Health Science Specialist - Audiology Rehabilitation Researc...

US Department of Veterans Affairs Needy, OR 2019-07-10

    Duties

    Summary

    This position is located in the Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration in Office of the Chief of Staff, Research and Development (R&D) Service in the National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research (NCRAR) at the VA Portland Health Care System in Portland, Oregon.

    Responsibilities

    As a Health Science Specialist you will support analysis and reporting of data associated with multiple research studies involving the effects of various experimental auditory rehabilitation interventions (e.g., therapeutic devices and/or treatment strategies) on hearing loss and/or tinnitus. Impairments associated with auditory dysfunction make up 13% of all disabilities among Veterans receiving service-connected compensation. The major duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to:

    • Recruitment and enrollment of study participants for clinical trials;
    • Coordinate multidisciplinary research teams;
    • Collaborate with Principal Investigators in pioneering research on the diagnosis, assessment, rehabilitation and prevention of auditory dysfunction;
    • Performing data management, analysis and reporting;
    • Drafting of presentations and publications for scientific peer-review;
    • Performing other related duties as assigned.
    Work Schedule: Part-Time Work Schedule - Wednesday to Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
    Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized
    Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required

    NOTE: This is a part-time position (24 hours/week). The salary listed represents full-time employment and will be pro-rated based on the actual number of hours worked each pay-period. Likewise, benefits and time-off accrual will also be prorated and based on your part-time work schedule.

    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.

    Travel Required

    Not required

    Supervisory status

    No

    Promotion Potential

    9

  • Job family (Series)

    0601 General Health Science

  • Requirements

    Requirements

    Conditions of Employment

    • You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
    • Subject to a background/security investigation
    • Designated and/or random drug testing may be required
    • Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
    • May be required to serve a probationary period
    • Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process

    Qualifications

    This position requires a basic education requirement as follows: All applicants must meet this Basic Requirement for the GS-601 series. You must possess a Bachelor's degree (or higher) from an accredited college or university in a major study in an academic field related to the medical field, health sciences or allied sciences appropriate to the work of this position. NOTE: You must submit copies of transcripts with your application. Education will not be credited without documentation.

    In addition, you must meet one of the following requirements:

    You must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-7) in the Federal Service that has given you the particular knowledge, skills and abilities required to successfully perform the duties of a Health Science Specialist. Specialized experience is experience assisting Principal Investigators in carryout out human subject research; coordinating administrative activities for healthcare related research to include duties such as: recruiting, screening, and evaluating candidates for research studies; collecting, analyzing, managing, and documenting data, results, and findings; operating and maintaining databases; utilizing statistical software programs; and preparing reports. NOTE: 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. - OR -

    You must have successfully completed two (2) years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or equivalent graduate degree that provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of a Health Science Specialist. NOTE: You must submit copies of transcripts with your application. Education will not be credited without documentation. - OR -

    You must possess equivalent combinations of successfully completed graduate-level education (beyond the first year) and specialized experience, as described above, which meet the total experience requirements for this grade level. The education portion must have provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of a Health Science Specialist (as described above). NOTE: You must submit copies of transcripts with your application. Education will not be credited without documentation.

    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 working in a human subjects research program in a hospital or medical center setting.

    A Quality Ranking Factor* has been requested by the facility to help determine which of the basically qualified applicants are likely to be better qualified for a position. The quality ranking factor for this position is: "Do you have experience in hearing health services, audiology research or audiology rehabilitation interventions?"

    • Quality Ranking Factors are skills, knowledge, abilities, or other worker characteristics which could be expected to result in superior performance on the job. Quality ranking factors will not be used for screening, but may be used as ranking criteria. Applicants with higher proficiency levels may rank above those with lower proficiency levels on a quality ranking factor.

    You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position:
    • Analysis and Problem Solving
    • Analytical Reasoning
    • Communications
    • Data Management
    • Quality Ranking Factor
    • Research
    • Self-Management


    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.

    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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html .

    Additional information

    Physical Requirements: The work is mainly sedentary with some walking, lifting, pushing and standing. Because the research may involve disabled and/or hospitalized research subjects, this position occasionally requires the ability to assist individuals, if needed, during interactions (e.g., with transfers) and/or interventions.

    Telework: VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.

    Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

    Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities (i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities), and/or disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. For more information on how to apply using this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator within the office, contact the facility Human Resources Department at (503) 220-8262.

    It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

    Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

    The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation and be found well-qualified (have a final rating of 85 or more before any Veterans preference points) for this vacancy. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/ .

    This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

    If you are unable to apply online view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application .

    How You Will Be Evaluated

    You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

    IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC . WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s).

    Your responses to the assessment questionnaire will be reviewed along with the information provided in your resume and supporting documentation to determine if you are qualified for the position. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your rating may be lowered and/or you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

    Candidates who apply under All U.S. Citizens announcements will be rated and ranked using Category Rating procedures. Qualified candidates will be assigned to a quality category. The categories are defined as follows:

    • Best qualified - applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are highly proficient in all requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position;
    • Highly qualified - applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the requirements of the job;
    • Well qualified - applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in some, but not all, of the requirements of the job; and
    • Qualified - applicants possessing experience and/or education that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors.
    Application of Veterans' Preference : Category rating and selection procedures place those with veteran's preference above non-preference eligibles within each category. Preference eligible applicants that meet the eligibility and qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent are listed in the highest quality category (except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level or higher).

    Background checks and security clearance

    Security clearance

    Not Required

    Drug test required

    No

  • Required Documents

    Required Documents

    IMPORTANT: Please ensure your resume include up-to-date contact information (phone number(s), email address(s), etc.)

    To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

    • Resume
    • Transcript


    The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please use this checklist to ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), documentation to support Veterans Preference or ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees).
    • Cover Letter
    • DD-214/ Statement of Service
    • Disability Letter (VA)
    • OF-306
    • Other (1)
    • Other (2)
    • Resume
    • Separation Notice (RIF)
    • SF-15
    • SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
    • Transcript


    Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx .

    If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

    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. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education .

    Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

  • Benefits

    Benefits

    A career with the U.S. Government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Learn more about federal benefits .

    Review our benefits

    Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time, or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

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