The VA Research Program strives to promote Veteran-centered care to improve patient experiences and outcomes across VA healthcare and community settings, and to advance value-driven care by providing Veterans the highest quality care at the lowest financial burden. These positions are vital within the Office of Research and Development (ORD) at the VA Medical Center in Durham, NC. Health Science Specialists provide the link between veterans and highly innovative projects.

Duties

***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). 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. Duties include but are not limited to the following. Manages Clinical Tests and Collects Data - 40% Manage implementation, control and reporting on clinical tests. Implement data collection and monitor protocols for difficult clinical research studies. Administer or monitor administration of tests and measurements required by project design. Record data from samples and specimens to ensure that all tracking data is organized and is monitored during the progress of the study. Recruits and Manages Candidates for Clinical Trials - 25% Oversee, screen, and evaluate recruitment of candidates for clinical research studies via telephone and/or in person. Use objective rating techniques to identify potential candidates for participation in study where project design is complex. Oversee recruitment and enrollment of participants, providing information on study objectives and constraints. Research Project Support - 35% Assist supervisor with managing the routine, day-to-day activities, and administration of the project. Plan, develop, complete, and submit on time all required documentation/paperwork/forms for initial and continuing human subject's review. Analyze processes and documentation to ensure compliance with all technical, regulatory requirements, and information safety regulations. Regularly review guidance, policies, and procedures to maintain regulatory compliance. WORK SCHEDULE: Full Time, Monday-Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Telework: VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this Health Science Specialist GS-11 position, applicant(s) must meet the English Language Proficiency, plus the Basic Education Requirement, plus at least one of the additional specialized experience or education requirements, as described below. ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY: In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), No person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. You must be proficient in basic written and spoken English in order to meet the requirements of this position. AND 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. AND SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Requires 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 the position. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-9 grade level in Federal service. Specialized experience includes managing clinical tests and collecting data, recruiting participants, and managing human research subjects in a research setting. OR SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION FOR EXPERIENCE (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED): Successful completion of a master's or equivalent graduate degree related to the medical field, health sciences or allied sciences. Education must have provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. OR COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED): Equivalent combinations of graduate education and specialized experience may be used to meet the total requirements for this position. Only graduate education in excess of one year (excess of 18 semester hours) combined with experience is creditable. You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: CommunicationsCritical ThinkingManages and Organizes InformationProject ManagementResearch 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 work is primarily sedentary with occasional walking, standing, and handling and carrying items such as paper and books. There may be occasion needs to assist study participants with mobility to study location(s). Some travel will be required. 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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Contacts

• Address Durham ORD VISN 6 508 Fulton Street Durham, NC 27705 US
• Name: VHA National Recruitment Center
• Phone: (844)456-5208
• Email: [email protected]