Health System Specialist

This position serves as a Program Manager and subject matter expert within the VA Research and Development Service, providing comprehensive oversight and administration of research regulatory programs and committees. The primary focus of the position is to ensure the integrity, compliance, and effective administration of VA research activities involving human subjects.

This is a bargaining unit position.

The initial application review cut-off for this job announcement is 50 applications. The first 50 applications received will be considered first. Applications received after the initial cut-off number (50 applications) may not receive consideration unless otherwise requested by management. If management requests additional certificates, applicants will continue to be reviewed in groups of 50 in the order they applied.

Note: Submitting multiple applications will change the order in which your application is reviewed.
VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package: VA Total Rewards
Work Schedule: Mon - Fri 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
Compressed/Flexible Schedule: Not Available
Telework: Ad-Hoc
Duty Location Status: Will work from a VA owned or leased space.
Position Description Title/PD#: Health System Specialist/ PD99493S and PD99586S
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required
Physical Demands: The work is primarily sedentary. There are no special physical demands for this position.
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. Promotion is not guaranteed and no promise of promotion is implied.

Major Duties:

• Manages research regulatory programs involving human subjects.
• Oversees protocol reviews conducted through Institutional Review Board.
• Monitors research activities for compliance with Federal, State, VA, institutional, and funding-agency requirements.
• Advises research leadership on regulations and policies governing human subject.
• Maintains accreditation and registration requirements for human research protection program.
• Conducts post-approval monitoring of research studies to determine continued compliance with approved protocols and regulatory requirements.
• Educates investigators, research coordinators, and committee members on research regulatory requirements and institutional procedures.
• Evaluates research program deficiencies to identify areas of noncompliance and recommends opportunities for process improvement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial 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 period or trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/15/2026.

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

The Individual Occupational Requirement required for the 0671 Occupational Series is as follows:

Undergraduate and Graduate 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.

AND
SPECIALIZE EXPERIENCE
GS-09 Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-07 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Reviewing research activities for compliance; analyzing research program issues and recommending solutions; reviewing research protocols or documentation for regulatory requirements; providing guidance to research staff on established policies and procedures; and supporting regulatory or compliance activities involving human subjects. OR Education: Successfully completed a master's or equivalent graduate degree, successfully completed two (2) full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree, LL.B or J.D in a related field of the position to be filled (i.e., hospital administration, public health administration, or related fields such as business or public administration with course work in health care administration). Education at the graduate level must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. OR Combination: Combinations of successfully completed graduate level education (beyond the first year) and specialized experience as described above, to meet the total experience requirements. The education portion must include graduate courses that demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do to the work of this position (i.e. hospital administration, public health administration, or related fields such as course work in health care administration). This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. Note: MUST be substantiated in your resume or transcripts. Failure to provide the required information will render your application ineligible for consideration.

GS-11 Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade 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, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of a Health System Specialist - Research Committee Manager and provided you with knowledge of the full scope of activities required to conduct single and multisite research in the areas of human subject protection policy compliance. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-9) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience includes 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: (a) Missions, organizations, programs, and requirements of health care delivery systems; (b) Regulations and standards of various regulatory and credentialing groups; (c) Government-wide, agency, and facility systems and requirements in various administrative areas such as budget, personnel and procurement; and knowledge of cognitive engineering, human factors engineering, human-computer interaction, or related fields. OR Education: Successfully completed a Ph.D., equivalent doctoral degree, three (3) full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, Or LL.M in the related field of the position to be filled (i.e., hospital administration, public health administration, or related fields such as business or public administration with course work in health care administration). The education portion must include courses that demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. Education must have been obtained in an accredited college, or university. OR Combination: Combinations of successfully completed graduate level education (beyond a master's degree) and specialized experience as described above to meet total experience requirements. The education portion must include graduate courses that demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do to the work of this position (i.e., hospital administration, public health administration, or related fields such as business or public administration with course work in health care administration). Note: MUST be substantiated in your resume or transcripts. Failure to provide the required information will render your application ineligible for consideration.

PLEASE NOTE: Applicants may also be considered to have satisfied the minimum qualification requirements for a position if they can present evidence that clearly justifies a high evaluation of their competence, such as one or more of the following:

• Appropriate licensure, registration(s), certification(s); or
• A substantial record of experience, achievement, and publications that demonstrates eminence in the appropriate profession/technical field.

Applicants can qualify fully on the basis of licensure, certification, registration, or special training as an alternative to experience.

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications (particularly positions with a positive education requirement). Therefore, applicants must report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: https://ope.ed.gov/dapip/#/home. All education claimed by applicants will be verified by the appointing agency accordingly. 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.

You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job. | Selectees are subject to a background/suitability investigation. | Designated and/or random drug testing may be required | Selectees may be required to serve a probationary period. | Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. | A complete application package, i.e., Resume, Transcripts, etc., as required by the job announcement. | Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. | Participation in the Seasonal Influenza Prevention Program for VHA Health Care Personnel (HCP) is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs HCP. | All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. | Must be proficient in written and spoken English. | Pre-employment physical evaluation may be required. | 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.