Health System Specialist

Full Job Description

This position serves as Health System Specialist - Research Committee Manager within the Research and Development (R&D) Service.

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.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 03/09/2026.

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-9 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-7. For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-9.

The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service.

Note: You must submit a copy of your most recent personnel action/SF50: 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.

Interchange Agreement: 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: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-authorities/competitive-hiring/.

This position has an Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR). An IOR is part of the minimum qualifications for this occupational series.

In order to meet the IOR you must have: Undergraduate and Graduate Level Education: Major study -- hospital administration, public health administration, or related fields such as business or public administration with course work in health care administration., OR Specialized Experience: Progressively responsible analytical or administrative, or clinical management or supervisory experience in the health care field.

This work may have been performed in an operating health care facility or a higher organizational echelon with advisory or directional authority over such facilities.

Work must have involved a close working relationship with facility managers and analysis and/or coordination of administrative, clinical, or other service activities, and provided knowledge of the following: Missions, organizations, programs, and requirements of health care delivery systems; Regulations and standards of various regulatory and credentialing groups; and Government-wide, agency, and facility systems and requirements in various administrative areas such as budget, personnel, and procurement., OR Special Provision for Inservice Placement: Successful completion of an agency-sponsored on-the-job training program may be substituted for qualifying experience, provided it included a formal individualized training plan.

Such a training program must have been conducted in an operating health care system and included: Assignments providing a knowledge of basic health system administration philosophies, practices, and procedures, and basic government administrative policies and requirements; Practical assignments providing an opportunity to apply health system administration skills and principles (as the individual progresses, work assignments must be characteristic of the grade level to which he or she is assigned); and Oversight by an experienced health system administrator with periodic evaluation of the individual's progress and appropriate adjustment of the training program.

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 ( For GS-9, one year of specialized experience at the GS-7 level, For GS-11, one year of specialized experience at the GS-9 level) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.

Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: GS 9: Knowledge and skill in applying analytical and evaluative techniques.

Ability to identify issues with readily observable conditions, written guidelines, work methods and procedures. Knowledge of ethical principles, laws, regulations, and policies.

Ability to provide advice and consultation to Institutional Review Board Chairs, members, and staff. GS-11: Knowledge and skill in applying analytical and evaluative techniques.

Ability to identify issues with readily observable conditions, written guidelines, work methods and procedures. Knowledge of ethical principles, laws, regulations, and policies.

Ability to provide advice and consultation to Institutional Review Board Chairs, members, and staff.

Ability to educate the investigative community of local and external policies and procedures with regards to research involving human subjects.

Use qualitative and quantitative analytical techniques such as: literature search; work measurement; task analysis and job structuring; productivity charting; determining staff to workload ratios; organization design; space planning; development and administration of questionnaires; flowcharting of work processes; graphing; and calculation of means, modes, standard deviations, or similar statistical measures.

OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience.

To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have the below: Health System Specialist GS-09 master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B.

or J.D., if related OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level.

You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond post-high school education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements for the grade levels specified in the table, and may be computed by first determining the applicant's total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level; then determining the applicant's education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level; and then adding the two percentages.

The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for that grade level.

Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be used to qualify applicants for positions at grades GS-9 and GS-11.

(When crediting education that requires specific course work, prorate the number of hours of related courses required as a proportion of the total education to be used.). Major Duties:

The Research Committee Manager position is vital within the ORD and the facilities where research programs are conducted.

Research Program Managers provide the link between Veterans and highly innovative projects.

Duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to: R&D, IRB, IACUC, SRS, CIRB, IBC, and/or HRPP Program Administration Oversees and manages these programs and their activities, including preparation of committee and reviewer materials with appropriate documentation, ensuring projects are reviewed by appropriate personnel, and ensuring all outstanding issues related to project management are resolved in a timely manner.

Serves in an advisory capacity to the R&D Leadership, research investigators, research committee members, and research committee Chairs and others on issues relative to carrying out the institution's research activities involving the use of humans, animals, and safety procedures for investigative purposes.

Serves as the accreditation Facility Liaison.

Oversees the protocol review process of multiple programs and committees, ensuring projects are reviewed by appropriate personnel, including the Information System and Security Officer (ISSO) and Privacy Officer (PO), and issues related to project management are resolved.

Develops and maintains a pre-review program that will coincide with the IRB, IACUC, SRS, IBC, CIRB, and/or R&D Committee review of all research involving human subjects, animal subjects, basic laboratory science and the human research protection program.

Develops and manages required annual and semi-annual reviews of the assigned programs.

Stays informed on guidelines relating to security and safety in the conduct of research and advises Research and Safety leadership, as needed.

Educates the investigative community of local and external policies and procedures with regards to research involving animal and human subjects.

Develops reporting procedures, sampling techniques, and measurements at various points in the research committee process and research programs to identify problem areas or inherent weaknesses in work processes, procedures, information systems and content.

Quality and Compliance Responsible for maintaining the federal-wide assurance with the Office of Human Research Protection and ensuring IRBs are appropriately constituted and registered.

Responsible for maintaining the IBC registration with the National Institutes of Health Office of Science Policy and ensuring IBC is appropriately constituted and registered.

Responsible for maintaining the program's accreditation process for the Association for the Assessment and Accreditation for Laboratory Animal Care International (AAALAC).

Analyzes and evaluates each research project to ensure compliance with Federal and State regulations, including but not limited to VA, FDA, OHRP (Office of Human Research Protection), ORO, and other applicable regulatory and procedural requirements.

Develops programs, policies, and procedures within the Research.

Monitors quality assurance program implementation and indicators designed to prevent erroneous transactions and ineffective work practices and to verify adherence to quality assurance plans and requirements.

Responsible for alerting investigators of deficiencies found within their submissions and educating them as to the steps required to correct the deficiencies.

Administrative Oversight Assumes responsibility in preparing for all external reviews.

Research and/or analyzes problems, administrative issues, or program requirements as they relate to animal, human subject or safety research and the research review process.

Initiates or reviews correspondence for all research. Oversees and refines customized, networked computerized databases to allow for timely tracking of research projects.

Serves as the electronic records system administrator for the Research Office. Preferred Experience: Internal Review (IRB) Experience.

Strong skills in communication, organization, problem solving, and attention to detail. Work Schedule: Mon - Fri 8:00am - 4:30pm Telework: Not Authorized Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Health System Specialist/PD99586S Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized