Health Science Specialist

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: program management experience in a healthcare research program. This experience must be detailed in your resume to receive credit. BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT: A 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. Transcript Required. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS GS-13: One year of specialized experience equipped with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of this position. To be creditable, this specialized experience must have been equivalent to the GS-12 level in Federal Service. Specialized experience includes: knowledge of analytical and evaluative methods; a thorough understanding of how regulatory programs are administered; selecting and applying appropriate program evaluation and measurement techniques; determining the extent of compliance with rules and regulations issued by the agency, or in measuring and evaluating program accomplishments; ensuring the safe performance of research on/with biological substances, hazardous chemicals, laboratory gases, and use of radioisotopes or radiation producing machines in the laboratory setting; designing experiments and organizing/constructing laboratories; writing and implementing laboratory policies and procedures; using various computer programs; and accessing and maintaining research program compliance databases. Your experience must be detailed in your resume to receive credit. You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: Compliance Organizational Awareness Planning and Evaluating Safety Engineering 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 is primarily sedentary, although some physical effort may be required. No special physical demands although it may involve some walking, standing, bending, or carrying of light items such as binders, books, instructional materials, and thick files. Concentration and sustained performance under prolonged stress is required due to time factors involved and the nature of work. The Health Science Specialist has a strong understanding of the requirements for entering research space including research laboratories, clinical research, and animal research unit. No special physical demands are required to perform the work. 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/.
This position is organizationally located in the Research Service of the Long Beach VA Healthcare System (VALBHS). VALBHS supports a large research enterprise within the Department of Veterans Affairs and hosts significant activities in four VA research programs.