Health Science Specialist Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Summary
This position is located in the Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC) at the Baltimore Division of the VA Maryland Health Care System (VAMHCS) in Baltimore, MD. The primary purposes of this position are to serve as the central contact for all MIRECC research study protocol submissions to the local and national VA Institutional Review Boards (IRB) and will be supervising a range of the subordinate positions.
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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***
Duties may include, but are not limited to the following:

• Serves as the central contact and reviewer of all MIRECC research study protocol submissions to the local Institutional Review Board (IRB), the VA Central IRB (CIRB), and the local VA Research and Development (R&D) offices and those at collaborating remote sites.
• Develops oversees multiple standard operating and regulatory policies and procedures guiding the management of the large MIRECC human subjects' research program.
• Prepares information for research project evaluation functions, such as audits by the local Research Compliance Office or The VA Office of Research Oversight (ORO).
• Creates, maintains, updates and implements templates for required IRB and R&D research forms, applications, and processes.
• Ensures that protocols involving human participants have quality controls and measures in place to assure compliance with the conduct of the approved research.
• Gathers statistical and narrative data on project status, including resource utilization, statistical data on participation, adherence to protocols on matters such as participant education, control of data, and other similar matters. The incumbents arrange
• Interprets and reports on findings from independently developed evaluation, data review, and internal audit processes.
• Provides technical and administrative supervision and related performance of subordinate positions.
• Oversees the daily operation of research studies and ensures that agency policies and priorities are being followed; develops performance standards; and evaluates work performance of subordinates.
• Oversees and manages day-to-day aspects of multiple concurrent grant-funded studies.
• Identifies areas where training would be beneficial, develops plans for training, and makes recommendations for training to the MIRECC Director.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm
Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
Telework: This position may be authorized for Ad Hoc 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. This position requires the application, assessment, and questionnaire to be fully completed. The assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• 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
This position includes Selective Placement Factors (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 Factors for this positions are:

• Have experience in mental health research, specifically with people who experience serious mental illness (SMI).
• Have experience with regulatory oversight of research study protocols submitted to Institutional Review Boards (IRB).

(Application/resume materials must reflect this experience in detail to receive credit for this selective placement factor).
~AND~
BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT: Possess a Bachelor's or graduate/higher level degree with 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)
IN ADDITION TO THE SELECTIVE PLACEMENT FACTORS AND BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT, TO QUALIFY FOR THIS POSITION AT THE GS-11 LEVEL YOU MUST MEET THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA:
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: You must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-9) in Federal Service that has given you the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to successfully perform the duties of a Supervisory Health Science Specialist. Specialized experience includes providing technical and administrative supervision to staff; overseeing the daily operation of research studies in a mental health research program ensuring that agency policies and priorities are being followed; developing and overseeing multiple standard operating and regulatory policies and procedures guiding the management of the large human subjects' research program; providing instruction and training to staff; and collecting statistical data to prepare and submit reports. NOTE: Your experience must be fully documented in 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.
-OR-
SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION FOR EXPERIENCE: Possess three (3) 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 to substitute for the one year of experience and meets in full the requirements at the GS-11 level. 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. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED)
-OR-
COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: Possess an equivalent combination of specialized experience and graduate education as described above to qualify at the GS-11 grade level. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED)
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 for this position:

• Conflict Management
• Influencing/Negotiating
• Manages Resources
• Partnering
• Planning and Evaluating

Supervisory Situational Judgment Test. Applicants will be required to complete a Supervisory Situational Judgment Test (SSJT) as part of the assessment process for this position. The SSJT evaluates judgment and decision-making skills that align with relevant competencies, organizational values, and best practices. Assessment results may be used as part of the evaluation, ranking and referral process. This is not a timed test, however, the assessment is expected to take approximately 45 minutes or less to complete. The assessment for this application does not include a cut score for a minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. However, you must answer each item in the assessment.
IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. 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.
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; religious; 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.
Physical Requirements: The physical demands of the work are generally minor. The work is primarily sedentary.
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
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.
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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.