Health Science Specialist

Summary

This position is located in the Research & Development Service at Nashville VA Medical Center in Nashville, TN. The Health Science Specialist serves as research program manager and provides the link between veterans and highly innovative projects.

Duties

THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION This is a term appointment not to exceed 4 years. Term appointments are non-status, nonpermanent appointments of limited duration of more than 1 year, but not more than 4 years and are subject to a 1 year trial period. Should the need warrant, term appointments may be extended without further competition up to a maximum of the 4 year limitation. The appointment to a term position does not confer eligibility for promotion, reassignment, or transfer to other positions or the ability to be non-competitively converted to permanent employment. Major duties and responsibilities include but not limited to: Providing comprehensive administrative and programmatic support for Center of Innovation (COIN) research activities and ensuring compliance with VA, VHA, ORD, and applicable regulatory requirements Coordinating the initiation, implementation, monitoring, and closeout of research studies in collaboration with Principal Investigators, Local Site Investigators, study coordinators, and research staff Advising COIN leadership and investigators on administrative policies, research requirements, operational issues, staffing, and resource needs Monitoring research studies for progress, enrollment, regulatory requirements, milestones, deadlines, and deliverables; identifying barriers and coordinating solutions Coordinating grant-related activities, research appointments, training requirements, regulatory submissions, site visits, committee activities, meetings, and required reports Serving as a liaison with Human Resources, Research and Development, IRB, Safety, ORD, facility leadership, and other internal and external stakeholders Developing and maintaining administrative policies, procedures, tracking systems, and reporting mechanisms to improve program efficiency and accountability Preparing reports, correspondence, briefings, and other materials for COIN leadership and stakeholders and communicating program requirements and priorities to research personnel Managing and monitoring COIN budgets, including budget formulation, execution, forecasting, expenditures, and allocation of resources Working with investigators to develop research and administrative budgets and ensuring expenditures are consistent with approved funding and applicable requirements Reviewing financial and budget information, identifying discrepancies or potential funding issues, and recommending corrective actions Coordinating procurement of supplies, equipment, and services and assisting with contract and purchase requirements Advising COIN leadership and investigators regarding available resources, funding requirements, expenditures, and budgetary limitations Supporting financial planning and resource forecasting to ensure effective use of available funds Serving as a Designated Federal Officer (DFO) and representing the COIN in meetings, conferences, workgroups, and other official activities Coordinating administrative matters involving space, equipment, supplies, records, and other operational resources Providing personnel administration and supervision of assigned research staff in coordination with Human Resources and COIN leadership Assigning and monitoring work, establishing priorities, and ensuring staffing and workload requirements support program objectives Coordinating recruitment, training, performance management, and other personnel actions Advising management and employees on applicable personnel policies, procedures, and employee relations matters Ensuring required personnel documentation, performance evaluations, and training requirements are completed accurately and timely Maintaining appropriate personnel records and promoting effective communication, accountability, and professional development among research staff Performing other related duties as assigned Work Schedule: Monday to Friday; 07:00 a.m. to 03:30 p.m. Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Requirements

You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary with walking, standing, and handling and carrying items such as paper and books. Manual dexterity is required for operating office equipment. Typing and computer operation may involve long periods of hand and wrist movement. Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Required Documents" below for details. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications

Basic Requirement: The following are basic requirements for appointment as a Health Science Specialist in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), which all applicants must meet. Basic Education: 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 at the time the degree was obtained. (UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED: If you do not submit your transcript, your application may not be reviewed.) Minimum Requirement: In addition to meeting the basic requirements, the following minimum requirement criteria must be met to be qualified for this position. Specialized Experience (GS-12): You must have one (1) year of specialized experience that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (i.e., GS-11) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Qualifying examples of specialized experience would typically include but are not limited to: administering and coordinating clinical/allied health science research programs; applying research protocols, methods, and organizational and Federal regulatory requirements; coordinating multiple research studies and teams; providing guidance to investigators and research staff; managing research grants, budgets, and resources; monitoring research activities, data, and regulatory requirements; and identifying and resolving programmatic and operational issues to ensure effective and compliant research operations. (CLEAR DETAILS OF EXPERIENCE REQUIRED: Your resume must show complete information for each job entry, such as beginning and ending dates of employment, duties performed, and/or total hours worked per week.) 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/.

Education

IMPORTANT: There is no educational substitution at this grade level. How You Will Be Evaluated

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): Attention to Detail Customer Service Flexibility Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Reading Comprehension Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork Your experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. 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. IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. Candidates who apply under "All U.S. Citizens" announcements will be rated and ranked using Category Rating procedures. Qualified candidates will be assigned to a quality category. The categories are defined as follows: Best qualified - Applicants possessing the type and quality of experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications Very Highly Qualified - Applicants possessing the type and quality of experience that exceeds, to a very considerable extent, the minimum qualifications Highly Qualified - Applicants possessing the type and quality of experience that exceeds, to a considerable extent, the minimum qualifications Well qualified - Applicants possessing the type and quality of experience that marginally exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and who demonstrate average proficiency in most of the critical competencies Qualified - Applicants possessing the type and quality of experience that meets the minimum qualifications Application of Veterans' Preference: Category rating and selection procedures place those with veteran's preference above non-preference eligibles within each category. Preference eligible applicants that meet the eligibility and qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent are listed in the highest quality category (except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level or higher). Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Other Information

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation and be found well-qualified (have a final rating of 80 or more before any Veterans preference points) for this vacancy. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.