Health Science Officer

This position is within the Health Systems Research Broad Portfolio (HSR), Office of Research and Development (ORD), at VA Central Office in Washington, DC. The Broad Portfolio is one of four scientific components of the Office of R&D within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Health Services Research and Development Service manages a research program that spans the continuum of health care research and supports the integration of research and practice.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/27/2025. 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-14 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-13 . 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. All applicants MUST meet the following Individual Occupational Requirements: Basic Requirement: You must posses a Bachelor's or graduate/higher level degree: major study in an academic field related to the medical field, health sciences or allied sciences appropriate to the work of the position. This degree must be from an educational program from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education(external link) at the time the degree was obtained. Note: You must submit a transcript with your application. Applicants who do not submit a transcript will be automatically disqualified from consideration. Quality Ranking Factor Experience in effectively directing or conducting a broad portfolio or program of health systems research focused on development and testing of innovations in the design and use of health information and virtual health care modalities to improve access to and outcomes of health care for Veterans. Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-13 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of Specialized Experience includes: 1. Reviews the literature in the subject area to identify gaps in scientific knowledge in portfolio area. 2. Provides general advice to field investigators regarding preparation of proposals and review criteria. 3. Conducts semi-annual review meetings and oversees logistics including administrative support. 4. Ensures timely preparation, consistent and accurate documentation for reporting of all portfolio activities. 5. Oversees maintenance and updating of review program databases and files. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Analysis and Problem Solving Communications Problem Solving Project Management Research Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary. There may be some walking and carrying of light supplies/work. 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/.