This position is in a National Program office (Enterprise). The Office of Suicide Prevention (OSP) in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is responsible for providing strategic guidance for improving the quality of suicide prevention services for over one and a half million Veterans nation-wide.

Duties

Duties include but are not limited to: Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization's policies and applicable laws for assigned staff and oversees development of suicide prevention (SP) specific policy when VHA policies do not directly apply to SP non-patient care settings. Plans and assigns work, sets priorities, advises employees on program goals and objectives, and makes decisions on work problems presented by subordinate staff. Sets performance standards and serves as senior rater or rater for subordinate employees. Reviews and approves performance standards and evaluations. Makes selections for key positions and approves selections made by support staff. Planning, execution, and administrative implementation of best practices as determined by research and evaluation community. Evaluates the effectiveness of the programs and ways to resolve problems or cope with issues which directly affect the accomplishment of the principal program goals and objectives. Develops performance and program goals and plans to meet these goals including identifying new program lines and evolving service delivery models to be consistent with provision of the most up-to-date, evidence-informed crisis intervention services. Ensures alignment of research priorities that will further suicide prevention research and evaluation and to improve and enhance the understanding of all Veteran's health and well being. Work Schedule: Mon - Fri, 0800-1630 Compressed/Flexible: May be available Telework: Available (applicant is required on site 50% of work schedule per pay period) Position Description/PD#: Social Science Officer- Deputy Director of Research and Program Evaluation/PD604630

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 01/02/2025. 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. Individual Occupational Requirements Degree: behavioral or social science; or related disciplines appropriate to the position. or Combination of education and experience that provided the applicant with knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field. or Four years of appropriate experience that demonstrated that the applicant has acquired knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field. 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: Mastery of, and skill in applying concepts, principles, and methodologies pertaining to suicide prevention sufficient to develop new theories, concepts, principles, standards, and methods to advance suicide prevention services beyond current parameters. Paramount knowledge of the theory, professional concepts, principles, and practices of social and behavioral science research methods, including design and methods of analysis. Mastery of, and expert knowledge in public health and research and evaluation related to suicide prevention and serves as a nationally recognized expert and consultant in this field, which impacts the well-being of the public and the nation. Mastery noted above may be utilized to review the potential impact of proposed legislation as it relates to this field, sent directly by Congressional Office representatives. Expert knowledge of relationship with various VA entities involved in the overall planning and execution of operations and evaluations. Ability to gather, assemble, and analyze facts, draw conclusions, conduct analysis, devise recommended solutions, and package the entire process in briefings, papers, or reports suitable for top management use and decision-making. Expert knowledge of analytical and evaluative methods, plus a thorough understanding of the VA, VHA and Suicide Prevention, how to apply appropriate program evaluation and measurement techniques in determining the extent of compliance with the rules and regulations issued by VA, VHA, and other Federal agencies. Mastery knowledge of advanced management and organizational principles and practices, along with a comprehensive knowledge of planning, programming, and budgeting regulations, guidelines, and processes. Preferred experience: Mastery of, and skill in applying concepts, principles, and methodologies pertaining to suicide prevention sufficient to develop new theories, concepts, principles, standards, and methods to advance suicide prevention services beyond current parameters; Paramount knowledge of the theory, professional concepts, principles, and practices of social and behavioral science research methods, including design and methods of analysis. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Organizational Performance Analysis Managing Human Resources Organizational Awareness Research Administration and Management 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: Work is primarily sedentary. There is some walking, standing, bending, and carrying of light items such as books, papers, and files. 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

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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Contacts

• Address Office of Suicide Prevention, Veterans Crisis Line 810 Vermont Avenue NW Washington, DC 20420 US
• Name: VHA National Recruitment Center
• Phone: (844)456-5208
• Email: [email protected]