Program Specialist

Serves as the Research Compliance Officer for a complex VA Medical Center, evaluating compliance with Federal and VA requirements for research involving human subjects, laboratory animals, biosafety, and research safety and security. Provides leadership, guidance, oversight, monitoring, auditing, and recommendations to ensure research activities meet applicable requirements and support a strong culture of compliance. Duties include but not limited to: Provides leadership, guidance, and strategic direction for the Medical Center's research compliance program. Evaluates research activities for compliance with applicable Federal, VA, and VHA laws, regulations, policies, and standards. Conducts monitoring, surveillance, audits, inspections, and reviews of human, animal, bench, biosafety, and research safety activities. Reviews research protocols, records, and documentation to identify compliance deficiencies, risks, trends, and corrective actions. Provides expert advice and consultation to investigators, research staff, program officials, and senior leadership on research compliance matters. Develops and maintains compliance policies, procedures, internal controls, and tracking systems to strengthen program oversight. Coordinates compliance reviews, training, and dissemination of regulatory and policy updates and recommends improvements to research programs. Prepares reports, correspondence, findings, statistics, and recommendations for leadership and oversight officials. Develops effective working relationships with research committees, investigators, Medical Center officials, and other stakeholders and addresses research compliance concerns. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00am- 4:30pm. Work schedule may change based on agency need. Telework: Not eligible for telework. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Program Specialist/PD151620 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/13/2026. 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-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11. 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 announcement. In 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 as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-11 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Experience applying research compliance principles, policies, regulations, and procedures to evaluate and monitor research activities; conducting compliance audits, reviews, inspections, and surveillance; analyzing research records and documentation to identify deficiencies and risks; providing guidance and consultation to investigators, research personnel, and leadership; developing compliance procedures, controls, and tracking systems; preparing reports and recommendations; coordinating compliance training and regulatory updates; and working with stakeholders to resolve compliance issues and improve research compliance programs. 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/. You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job 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. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required. 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 identification 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 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, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. There is no educational substitution at this grade level.