This position is that of Research Health Scientist based in the Women's Health Sciences Division of the National Center for PTSD at VA Boston Healthcare System. NCPTSD's mission is to advance the clinical care and social welfare of America's Veterans and others who have experienced stress, trauma, and/or PTSD through research, education, and training. VA established the NCPTSD as a consortium of divisions.

Duties

Primary Research Activities The incumbent functions as an independent investigator responsible for developing original research and managing a complex research portfolio on topics related to stress, trauma, mental health, and well-being among Veterans, including research on the unique concerns and experiences of women Veterans. Very wide latitude and independent judgment are exercised in making decisions affecting staff and other resources associated with this research. The total budget for the incumbent's research portfolio over the past five years has been over $13 million. The incumbent supervises staff at all levels, coordinates the expenditure of support funding, ensures that the research team functions in a cost-effective, efficient and productive manner, and works to develop new research to meet the needs of Veterans and the VA system. The incumbent's program management responsibilities include the development of both short and long-range goals and plans, development and implementation of policies and procedures to ensure goal attainment, management of administrative and programmatic resources, and outcomes monitoring using data-driven quality assurance processes. The incumbent also oversees and directs the daily activities of study staff and contributors, which includes VA salaried employees and personnel on Interagency Personnel Agreements. The incumbent plans the work of subordinates, assigns duties, oversees study design execution, sets priorities, prepares schedules for work completion, and evaluates work. The incumbent oversees research projects and data analyses. The incumbent's research guides the VA in understanding the resources required to meet the needs of Veterans, with a particular focus on the unique needs of women Veterans, transitioning Veterans, and Veterans who experience internal and external barriers to use of VA programs and services. Consulting, Collaborating, and Mentoring The incumbent provides regular consultation, collaboration and mentoring on her areas of research expertise. The incumbent also supports the efforts of other organizations responsible for supporting Veterans and other patient populations who face similar challenges to Veterans (e.g., mental health stigma) through consultation and invited presentations to leadership within DoD and NIH on her areas of expertise. In addition, the incumbent provides routine consultation to the larger scientific community on topics related to the research program. Disseminating Research Findings The incumbent communicates scientific findings to VA Operational Leadership, the scientific community, and the general public through the preparation of journal articles, scientific reports, executive summaries, infographics, VA publication briefs, and press releases. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm 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. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Supervisory Research Health Scientist PD037240 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: May Be Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 11/16/2023. 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-15 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-14. 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. Selective Placement factor This position includes a 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 position is: Demonstrated experience in Research and Development in a medical or hospital setting, obtaining research funding, critically evaluating research proposals, and conducting research. Demonstrated experience serving on research committees that oversee regulatory, ethical, and/or administrative management of research studies. ~AND~ BASIC EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENT: A bachelor's or higher-level degree with a 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 at the time the degree was obtained. Transcripts required. You may qualify based on your experience as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-14 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: independent research program planning, development and evaluation, and resource management, formulates goals and objectives of a research program; experience with all administrative and budgetary operations of a Research Service, administrative supervisor within a large medical research or academic program, researcher/investigator as evidence by publication within clinical science and health services, managing intramural and extramural research funding, interpreting and applying guidelines, assessing program effectiveness, and directing program resources. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Compliance Financial Management Planning and Evaluating Research Strategic Thinking 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. Physical Requirements: Must be in overall good health, able to sit at a desk working at a computer, engage in light to moderate physical activity including sitting, walking, bending, and carrying supplies. Applicants must be able to perform primarily light and sedentary duties with occasionally moderate physical demands, exercise patience, and control emotions, with reasonable accommodation if necessary, without endangering the health and safety of the applicant or others. The work is primarily sedentary, although some slight physical effort may be required. Extended periods of sitting at a computer station. Rigid deadlines and the need for high degree of accuracy, high stress situations, and the ability to adapt work plans based on status 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

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

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 VA Boston Healthcare System 940 Belmont Street Brockton, MA 02301 US
• Name: Tracy Mesler
• Phone: (734) 545-3004
• Email: [email protected]