Health System Specialist

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Oklahoma City (OK); Hybride; USD 70 000 - 98 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs ORD is seeking a Health System Specialist to manage regulatory committees and provide SME guidance on regulations for research compliance.

The role supports animal and human subject research reviews, trains new committee members, and ensures timely, compliant approvals and follow-ups across a comprehensive VA research program.

Qualifications

• Requires GS-9/11 level specialized experience or education as described in the qualification standards.
• Time-in-grade requirements may apply for current/federal employees with appropriate SF-50 documentation.
• Education substitution options include Master’s degree for GS-09 or Ph.D./3 years grad education for GS-11.

Responsabilités

• Oversees and manages regulatory review processes for research protocols involving animal and human subjects.
• Provides guidance on regulatory requirements and policies to staff and committees.
• Trains new committee members on procedures and responsibilities.
• Ensures timely, compliant review, approval, and follow-up across research projects.
• Maintains program materials, reviewer documentation, and resolves outstanding issues.

Description du poste

Summary

The position supports the Office of Research and Development (ORD) Service. The incumbent will manage regulatory committees and provide subject matter expertise regarding the underlying regulations in ensuring compliance in research. The position provides high level analytical and procedural support of projects in a comprehensive research setting - providing day-to-day support for the VA Research Program.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position - applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement - 10/21/2026. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-9 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-7. For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-9. The grade may have been in any occupation - but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year - it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade - as required by the announcement. In this instance - you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: GS-09 Grade Level: Specialized Experience GS-09 : You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-07 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include - but are not limited to: Applying established procedures to review documents for completeness or compliance. Preparing agendas - minutes - reports - or routine committee materials. Using regulatory guidelines to complete assignments and make minor adjustments to fit specific cases. Gathering information from staff to help identify workflow issues. Contributing to process improvements in administrative or program operations. OR Education GS-09: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D. - if related OR Combination GS-09: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education beyond post-high school education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements for the grade levels specified in the table - and may be computed by first determining the applicant's total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level; then determining the applicant's education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level; and then adding the two percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for that grade level. Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be used to qualify applicants for positions at grades GS-9 and GS-11. GS-11 Grade Level: Specialized Experience GS-11 : You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-07 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include - but are not limited to: Managing parts of a review or approval process in accordance with established regulations or program requirements. Conducting quality assurance or compliance reviews and recommending corrective actions. Developing or maintaining procedures - workflows - or monitoring tools that support program compliance. Providing guidance to staff on regulatory or policy requirements. Analyzing workflow or productivity data and recommending improvements to program operations. OR Education GS-11: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M. - if related OR Combination GS-11: Applicants may also combine specialized experience and education beyond post-high school education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements for the grade levels specified in the table - and may be computed by first determining the applicant's total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level; then determining the applicant's education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level; and then adding the two percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for that grade level. Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be used to qualify applicants for positions at grades GS-9 and GS-11. 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/.

Duties

• Major Duties: Serves as a key subject-matter expert supporting animal - basic science - and human research activities - including clinical trials involving investigational drugs - devices - and procedures
• Oversees the full review process for research protocols involving animal and/or human subjects to ensure timely and compliant review - approval - and follow-up
• Provides primary training for new committee members on relevant policies - procedures - and responsibilities associated with their regulatory roles
• Communicates regulatory updates and evolving requirements to research committees - ensuring members remain informed of changes impacting human and animal research
• Conducts comprehensive reviews of local investigator studies as part of institutional quality assurance processes
• Applies analytical and evaluative methods to assess research program operations - identifies process issues - and implements improvements to enhance committee or board effectiveness
• Resolves compliance concerns by providing guidance - support - and negotiated solutions when committee recommendations or determinations are disputed by investigators or coordinators
• Oversees and manages program activities - including preparing committee materials - coordinating reviewer documentation - ensuring proper personnel involvement - and resolving outstanding project-related issues
• Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory - qualification - and performance requirements are met
• Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level
• Work Schedule: Full-time - 8-hour shifts Monday through Friday - with tours scheduled between 7:30am-4:30pm
• Telework: This position may be authorized for Ad-hoc telework
• Ad-hoc telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process
• Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Return to Office (RTO): RTO mandates are in effect and selectees will be required to report to in-person work unless they are approved for an exception or an exemption
• Any approval for an RTO exception - exemption - or extension will happen after a tentative job offer - but before a final job offer
• Position Description/PD#: Health System Specialist/PD99586S and PD99493S Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment
• A pre-placement physical examination is not required
• THIS POSITION HAS THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENT: UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE EDUCATION: MAJOR STUDY -- hospital administration - public health administration - or related fields such as business or public administration with course work in health care administration
• OR SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE (FOR POSITIONS ABOVE GS-5): Progressively responsible analytical or administrative - or clinical management or supervisory experience in the health care field
• This work may have been performed in an operating health care facility or a higher organizational echelon with advisory or directional authority over such facilities
• Work must have involved a close working relationship with facility managers and analysis and/or coordination of administrative - clinical - or other service activities - and provided knowledge of the following: Missions - organizations - programs - and requirements of health care delivery systems
• Regulations and standards of various regulatory and credentialing groups
• and Government-wide - agency - and facility systems and requirements in various administrative areas such as budget - personnel - and procurement
• SPECIAL PROVISION FOR INSERVICE PLACEMENT: Successful completion of an agency-sponsored on-the-job training program may be substituted for qualifying experience - provided it included a formal individualized training plan
• Such a training program must have been conducted in an operating health care system and included: Assignments providing a knowledge of basic health system administration philosophies - practices - and procedures - and basic government administrative policies and requirements
• Practical assignments providing an opportunity to apply health system administration skills and principles (as the individual progresses - work assignments must be characteristic of the grade level to which he or she is assigned)
• and Oversight by an experienced health system administrator with periodic evaluation of the individual's progress and appropriate adjustment of the training program.