Health Science Specialist

Summary

This Health Science Specialist position is located in the Epidemiology Program, Department of Veterans Affairs, in Washington, DC. Position activities include conducting epidemiologic research and health surveillance addressing Veterans, primarily those who have served in combat deployments or who use VA medical facilities, and creating and maintaining unique databases to support research on Veterans' health issues and promoting their use in collaboration with other interested researchers.

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***

This position involves a multi-grade career ladder. The major duties listed below represent the full performance level of GS-13. At the GS-11 and GS-12 grade levels, you will perform assignments of a more limited scope and with less independence. You will progressively acquire the background necessary to perform at the full performance level of GS-13. Promotion is at the discretion of the supervisor and is contingent upon satisfactory performance, availability of higher level work, and availability of funds.

Duties include but may not be limited to the following:

• Designs, plans, implements, and evaluates scientific studies, surveys, investigations, and public health research projects.
• Identifies and analyzes public health issues and assesses their impact on healthcare programs, policies, and scientific research.
• Develops and applies epidemiologic and scientific research methods to address complex health-related issues affecting Veterans.
• Monitors and evaluates program and project outcomes to determine effectiveness and recommend improvements.
• Analyzes and interprets scientific and public health research data to identify trends, evaluate outcomes, and support research findings.
• Provides scientific and technical consultation and guidance to government agencies, academic institutions, healthcare organizations, and other stakeholders.
• Develops, coordinates, and promotes the dissemination of scientific, educational, and health-related information.
• Administers research review, screening, advisory, and approval processes for health sciences research programs.
• Develops research standards, methodologies, policies, procedures, and criteria for scientific and technical activities.
• Reviews research proposals, budgets, resource requirements, and project plans to ensure compliance with program requirements.
• Coordinates and manages research-related contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, and associated administrative activities.
• Prepares scientific reports, presentations, and recommendations to support scientific decision-making and program management.
• Collaborates with Federal agencies, research organizations, healthcare professionals, and other stakeholders to advance Veteran health research initiatives.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Compressed/Flexible Schedule

Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized

Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved

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

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: Typically the employee sits comfortably to do the work; however, there may be some walking, standing, bending, carrying of light items, such as, papers and books.
• 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

IN ORDER TO QUALIFY FOR THIS POSITION AT THE GS-11 LEVEL YOU MUST MEET THE FOLLOWING:

BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT: 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: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation.

~AND~

In addition to meeting the Basic Education Requirement above, you must also meet one of the following requirements below:

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: You must possess at least one year of specialized experience that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position, and that is typically in or related to the work of this position. To be creditable, this experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-9 level in the Federal service. Specialized experience includes conducting or assisting with scientific research studies, surveys, or investigations related to public health issues; collecting, analyzing, and interpreting scientific or public health research data; coordinating and monitoring research projects or study activities to ensure established objectives and timelines are met; and preparing reports, summaries, or recommendations based on research findings.

NOTE: 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.

~OR~

SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION FOR EXPERIENCE: You must possess three (3) full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree with a major in an appropriate field (as described above) which provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent one (1) year of full-time study. If that number cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours will be considered an academic year of graduate study. Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended.

NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation.

~OR~

COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: You must possess an equivalent combination of specialized experience and graduate education as described above to qualify at the GS-11 grade level.

NOTE: 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. Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation.

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.

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.

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/.

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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.

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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.