Physiologist

Summary

This position is a Physiologist with the organizational title of Exercise Physiologist located in the Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center (GRECC) at the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System (VAAAHS), Ann Arbor, Ml - a level 1b complexity VHA facility.

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Duties

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Program Management

- Conducts and manages an exercise program tailored to individual patients, taking into consideration their age, health conditions, and physical functioning.

- Plans and sustains a portfolio of funded research in the field of aging, exercise, and functional decline.

- Selects and administers physical performance measures for Gerofit research and clinical activities.

- Acts as Program Manager for Gerofit research and clinical project(s) and leads and participates in the activities of the team. Manages communications and changes to the scope, direction, and processes of projects.

- Plans management approach for projects; conducts complete evaluations of project operations; collects, analyzes, manages and documents data; interprets results; and documents and reports findings.

- Organizes the data collection and data management processes. Assures compliance with study protocols, study operations manuals, standard operating procedures, and other relevant policies and procedures.

- Develops follow-up procedures to monitor participant progress. Establishes, coordinates, monitors, and manages outcomes-based research and analyses.

- Assigns specific duties to program employees, as required, and monitors activities and quality of work specific to projects.

- Prepares reports for both written and oral presentations to the general scientific community to be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at meetings and conferences.

- Monitors program progress, budget requirements, and timelines as required for VA reports and other relevant guidelines. Reviews regular status reports and statistical data to verify compliance with research reporting and administrative criteria.

- Plans, develops and completes required documentation/paperwork/forms to applicable Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) for initial and continuing human subjects review.

- Establishes program goals and objectives and identifies results indicative of successful program accomplishments.

- Establishes a schedule of team meetings, develops meeting agendas, and facilitates ongoing study activities.

- Provides training and consultation to program team personnel in project protocols, policies, and procedures, including appropriate clinical interview procedures and data collection and maintenance.

Data Management

- Implements study interventions and/or data abstraction, data collection, and data management procedures. Gathers statistical and narrative data on program status, including resource utilization, statistical data on participation, and adherence to study protocols on matters such as participant education and study interventions.

- Organizes data collection processes, statistical analysis, and data management, summarizing research data using computerized programs.

- Develops study operations manuals, defining systems and procedures to follow for optimal operation of complex research projects.

- Maintains records and prepares administrative and statistical reports for review.

- Arranges and conducts complex literature searches required for research projects.

- Conducts audits of research study records for compliance with applicable federal rules and regulations.

This position is at the full performance level

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:00am -3:30pm

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Physiologist/ PD924430

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• Physical Requirements: A pre-placement physical examination is not required.
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/10/2026.

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-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09. 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.

Basic Requirements:

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-09 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.

Examples of specialized experience would typically include but are not limited to:

• Developing, designing, and conducting exercise programs for patients.
• Assessing, planning or implementing fitness programs that included exercise or physical activities.
• Conducting exercise testing to develop individualized exercise plans.
• Administering and interpreting physical performance tests and record responses to treatment.
• Data collection and monitoring protocols for treatment program.
• Using basic life support (to assess and adequately initiate basic life support) as needed during day to day program activities.
• Using safety practices in physical activity programs, particularly those enrolling patients with multiple co-morbidities which will require the ability to adapt or extend current practice based upon the complexity of the patient population.
• Applying national physical activity guidelines (HHS, AHA, ACSM) for adults with sufficient mastery of the underlying theory in order to adapt programs to meet individual needs while adhering to established guidelines, policies and regulations.
• Computer use, database development and statistical analysis sufficient to evaluate program effectiveness, patient improvement and develop professional presentations.
• Motivational interviewing as applied to behavioral change and lifestyle modification.
• Managing priorities and coordination of work in order to complete duties in an accurate and timely manner.

Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have completed a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, or (3) three full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this Physiologist position.

Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond the second year and specialized experience, as described above, which may be used to meet total experience requirements for this grade level. This education portion must include graduate courses that provided the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to do the work of a Physiologist and must have been obtained in an accredited college or university.

Preferred Experience: Experience creating and administering exercise prescriptions for an older adult population with complex health issues and/or comorbid conditions. Experience creating and leading group exercise classes with modifications as dictated by class need. Experience with administrative programs, including complex Excel databases, Outlook calendar and scheduling, Teams planner and channels, Redcap and Qualtrics.

Physical Demands: The work involves a wide range of physical demands from sedentary work in a standard office setting to moderate to heavy physical demands which include the ability to lead exercise classes, move exercise equipment, and transfer patients in an emergency setting.

Work Environment: The work is performed in an office and/or Gerofit clinic setting requiring no special considerations beyond accepted standards of safety. The work area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated.

Applicants must be eligible under the VA Interchange Agreement, having served continuously for at least one year in the other merit system under this interchange agreement. For more information regarding the VA Interchange Agreement please visit: .

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at .

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: . 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: .

Additional information

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave : Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at .

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Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.