requirements MUST be substantiated in your resume. Failure to provide the required information will render your application ineligible for consideration. For all positions, individuals must meet or exceed the minimum proficiency level established for each of the nine competencies listed below. The employing agency is responsible for identifying the specific level of proficiency required for each competency at each grade level based on the requirements of the position being filled. Attention to Detail- Is thorough when performing work and conscientious about attending to detail. Customer Service- Works with clients and customers (that is, any individuals who use or receive the services or products that your work unit produces, including the general public, individuals who work in the agency, other agencies, or organizations outside the Government) to assess their needs, provide information or assistance, resolve their problems, or satisfy their expectations; knows about available products and services; is committed to providing quality products and services. Decision Making- Makes sound, well-informed, and objective decisions; perceives the impact and implications of decisions; commits to action, even in uncertain situations, to accomplish organizational goals; causes change. Information Management- Identifies a need for and knows where or how to gather information; organizes and maintains information or information management systems. Interpersonal Skills- Shows understanding, friendliness, courtesy, tact, empathy, concern, and politeness to others; develops and maintains effective relationships with others; may include effectively dealing with individuals who are difficult, hostile, or distressed; relates well to people from varied backgrounds and different situations. Oral Communication - Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately. Problem Solving - Identifies problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives, and to make recommendations. Teamwork- Encourages and facilitates cooperation, pride, trust, and group identity; fosters commitment and team spirit; works with others to achieve goals. Technical Competence- Uses knowledge that is acquired through formal training or on-the-job experience to perform one's job; works with, understands, and evaluates technical information related to the job; advises others on technical issues. AND Minimum Qualification: The demonstration of knowledge, skills, and abilities/competencies which demonstrate the likelihood to perform successfully the duties of the position and is related to the work of the position to be filled. These knowledge, skills, and abilities/competencies are normally attained through the equivalent of one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level of the position being filled but may now be obtained through other means. Such demonstratable knowledge, skills, and abilities/competencies may be typically gained through the performance of work or other means (e.g., licensure, certification, registration, or special training). Specialized Experience: For (GS-13) positions, you must possess one-year of Specialized Experience equivalent to at least the next lover grade GS-12 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience is defined as experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular competencies/knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position and is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. NOTE: The Specialized Experience MUST be substantiated in your resume.
Before you apply
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