Program Specialist

Full Job Description

This position is located at the Montana VA Health Care System, Office of the Chief of Staff, Research Department.

The purpose of this position is to lead and manage all operational and administrative aspects of the Research Department.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 04/14/2026.

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 level. For a GS-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11 level.

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.

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience GS-11: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade of 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...knowledge of the administrative, regulatory, and safety implications of research, personnel management, budgeting and finance, and research safety; knowledge of a wide range of qualitative and quantitative methods related to the development and evaluation of a major research program; working knowledge of federal and VA policies and regulations that govern the appropriate conduct of research; knowledge of security, health, safety and fire regulations and procedures (including controlled substances, drugs, radioisotopes, etc.) to review and evaluate the success of the research program in those areas; and knowledge of contracting and physical plant rules and regulations for securing contracts, procuring supplies and equipment, and conducting and evaluating construction and space review functions...OR, Education (GS-11): Applicants may substitute education for the required experience.

To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed a Ph.D.

or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., 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 the graduate degree level.

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/.

Specialized Experience GS-12: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade of GS-11 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.

Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to...extensive knowledge of the administrative, regulatory, and safety implications of research, personnel management, budgeting and finance, and research safety; a wide range of qualitative and quantitative methods related to the development and evaluation of a major research program; broad knowledge of medical science terminology to allow the ability to "translate" scientific needs into administrative solutions; skilled in planning, organizing and directing the research office work; ability to advocate effectively with facility leadership for resources, space, and personnel; knowledge of VA policies and procedures pertaining to preparation and submission of funding proposals to advise on, review and process a variety of applications for funds to support investigators and research projects; knowledge of VA Central Office process and procedures and the ability to interact with Central Office officials in matters of regulatory compliance, budgeting, purchasing of large-scale equipment, contracting and leasing of space; knowledge of technical equipment and research protocol requirements to evaluate equipment needs, recommend changes and evaluate results, and knowledge of security, health, safety and fire regulations and procedures (including controlled substances, drugs, radioisotopes, etc.) to review and evaluate the success of the research program in those areas.

Preferred Experience: Research and development experience is preferred. Major Duties:

Major duties of this position include but are not limited to....

Responsible for the overall administrative management of the Research Service, which includes interpreting national directives and laws, developing and implementing policies, defining administrative requirements, and providing advice to top management on related issues Reviews, analyzes, and implements all policies and regulations that affect and/or govern research operations Coordinates withe principal investigators in developing and processing research funding proposals to ensure regulatory compliance necessary for adequate review by higher authority in the funding approval process Serves as an ex-officio non-voting member of the Research and Development (R&D) Committee and serves on other research related and Facility committees as appropriate Oversees and manages and Human Research Protection Program (HRPP) and all activities, which includes preparation of committee and reviewer materials with appropriates documentation 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 and safety procedures for investigative purposes Educates the investigative community of local and external policies and procedures with regards to research involving 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 Develops data capture and reporting procedures to track progress of program management initiatives Provides for the budgeting and financial management of the research program; maintains awareness of and information about the overall status of financial resources for the office in order to react to changing situations with timely recommendations Manages procurement and contracting for the research program Reviews, evaluates, and ensures the current status of Equipment Inventory Listings (EII) on all equipment assigned to principal investigators in the research program Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met.

Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00am - 4;30pm Telework: This position may be authorized for AD-HOC telework.

Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Program Specialist/PD147520 and PD147510 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized