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Health Science Specialist

Veterans Health Administration · Department of Veterans Affairs

Open to the publicTermFull-timeSecurity clearance requiredClosed
Location
Omaha, NE
Salary
$62,339 – $81,045/yr
Pay grade
GS 9
Openings
1
Posted
Jun 18, 2026
Closes
Closed Jun 26, 2026

Summary

This position is located in the Research and Development Service at VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Healthcare System - Omaha VA Medical Center, Omaha, NE. This position serves as a Health Science Specialist for clinical research.

Duties

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

This is a term appointment not to exceed 4 years. Term appointments are non-status, nonpermanent appointments of limited duration of more than 1 year, but not more than 4 years and are subject to a 1 year trial period. Should the need warrant, term appointments may be extended without further competition up to a maximum of the 4 year limitation. The appointment to a term position does not confer eligibility for promotion, reassignment, or transfer to other positions or the ability to be non-competitively converted to permanent employment.

Major duties and responsibilities include but not limited to:
  • Coordinating assigned research studies and projects by implementing study protocols, managing timelines, supporting patient/participant recruitment and interactions, overseeing data and biospecimen collection, completing data entry, and communicating with collaborators and project personnel
  • Ensuring research activities comply with approved protocols, regulatory requirements, scientific standards, and quality expectations while maintaining accurate study records, databases, regulatory documentation, and research files
  • Managing and improving research databases and data repositories in collaboration with the PI, biostatistics/statistics teams, and research staff to support data storage, organization, analysis, and integrity
  • Performing data quality assurance activities by reviewing data for accuracy, completeness, inconsistencies, outliers, missing information, and protocol deviations while recommending corrective actions
  • Developing and implementing quality improvement processes to ensure consistent research procedures and reliable, scientifically valid data collection
  • Supporting scientific dissemination efforts through preparation of manuscripts, abstracts, reports, presentations, and other research materials while providing data summaries, interpretations, and contributions aligned with authorship standards
  • Conducting literature reviews and summarizing relevant scientific findings to support research objectives, study development, and ongoing project activities
  • Providing supervision, training, and coordination of research assistants and support personnel by assigning tasks, monitoring progress, and ensuring adherence to study protocols and quality standards
  • Coordinating administrative and operational activities among the PI, research team members, collaborators, and external partners, including meetings, agendas, communications, documentation, and project updates
  • Assisting with research administration by preparing budgets, annual reports, progress reports, grant submission materials, and other required documentation
  • Preparing the initial IRB documents, assuring necessary approval, adhering and maintaining on-going IRB standards
  • Performing duties in conjunction with evidence-based supported employment principles and the individual treatment plan, and coordinated through and with the clinical team
  • Performing additional research-related duties as assigned to support program goals and objectives
Work Schedule: Monday to Friday; 08:00 a.m. to 04:30 p.m.
Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved

Qualifications

Basic Requirement: The following are basic requirements for appointment as a Health Science Specialist in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), which all applicants must met.
  • Basic Education: Bachelor's or graduate/higher level degree: major study in an academic field related to the medical field, health sciences or allied sciences appropriate to the work of the 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. (UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED: If you do not submit your transcript, your application may not be reviewed.)
Minimum Requirement: In addition to meeting the basic requirements one of the following minimum requirement criteria must be met to be qualified for this position.
  • Specialized Experience (GS-09): You must have one (1) year of specialized experience that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (i.e., GS-07) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Qualifying examples of specialized experience would typically include but are not limited to: facilitating a clinical research project; monitoring and tracking clinical research project timelines; maintaining clinical research study files, logs, and databases; and communicating effectively with internal and external contacts on matters of a substantial research and clinical nature. (CLEAR DETAILS OF EXPERIENCE REQUIRED: Your resume must show complete information for each job entry, such as beginning and ending dates of employment, duties performed, and/or total hours worked per week.) OR,
  • Education (GS-09): Applicants may substitute education for the required. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 2 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree. This education must provide the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position. NOTE: 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. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended. (UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED: If you do not submit your transcript, your application may not be reviewed.) OR,
  • Combination (GS-09): Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education as described above. Only graduate level education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level (i.e., 18 semester hours) may be combined with experience. (UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED: If you do not submit your transcript, your application may not be reviewed.)
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/.

Education

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/.

Requirements

  • 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: No special physical demands are required to perform the work.
  • 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.

This vacancy has closed

This posting closed on Jun 26, 2026 and is kept for reference. Browse current other health roles openings below, or see all open roles.

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Source: USAJOBS / U.S. Office of Personnel Management. HealthJobsFinderUSA is an independent service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by OPM or USAJOBS.

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