Research Health Science Specialist

Summary Please note: There is no pay associated with this position. This position serves as Without Compensation (WOC) Research Data Scientist within the Office of Research and Development (ORD). The VA Research Program strives to promote Veteran-centered care to improve patient experiences and outcomes across VA healthcare and community settings, and to advance value-driven care by providing Veterans the highest quality care at the lowest financial burden. Responsibilities Major Duties: In this role, the Research Health Science Specialist provides operational leadership and technical expertise for VA healthcare projects, with key responsibilities including: End-to-end processing of human biospecimens and advanced molecular biology techniques such as sequencing library preparation for genomic and epigenomic profiling, heavy metal analysis via mass spectrometry in human blood and urine, and immune assays for hormones and protein markers in serum. Developing SOPs to increase laboratory throughput while utilizing R and Python to analyze complex datasets and generate high-quality visualizations. Perform advance molecular biology techniques, with a focus on sequencing library preparation for genomic and epigenomic profiling. Utilize R and Python to analyze complex biological datasets and generate high-quality figures for presentation and publication. Draft manuscripts, deliver seminar presentations, and provide critical technical support for grant writing and research proposals. Maintain active training and certifications essential for the rigorous demands of a VA research environment, including HIPAA, VA Human Research Protection, DoD Regulations and Requirements for Human Subject Research, VA Technology Transfer Program, VA Privacy and Information Security, and V16 Infection Prevention and Control. Further required certifications include Locally Delivered Hazardous Drugs, TMS Laboratory Safety, TMS Biosafety and Hazardous Waste, OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens, Biosafety Level 2 (BSL-2), and IATA/DOT UN3373 Category B Shipping. Work Schedule: Intermittent (Without Compensation) Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 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) Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 08/19/2026. Experience: You must possess general experience defined as: Managing timelines and deliverables for successful completion of projects, writing research policy, presenting findings, providing information to support grants and proposals; performing molecular biology techniques; and using biological datasets for generating reports. AND Education: Bachelor's or graduate/higher level degree: 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(external link) at the time the degree was obtained. 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: The work is predominantly sedentary. Typically, the employee sits comfortably to do the work. However, there will be some walking, standing, bending and carrying of items of moderate weight such as large binders, banker style file boxes, meeting materials, papers, books or small parts. Hand and eye coordination for delicate testing procedures may be the only special physical demand required to perform the work. 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 If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. 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.