This position is located in the Office of Research and Development (ORD) within the VA Healthcare System in Ann Arbor, MI. The Health Science Specialist - Research participates collaboratively in health services research projects, working with administrative staff, project managers, investigators and other research assistants and associates.

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: Intermittent employment is defined as non-fulltime employment in which employees serve under an excepted or competitive service appointment without a regularly scheduled tour of duty. A position with an intermittent work schedule is sporadic and unpredictable so that a tour of duty cannot be regularly scheduled in advance. Intermittent positions offer health insurance only if the employee is expected to work at least 130 hours per month for at least 90 days. NOTE: This is a TERM appointment (not-to-exceed 13 months). 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. Major duties include but are not limited to: Demonstrates a thorough knowledge of Institutional Review Board (IRB) and research committee reporting requirements, rules and regulations on research protocols; Develops initial R&D and IRB applications for single and multi-site studies and completes annual IRB reporting requirements; Develops and updates the project's research Regulatory Binder; Actively participates in multi-disciplinary investigative research team meetings and discussions leading to consensus on research design, methods and techniques; Contributes to draft sections of working papers, interim reports and final reports; manuscripts for submission; abstracts for professional meetings and posters for presentation; Coordinates submission of research proposals, including supporting documents from investigators, consultants and sites; Works with the Principal Investigator to determine the best ways to recruit patients for studies; Screens and evaluates potential participants for research studies; Conducts clinical research interviews to confirm eligibility of potential participants; Responsible for the randomization of patients to treatment arms of a Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) and develops the randomization procedures and as patients are enrolled in the study, assigns them to treatment groups; Interviews study participants, administers questionnaires and collects research data from medical charts and other sources of research data specified in the protocol; Creates databases for the capture of recruitment data, questionnaire data, medical chart data and other data sources; Uses statistical knowledge to define variable properties, design queries and create data reports; Conducts data quality reviews and uses such data to identify potential problems and recommends appropriate courses of action; Uses statistical software packages such as SAS, STATA, R or database software such as ACCESS; and Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Intermittent Work Schedule. Hours will vary depending on the current needs of the research project and typically range from 0 to 20 hours per week. Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required 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.

Requirements

Qualifications

All applicants must meet the following Basic Education Requirement: Basic Education Requirement: Possess a Bachelor's degree (or higher) from an accredited college or university in a major study in an academic field related to the medical field, health sciences or allied sciences appropriate to the work of this position. NOTE: You must submit copies of transcripts at the time of application. Education will not be credited without documentation. ~AND~ In addition to the Basic Education Requirement, to qualify for the GS-9 level, you must meet one of the following requirements: Specialized 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 Health Science Specialist - Research and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Specialized experience includes coordinating and managing the day-to-day clinical research projects and programs; recruiting, screening, enrolling and following-up on human research subjects; managing and coordinating research administrative activities; conducting analyses of work processes to evaluate programmatic efficiencies or inefficiencies; understanding human research practices to communicate effectively with staff and management; performing methodological reviews and research reporting; analyzing data and preparing reports; and utilizing various computer and statistical software packages such as Microsoft Excel, Access, PowerPoint, SAS, STATA, R etc. NOTE: Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must clearly indicate the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. ~OR~ Education: Successful completion of two (2) years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or equivalent graduate degree related to the position that provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. NOTE: If you select this option, you must submit a copy of your transcript (unofficial or official) with your application. Education cannot be credited without documentation. ~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: Clinical Data Collection/DocumentationData 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. Typically, the person in this position may sit comfortably to do the work. 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: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov).

Contacts

• Address Ann Arbor VA Medical Center 2215 Fuller Road Ann Arbor, MI 48105 US
• Name: VHA National Recruitment Center
• Phone: (844)456-5208
• Email: [email protected]