Health System Specialist - Research Committee Manager

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.

***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION***

This position involves a multi-grade career ladder. The major duties listed below represent the full performance level of GS-11. At the GS-09 grade level, you will perform assignments of a more limited scope and with less independence. You will progressively acquire the background necessary to perform at the full performance level of GS-11. Promotion is at the discretion of the supervisor and is contingent upon satisfactory performance, availability of higher level work, and availability of funds.

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.

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm
Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
Telework: This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.

To qualify for this position at the GS-9 grade level, you must meet the one of the following requirements:

Specialized Experience: One (1) full year of specialized experience equipped with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the Health System Specialist position. To be creditable, this specialized experience must have been equivalent to the GS-7 level in Federal Service. Specialized experience is 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 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: (1) Missions, organizations, programs, and requirements of health care delivery systems; (2) Regulations and standards of various regulatory and credentialing groups; and (3) Government-wide, agency, and facility systems and requirements in various administrative areas such as budget, personnel, and procurement. In addition to the above guidance, some examples of specialized experience include: experience in a research setting overseeing the protocol review process of multiple programs and committees; ensuring projects are reviewed by appropriate personnel; and issues related to project management are resolved; develops and manages annual and semi-annual program assessments; and implementing educational programs and events. (This experience must be documented in your resume) ~OR~

Education: Master's degree or equivalent graduate degree OR two (2) full years of progressively higher level graduate education OR your LL.B. or J.D., with major field of study in hospital administration, public health administration, or related fields such as business or public administration with course work in health care administration. (One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended). (Transcripts Required) ~OR~

Combination of Education & Experience: Equivalent combinations of successfully completed graduate education and Specialized Experience directly related to the work of the position, as outlined for GS-9 above. (Transcript Required)

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/.

IMPORTANT: 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: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary, although some slight physical effort may be required. Work is typically performed in an adequately lighted and climate-controlled office. May require occasional travel.
• 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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). 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) - See "Required Documents" below for details.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.