Program Specialist - Research Administration

Employee will be assigned to Research Service, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT under the direction of the Supervisory Administrative Officer (AO). The purpose of this position is to work with the AO to manage the administrative and operational functions of the Research Service at VA Connecticut Healthcare System (VACHS).

Major duties

THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION Manages Without Compensation (WOC), Interagency Personnel Agreements (IPA), and Contracted Personnel appointments at the direction of the AO. Reviews the work of program support specialists who prepare non-VA paid appointment documentation for accuracy and completeness before submission to HR for processing. Coordinates with affiliate universities to collect and ensure accuracy of VA IPA documents as needed. This includes new, extension, modification, and termination actions. Verifies availability of funding for IPA agreements at the direction of the AO. Directs Research Service new employee orientation for non-VA paid employees. Onboards contractors through the appropriate approved methods at the direction of the AO. Produces management reports from various sources, analyzes and distributes findings to research and medical center officials; and produces reports from existing databases. Creates and implements methods for administrative data retrieval and assessment. Provides training and troubleshooting for staff in administrative and business processes. Analyzes databases and systems for consistency, errors, and patterns; and verifies that administrative data confers to the quality requirements. Maintains a comprehensive tracking system for all VA appointed personnel. Analyzes management methods to enhance organizational effectiveness, implements improvements in administration based on internal reviews, and collaborates with management to resolve issues and recommend solutions for overall departmental improvement. Oversees the development, coordination and tracking of various agreements with research personnel, internal departments, affiliated academic institutions, with the affiliated research non-profit, and with pharmaceutical companies. Ensures all records are maintained and destroyed in accordance with policies. Writes, edits, and distributes newsletters and other materials to inform and engage audiences. Maintains and updates SharePoint sites with newsletters, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and operational memos for easy access by the research community. Assists in the coordination of events for the department such as research seminars, research town halls, and the national annual VA Research Week event. Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm. Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Telework: This position may be authorized for Ad-hoc telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.

Qualifications

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must possess one (1) year of specialized experience that equipped them with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position, and that is typically in or related to the work of this position. To be creditable, this experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-9 level in the Federal service. Specialized experience includes: managing the administrative functions of a research program/project; managing personnel agreements and contracted appointments to ensure compliance; creating and maintaining databases and systems; preparing communications to enhance employee engagement; identifying and analyzing issues to develop recommendations; and preparing management reports. OR SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION FOR EXPERIENCE (Transcript Required) - Applicants must possess a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or three (3) full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related. This education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. OR COMBINING EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE (Transcript Required) - Combination of successfully completed graduate education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements. Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary, although some slight physical effort may be required. The work is typically performed in an office setting. 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Requirements

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 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) - See "Required Documents" below for details. 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, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.