Health Science Specialist - Epidemiology

Summary

The Health Science Specialist position is located in the Epidemiology Program (EP), Health Outcomes Military Exposures (HOME) in Washington DC.

Duties

Help

***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION***

Major duties and responsibilities include but not limited to:

• Develops standards for collection and analysis of data and other information as needed to support the Epidemiology Program.
• Reviews project reports to assess investigators compliance with research program guidelines.
• Develops statements of goals, policies, priorities, and plans for the full range of research concerns for the program.
• Develops and coordinates implementation of research methods and design, standards, criteria, and guidelines for the scientific and technical activities of the program.
• Develops standards, provides scientific leadership, and evaluates research proposals and quality improvement initiatives.
• Performs a variety of administrative duties to maintain the integrity and security of specialized data and implementation of study designs.
• Serves as senior advisor on research program development.
• Consults with research elements within the organization, agency, academic community and/or private industry to develop research project opportunities that support VA mission objectives.
• Establishes and evaluates standards for screening and approval processes for the Epidemiology Program's research and surveillance program.
• Identifies problems requiring corrective action including consideration of the research activities and project management.
• Conducts studies, analyzes data, and presents results through presentations and/or publications.
• Prepares estimates of resources required to deliver programs at various levels.
• Develops strategies to meet short, medium and long range goals for the program.
• Creates and maintains unique databases to support research on Veterans health issues and promoting their use in collaboration with other interested researchers.
• Ensures research and surveillance proposals meet standards for scientific review and protection of human subjects.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Full time, Compressed/Flexible Schedule, will be discussed during the interview process.

Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized

Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved

Telework: This position may be authorized for Ad hoc telework. Ad hoc is defined as occasional, non-recurring telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

• 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 sedentary. Typically, the employee may sit comfortably to perform portions of the work. However, there is periodic walking; standing; bending; carrying of light items such as medical records, food trays, instructional material, books, and manuals. No special physical demands are required to perform the work.
• 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 EDUCATION REQUIREMENT (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED): 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. NOTE: A transcript is required at the time of application and must show date degree conferred. Education cannot be credited without documentation.

This position includes a Selective Placement Factor (skill, knowledge, ability or other worker characteristic basic to - and essential for - satisfactory performance of the job). Selective Placement Factors are a prerequisite to appointment and represent minimum requirements for a position. Applicants who do not meet it are ineligible for further consideration.

The Selective Placement Factor for this position is: Designing, implementing, overseeing and participating in scientific studies and surveys; conducting statistical analyses in an epidemiologic research setting.

In addition to the Basic Education Requirements and Selective Placement Factors (SPF), applicants must meet the specialized experience listed below.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: One (1) full year of specialized experience that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of this Health Science Specialist position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-13) in the Federal service. Specialized Experience includes: applying advanced principles and methodologies of epidemiology, public health, statistics, or health services research to plan, implement, and evaluate complex research and surveillance programs; providing scientific and technical leadership in the development and evaluation of research methodologies, study protocols, and analytical approaches; developing and implementing policies, procedures, and standards governing scientific research and program operations; evaluating research programs for scientific quality, regulatory compliance, and operational effectiveness; and providing strategic recommendations and scientific findings to senior leadership.

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: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

There is no educational substitution at the GS 14 grade level.

NOTE: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Additional 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.

Benefits

Help

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.