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Summary The Health Science Specialist position serves the Million Veteran Program (MVP) within the Veterans Affairs Office of Research and Development. The position is located in at the VA Boston Healthcare System (VA BHS). The Health Science Specialist serves as a research project coordinator and has full charge of maintaining a comprehensive, coordinated overview of the daily activities of a research program. Responsibilities ***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION*** NOTE: This is a TERM appointment (not-to-exceed 4 years). Term appointments are non-status, non-permanent appointments of limited duration (more than 1 year but not more than 4). Term employees are eligible to earn leave and generally have the same benefits as permanent employees including health and life insurance, within-grade increases and Federal Employees Retirement System and Thrift Savings Plan coverage. Term appointments may be extended without further competition (up to the 4-year maximum). The appointment to a Term position does not confer eligibility for promotion or reassignment to other positions or the ability to be non-competitively converted to permanent employment. Duties include, but may not be limited to the following: Organizes and coordinates all aspects of the research operations team. Provides business input for development of study budgets. Designs and maintains communication and documentation system for the research team, using VA tools such as SharePoint. Works with scientific research teams to successfully onboard research projects, including completion of Institutional Review Board (IRB) applications. Collaborates with data and computing environment teams Trains and provides guidance to site personnel in the adherence to the study protocol and operations manual requiring independent judgment based on research experience and/or educational background. Reviews data access requests from scientific research teams. Reviews participant informed consent forms for accuracy and validity. Participates in staff discussions to analyze data and plan further research. Involved in the preparation and management of various meetings. Analyzes research data and formulates research reports for the Million Veteran Program (MVP) Program Office. Maintains accurate records based in accordance with related federal regulations and the relevant Million Veteran Program (MVP) protocol and documentation procedures. Submits weekly report as needed to research supervisor(s) regarding progress and/or problems encountered in the conduct of the research. Follows complex federal, VA, and MVP protocols that govern research. Participates in quality-related initiatives (e.g., internal and external audits) Work Schedule: Full-time, Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 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 dentification 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) 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 period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications This position includes a Selective Placement Factor (skill, knowledge, ability or other worker characteristic basic to - and essential for - satisfactory performance of the job). Selective Placement Factors are a prerequisite to appointment and represent minimum requirements for a position. Applicants who do not meet it are ineligible for further consideration. The Selective Placement Factor for this position is: Experience and knowledge working as a project coordinator within a research organization. In addition to the Selective Placement Factor, to qualify for this position at the GS-9 level, you must meet the Basic Education requirements and one of the following: BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED): Applicants must possess a bachelor's or graduate/higher level degree with 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 (external link) at the time the degree was obtained. PLUS SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: In addition to meeting the basic education requirement above, applicants must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience that equipped them with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position. To be creditable, this experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-7 level in the Federal service. Specialized experience includes: Organizing and coordinating all aspects of the research operations team; working with research team to complete IRB applications; provides training and guidance to site personnel in the adherence to the study protocol and operations; and analyzing research data and formulates research reports. OR SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION FOR EXPERIENCE (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED): Successful completion of 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree with a major in an appropriate field (as described above) which provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position to substitute for the one year of experience, is fully qualifying for the GS-9. OR COMBINING EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED): Combination of successfully completed graduate education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements. You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: Data Management Education and Training Research IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. 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. 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; religious; 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. Physical Requirements: The work performed is primarily in a research setting. No unusual risks other than those involving the day-to-day activities of a busy office environment. Annually the individual may require travel to present at conference/meetings. The incumbent will spend the majority of time standing, sitting and moving about in the research setting. A degree of manual dexterity is required in use of computers. 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: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov). Additional Information Note: Per "Executive Order 14251: Exclusions from Federal Labor-Management Relations Programs", this position is no longer eligible for bargaining unit participation. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.