Research Health Systems Specialist

This position serves as a Without Compensation Research Health Systems Specialist within the Office of Research and Development (ORD). 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.

Please note: There is no pay associated with this position.

MAJOR DUTIES include but are not limited to:

• Applies healthcare leadership skills and innovative approaches to plan, design, integrate, implement, and evaluate complex clinical and administrative activities.
• Serves as the primary leader for research projects with direct impact on the research program.
• Prepares reports and recommendations for potential research to further improve customer satisfaction, improve clinical quality, and support evidence-based clinical care practices

Work Schedule: Intermittent (Without Compensation)

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 11/04/2026.

All applicants must meet the Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR) Health System Administration Series 0671. An IOR is a basic requirement that must be met in order to qualify for entry into this job series, and is something that can't be waived. The education must be accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained.

Individual Occupation Requirements:
Undergraduate and Graduate Education: The major study must be in hospital administration, public health administration, or related fields such as business or public administration with course work in health care administration.

OR

General Experience: Work that required a knowledge of the basic principles and practices related to the management of a health care delivery system. Such experience may have been gained as an administrative officer, management analyst, or administrative or clinical program manager or supervisor in a health care delivery system.

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.

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.

Physical Requirements: The work involves periods of prolonged standing as well as lifting of moderately heavy items.

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

PLEASE NOTE: 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: http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html. 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.