Summary

Employee will serve as a Health Science Specialist at the Massachusetts Epidemiology Research and Information Center (MAVERIC) at the Veterans Affairs New England Healthcare System, Boston, MA.

Duties

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

NOTE: This is a TERM appointment (not-to-exceed, 3 years (September 1, 2029). Term appointments are non-status, nonpermanent appointments of limited duration (more than 1 year but not more than 4). Term employees are eligible to earn leave and generally have the same benefits as permanent employees including health and life insurance, within-grade increases and Federal Employees Retirement System and Thrift Savings Plan coverage. Term appointments may be extended without further competition (up to the 4 year maximum). The appointment to a Term position does not confer eligibility for promotion or reassignment to other positions or the ability to be non-competitively converted to permanent employment.

The primary purpose of this position is to manage and coordinate the Health Sciences clinical research program and provide direction to the study team. Duties will include, but may not be limited to the following:

• Develops policies, procedures, and criteria for administration of the health science research program.
• Serves as principal advisor on research program development. Reviews project reports to assess investigators' compliance with research program guidelines.
• Administers screening, advisory and approval processes for the research program.
• Serves as executive secretary to the research committee.
• Develops and coordinates implementation of research method and design standards, criteria and guidelines for the scientific and technical activities of the organization.
• Assists principals in preparing proposals and developing project presentation, budget recommendations and resource allocations for proposed projects. Prepares in-depth background and management information for the Research Committee review.
• Recruits study participants, screens and evaluate candidates for clinical studies.
• Manages data collection and monitors protocols for complex clinical studies.
• Administers administration of tests and measurements; records data from samples and specimens; identifies test results and trends for further analysis; prepares project administrative and statistical reports; and maintains study documentation and records.
• As a Senior Specialist, evaluates new or modified legislation to determine its impact on the medical research community.
• Conducts studies, analyzes data, and presents results through presentations or publications.
• Makes programmatic and policy determinations. Identifies problems and negotiates corrective action concerning programmatic issues and basic financial management of the program.
• Determines the need for additional review/representation from scientific and medical practice specialties; and approves selection of reviewers and commits the agency to contractual arrangements for these services.
• Perform other duties, as necessary.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm

Telework: This position may be authorized for ad-hoc telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.

Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized

Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved

Requirements

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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 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

To qualify for this Health Science Specialist - Research position, applicant(s) must meet the following qualification requirements.

Individual Occupational Requirements, Basic Education Requirement

Requires a Bachelor's or graduate/higher level degree with a 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. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED.)

AND

Specialized Experience: Requires one full year of specialized experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the 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 at least the next lower grade level (GS-12) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience includes working in a Health Services Clinical Research environment, performing the following:

• Applying research study management and coordination to be able to provide direction to the study team.
• Developing policies, procedures, and criteria for administration research program;
• Assisting principals in preparing proposals and developing project presentation, budget recommendations and resource allocations for proposed projects;
• Recruiting study participants, screening and evaluating candidates for clinical studies;
• Conducting studies, analyzing data, and presenting results through presentations or publications;
• Identifying problems and negotiating corrective action concerning programmatic issues and basic financial management of the program.

NOTE: Experience must be clearly documented on your resume to receive credit. We will not make assumptions regarding experience.

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 for the specialized experience at the GS-13 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.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

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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.