The position provides professional support to the Cooperative Studies Program through the application of computer science theory and practice in the areas of computer system, software design and development, system architecture, software organization, and specialized knowledge in clinical trial data structures, management, software, system design characteristics and limitations, and the use of system and software to transform data and information for use in the broad research spectrums.

Duties

This a bargaining unit position. Duties include but are not limited to: Ensures technical compliance with validation models including ISPE's GAMP5©, VA computer security policies and guidelines, FDA cGMP and GCP regulations. Analyze regulatory requirements, customer needs, and organizational objectives to design computer systems to support clinical trial research. Collaborate with a wide range of personnel including executives, management, & other Federal agencies. Improve effectiveness and/or organizational productivity through improved systems/applications and designs. Develop novel or advanced concepts for automation and information processing as well as techniques for displaying this information. Analyze and resolve application problems and issues with production systems. Evaluate, analyze, and design novel computer systems/applications for use in clinical research. Ensure compliance with FDA regulations as they relate to regulated computer systems. Test, validate, and deploy systems/applications to ensure compliance with FDA regulations concerning validation of regulated software systems. Interpret and communicate concepts such as system architect and system software organization and design. Coordinate design, development, and implementation of new systems. Lead large-scale national system design and development projects. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 9:00am to 4:30pm Compressed/Flexible: Available Telework: Available Duty Location Status: Will work from a VA owned or leased space Position Description/PD#: Computer Scientist/PD10308A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job.
• Selectees are subject to a background/suitability investigation.
• Selectees may be required to serve a probationary period.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• A complete application package, i.e., Resume, Transcripts, etc., as required by job announcement.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
• Participation in the Seasonal Influenza Prevention Program for VHA Health Care Personnel (HCP) is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs HCP.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Pre-employment physical examination/evaluation may be required.
• Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/25/2023. 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-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11. 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. Provide a copy of your last or most recent SF-50, "Notification of Personnel Action" to indicate your current federal status. You must also submit additional SF-50(s) to clearly demonstrate one year time-in-grade as required in the announcement. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate that you possess one year time-in-grade. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one year time-in-grade. 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. AND Individual Occupational Requirements: Bachelor's degree in computer science or bachelor's degree with 30 semester hours in a combination of mathematics, statistics, and computer science. At least 15 of the 30 semester hours must have included any combination of statistics and mathematics that included differential and integral calculus. All academic degrees and course work must be from accredited or pre-accredited institutions. A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing your qualifications on education. AND You may qualify based on your experience/education as described below. Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-11 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include, but are not limited to: Providing consulting/advice on core computer system infrastructure; Developing high-speed computer systems with real-time access to large datasets used to manage large, multi-center clinical trials; Developing novel or advanced concepts for automation and information processing as well as techniques for displaying this information; and interpret and communicate concepts such as system architect and system software organization and design. OR Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; OR Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond a Master Degree. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: CommunicationsComputer LanguagesConfiguration ManagementSystems Integration Per Office of Personnel Management General Schedule Qualification Policies, federal employees are assumed to have gained experience by performing duties and responsibilities appropriate for their official series and grade level as described in their position description. Experience that would not normally be part of the employee's position is creditable when documented by satisfactory evidence (e.g., a memorandum from the manager, human resources director, or official documentation such as SF-52, SF-50 documenting an official detail/assignments, or other comparable documentation). The documentation must indicate whether the employee performed the duties full time or, if part-time, the percentage of times the employee performed the additional duties. To receive credit for experience in your resume that is not within the official series and grade level of your position, you must provide official documentation of such experience as indicated above. 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; religions; 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. Note: 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. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit OPM's web site at http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/standards/indexes/alph-ndx.asp.

Education

Applicants must possess a Bachelor's degree in computer science or bachelor's degree with 30 semester hours in a combination of mathematics, statistics, and computer science. At least 15 of the 30 semester hours must have included any combination of statistics and mathematics that included differential and integral calculus. All academic degrees and course work must be from accredited or pre-accredited institutions.

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.

PLEASE NOTE: Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications (particularly positions with a positive education requirement). Therefore, applicants must report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html. All education claimed by applicants will be verified by the appointing agency accordingly. 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.

Contacts

• Address Albuquerque ORD VISN 22 1501 San Pedro Drive, Southeast Albuquerque, NM 87108 US
• Name: VHA National Recruitment Center
• Phone: (844)456-5208
• Email: [email protected]