This position is located within the Philadelphia (VISN 4) Centers of Excellence in Substance Abuse Treatment and Education (CESATE) at the VA Medical Center in Philadelphia, PA. The Program Specialist - Research is responsible for planning, programming, administration and management of a network-wide program and activities, policy/operations and educational support initiatives.

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 10/24/2027). 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 major duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to: Researched and analyzes administrative issues, determines pertinent issues and collects relevant information from a variety of sources; Prepares/maintains Access databases and databases created with other software; Prepares graphs and statistical presentations using Excel, PowerPoint, Word and other applications; Performs research and conducts literature searches on Substance Use Disorders (SUD); Compiles, coordinates, and maintains files of regulatory documents and communications between research personnel, IRB and VA Research & Development Committees; Compiles and edits materials that comprise grant applications and research proposals and provides technical writing assistance to proposals; Plans and accomplishes special projects; Conducts extensive research and compilation of data from diverse sources, the internet and software designed for spreadsheets; extracts and assembles information from various sources, conducts analysis and develops reports and presentations; Assists with developing, maintaining and disseminating CESATE administrative management policies and procedures, provides input into day-to-day operations, e.g., preparation and submission of correspondence and reports; Performs a wide variety of record-keeping duties including updating manuals on policy and directives, maintaining files, and coordinating meetings, conferences and training classes using Microsoft Outlook and other software; Responds to inquiries; serves as the primary point of contact by utilizing communications channels (i.e., telephone, fax, email, internet, correspondence, etc.); and Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00a.m. to 4:30p.m. Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved 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 position at the GS-9 level, you must meet one of the following: Experience: You must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-7) in the Federal Service that has given you the particular knowledge, skills and abilities required to successfully perform the duties of a Program Specialist - Research, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Specialized experience is experience performing duties associated with managing health services research programs; utilizing software such as Microsoft Office to prepare a variety of reports, forms and correspondence; designing and maintaining databases; applying analytical and evaluative techniques; and communicating and working with individuals with varied backgrounds. 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~ Education: A master's degree or two (2) full years of graduate level education leading to such a degree or LL.B., J.D. in a related field of study that demonstrates your ability to perform the duties of this position may be substituted for the experience required at the GS-09 grade level. Education must have been obtained at an accredited institution. Eighteen (18) semester hours is usually considered equivalent to one full year of study. If you are using education to qualify, transcripts are required. ~OR~ Combination: Equivalent combinations of successfully completed graduate-level education (beyond the first year) and specialized experience, as described above, which meet the total experience requirements for this grade level. The education portion must have provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position (as described above). NOTE: Copies of transcripts must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: Information ManagementOrganizational AwarenessProject Management 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, although some slight physical effort may be required such as carrying and lifting of both light items and medium-weight items such as computers and chairs. Requires occasional collection of patient urine specimens. 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 Corporal Michael J Crescenz Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center 3900 Woodland Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19104 US
• Name: VHA National Recruitment Center
• Phone: (844)456-5208
• Email: [email protected]