Program Specialist

Duties include but are not limited to:

• The incumbent evaluates compliance with Federal and VA requirements for the conduct of research which may include requirements in one or more of the following areas: the protection of human research subjects laboratory animal welfare and research safety and security.
• The incumbent may also be assigned responsibilities related to facility programs for research information security research privacy conflict of interest in research training of research personnel. research program accreditation research misconduct and/or other research compliance activities consistent with VHA requirements.
• The incumbent adds value to the organization through improvement of research processes. Compliance monitoring provides internal oversight on quality and compliance issues relating to the performance of clinical research trials involving human subjects as well as conduct of animal and science-safety trials.
• The incumbent is responsible for providing JHQV AMC leadership with reasonable assurances that HRPPs comply with VA and Federal Regulations. Research Compliance also includes oversight of animal research basic research and safety programs.
• The incumbent provides leadership expertise and strategic direction for the facilitys research compliance program and is responsible for developing implementing and maintaining compliance oversight activities in assigned areas of responsibility.
• The incumbent develops strategy policy and/or standards covering the facilitys research compliance program activities and records. Analyzes and evaluates the effectiveness of programs or operations in meeting established compliance goals and objectives. Analyzes program performance data to identify trends and impact.
• The incumbent analyzes prepares and distributes research compliance program status reports.
• The incumbent performs ongoing research monitoring and auditing in assigned areas of responsibility. These activities must be consistent with VHA research monitoring and auditing requirements and require the ability to conduct in-depth review and analysis of research clinical and training records relevant to the assigned areas of responsibility. Monitoring and auditing reports are timely. accurate and complete; reports are provided to facility leadership and others in accordance with VHA requirements.
• The incumbent conducts routine and for cause reviews as well as performance improvement activities to promote compliance reduce violations of regulations and standards identify unsatisfactory trends and conditions and identify and communicate factors that may contribute to non-compliance.
• The incumbent evaluates audits and inspections and forwards action items to the responsible individual and/or organization (e.g. FDA ORO OHRP VA). Performs audits of research records related to human subject and animal subject protections. Maintains audit records as required for compliance and derives routine analyses of trends from those records. Maintains research compliance records in conditions suitable for ORO FDA ORD USDA or AAALAC inspections.
• The incumbent evaluates and updates standard operating procedures (SOPs) to maintain compliance with applicable Federal regulations and accreditation requirements. Provides advice regarding the research compliance content of their SOPs.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• 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.
• 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 ( Effective May 7 2025 drivers 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)

• 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.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement 02/06/2026.

Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09. The grade may have been in any occupation but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade as required by the this instance you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.

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

• 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 of the unique characteristics of the specific health care delivery various administrative areas such as program management and administration budgeting/financial management work research and analysis work lease management; ability to provide expert analysis and advice on complex program issues ability to develop Medical Center policies procedures and resource allocations for assigned programs develops status reports or response materials for higher level attention review or signature.

• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M. related to the work of this position (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED). OR
• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond the second year of graduate level education but less than the time required for the degree pursued. To calculate first take the number of months of specialized experience and divide that by 12 then take the number of semester hours beyond the second year and divide that by the number of semester hours required for your degree. Add these two percentages together and this must equal or exceed 100%..

• Auditing
• Communication
• Compliance
• Integrity/Honesty
• Manages and Organizes Information
• Quality Assurance
• Research
• Standards