Health Science Specialist

Summary This position is located in the - Veterans Health Administration (VHA) - at the VA Connecticut Healthcare System (VACHS) Executive Director Service. The Research Compliance Officer (RCO) is responsible for providing a strategic direction and developing - implementing - and documenting a comprehensive program to ensure compliance of research and development activities conducted by VACHS. Concerned with expertise and mastery of research compliances program development. Qualifications To qualify for this position - applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement - 06/08/2026. 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-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11. 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. QUALIFICATIONS: You may qualify based on your education and experience as described below. BASIC EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENT: A bachelor's or graduate/higher level degree with a major study in an academic field related to the medical field - health sciences - or allied sciences that is appropriate to the work of this 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. GRADE REQUIREMENT: GS-12 You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-11 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include - Ensuring R&D program compliance in the areas of credentialing - training and education of investigators and research staff. Playing a critical role in the preparation and application for accreditation of the facility's Human Research Protection Program (HRPP). Working closely with other departments such as the Office of Research Oversight (ORO) regarding review of Human Research Protection Program (HRPP) activities - including development of remediation plans - initial and follow-up reports. Reviewing Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACC) activities - records (including databases and meeting minutes) to ensure compliance with national requirements - including those of the Department of Veterans Affairs Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) - Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) - Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - and NIH. Participating in semi-annual Animal Research Facility walk-through inspections. Participating in the process for American Association for the advancement of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC) accreditation. Ensuring that regulatory and policy updates are disseminated to investigators and research employees in a timely manner - performs ongoing monitoring of all areas of research compliance - and acts decisively on issues of potential non-compliance. 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 includes walking - standing - bending - carrying of light items - and occasionally assisting with a wheelchair. In some instances - relationships with patients and caregivers can become intense and the incumbent is constantly exposed to high levels of stress and anxiety. This position demands emotional stability - as the incumbent is deeply involved with many challenging - seriously ill - and/or dying patients and their caregivers. For more information on these qualification standards - please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at Duties Ensures R&D program compliance in the areas of credentialing - training and education of investigators and research staff Plays a critical role in the preparation and application for accreditation of the facility's Human Research Protection Program (HRPP) Works closely with other departments such as the Office of Research Oversight (ORO) regarding review of Human Research Protection Program (HRPP) activities - including development of remediation plans - initial and follow-up reports Reviews Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACC) activities - records (including databases and meeting minutes) to ensure compliance with national requirements - including those of the Department of Veterans Affairs Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) - Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) - Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - and NIH Participates in semi-annual Animal Research Facility walk-through inspections Participates in the process for American Association for the advancement of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC) accreditation Ensures that regulatory and policy updates are disseminated to investigators and research employees in a timely manner - performs ongoing monitoring of all areas of research compliance - and acts decisively on issues of potential non-compliance Analyzes and evaluates - on a quantitative or qualitative basis - the effectiveness of programs and operations in meeting established compliance goals and objectives Analyzes and prepares program status reports for review at all levels Develops procedures and systems for establishing - operating - and assessing the effectiveness of compliance control systems and the accomplishment - evaluation and/or monitoring of audits - inspections - or management of internal control reviews Forwards action items to the responsible oversight bodies with R&D and the medical center Generate correspondence to researchers to advise them on policy matters - process issues - and procedural problems and solutions Identifies key policy issues and priorities - designs analyses - evaluates alternatives - and makes recommendations to management Examine research activities regularly to identify and reduce potential compliance breakdowns Designs and implements training programs and develops organizational strategies for identifying quality improvement opportunities relating to the compliance program Assists managers and technical specialists in identifying compliance areas with potential for significant compliance improvement Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00am to 4:30pm Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized Telework: Ad-Hoc telework Authorized Virtual: This is not a virtual position Position Description/PD#: Health Science Specialist/PD689-04140-0 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized This position is not a Bargaining Unit position May be required to attend conference at other facilities or other VA sites on occasion Current Federal employees must submit copies of their most recent SF-50 - (Notice of Personnel Action) The SF-50 must identify the position title - series - grade - step - tenure and type of service (Competitive or Excepted) In some cases - more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held This position is in the Competitive Service Time-in-Grade Restriction: 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 The grade may have been in any occupation but must have been held in the Federal service Interchange Agreements with Other Merit System: Employees who occupy medical or medical-related positions and were appointed under 38 U.S.C. 4701(1) or (3) [formerly 38 U.S.C. 4104 (1) and (3)] must be serving in a full-time position without time limit and have served continuously for at least one year in this other merit system to be eligible to convert to the Title 5 System Some exceptions to this rule may apply if you have previously acquired tenure under a Title 5 appointment Veterans' preference does not apply for other current permanent Federal agency employees #J-18808-Ljbffr