This position is located in the Research and Development (R&D) Service at the John Dingell VA Medical Center in Detroit, Michigan. The Health Science Specialist is fully responsible to manage clinical tests, ensure development, coordination, and technical management of databases, collect data, recruit, and manage subjects for clinical trials and provide high level site support of projects in a comprehensive research setting, providing day-to-day support for the VA Research Program.
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 07/17/2025. 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-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07. 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. Provide a copy of your last or most recent SF-50, "Notification of Personnel Action" to indicate your current federal status. You must also submit additional SF-50(s) to clearly demonstrate one year time-in-grade as required in the announcement. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate that you possess one year time-in-grade. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one year time-in-grade. 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. AND You may qualify based on your education/experience/combination as described below. A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Individual Occupational Requirements: Basic Education Requirement: Possess a Bachelor's degree (or higher) from an accredited college or university in a major study in an academic field related to the medical field, health sciences or allied sciences appropriate to the work of this position. NOTE: You must submit copies of transcripts at the time of application. Education will not be credited without documentation. AND In addition to the Basic Education Requirement, to qualify for the GS-9 level, you must meet one of the following requirements: Specialized Experience: You must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-7) in the Federal service that has given you the particular knowledge, skills and abilities required to successfully perform the duties of a Health Science Specialist - Research and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Specialized experience includes coordinating and managing the day-to-day clinical research projects and programs; enrolling and interviewing patients and obtaining informed consent; monitoring progress of clinical research projects; conducting research investigatory processes, study-related interviewing, compilation and analysis of data; and making recommendations of findings. NOTE: Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must clearly indicate the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. ~OR~ Education: Successful completion of two (2) years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or equivalent graduate degree related to the position that provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. NOTE: If you select this option, you must submit a copy of your transcript (unofficial or official) with your application. Education cannot be credited without documentation. ~OR~ Combination: Equivalent combinations of successfully completed graduate-level education (beyond the first year) and specialized experience, as described above, which meet the total experience requirements for this grade level. The education portion must have provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position (as described above). NOTE: Copies of transcripts must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Communications Manages and Organizes Information Project Management Research??????? Per Office of Personnel Management General Schedule Qualification Policies, federal employees are assumed to have gained experience by performing duties and responsibilities appropriate for their official series and grade level as described in their position description. Experience that would not normally be part of the employee's position is creditable when documented by satisfactory evidence (e.g., a memorandum from the manager, human resources director, or official documentation such as SF-52, SF-50 documenting an official detail/assignments, or other comparable documentation). The documentation must indicate whether the employee performed the duties full time or, if part-time, the percentage of times the employee performed the additional duties. To receive credit for experience in your resume that is not within the official series and grade level of your position, you must provide official documentation of such experience as indicated above. 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. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit OPM's web site at http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/standards/indexes/alph-ndx.asp.
This is a bargaining unit position. Areas of Consideration for all Other Positions: 1st - Facility-wide (including satellites) 2nd - Administration or Staff office posting the vacancy. 3rd - All other Status eligibles. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package: VA Total Rewards Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8am - 430pm Duty Location Status: Will work from a VA owned or leased space Position Description Title/PD#: Health Science Specialist/ PD161680 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required Physical Demands: The work is primarily sedentary with occasional walking, standing, and handling and carrying items such as paper and books. There may be an occasion need to assist study participants with mobility to study location(s). Major Duties: Manage implementation, control and reporting on clinical tests. Implement data collection and monitor protocols for difficult clinical research studies. Administer or monitor administration of tests and measurements required by project design. Oversee, screen and evaluate recruitment of candidates for clinical research studies via telephone and/or in person. Use objective rating techniques to identify potential candidates for participation in study where project design is complex. Oversee recruitment and enrollment of participants, providing information on study objectives and constraints. Assist supervisor/PI with managing the routine, day-to-day activities and administration of the project. Plan, develop, complete and submit on time all required documentation/paperwork/forms for initial and continuing human subject's review. Provide technical guidance to research staff regarding regulations, policies and procedures applicable to the conduct of research.