Health Science Officer

Summary

The Health Science Officer (HSO) with the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System (VAPAHCS) will serve as the Associate Director of Data Science by providing direction and oversight towards both the genomic data and scientific domains at Palo Alto Million Veteran Program (MVP) and the National MVP.

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Duties



NOTE: This is a TERM appointment (not-to-exceed 13 months - may be extended up to 4 years ). Term appointments are non-status, nonpermanent 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 noncompetitively converted to permanent employment.

Major duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Identifies, justifies, and implements actions to improve data science operational efficiency, such as identifying needed equipment, personnel, or changes in procedures.
• Oversees the analysis, conduct, and assessment of activities to ensure compliance with applicable regulation, consistent and accurate documentation and reporting, and identifies deficiencies or opportunities for improvement.
• Oversees the architecture science team that will be responsible for maintaining the software application platform that processes the large sequencing genomic data.
• Monitors the security requirements to ensure that unauthorized access to the research data does not occur.
• Supervises the data science team that consists of scientific and data personnel.
• Takes a modern approach with respect to security towards servicing a complex data sharing methodology platform between Stanford University, a cloud-based support entity, and the VA.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.
  
  

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm

Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: May be authorized to highly qualified candidates.

Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved



Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required

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Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• You may be required to serve a probationary period
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)
• Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.
  
  

Qualifications

Basic Education Requirement: 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)

AND

Specialized Experience: You must possess one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-13 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience is managing the operational functions or supervising activities for a healthcare research program including workforce, big data management, genomic processing, strategic planning, database management and fiscal, space, etc.

AND

Selective Placement Factor: This position includes a 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. Evidence of the Selective Placement Factor must be reflected in your resume.

The Selective Placement Factor for this position is: You must have at least one year of leadership experience leading a health science related research program.

You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position:

• Data Management
• Leadership
• Requirements Analysis
  
  

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: Supervision and oversight involve highly technical, professional, administrative or comparable work and often involve urgency, controversy, or other demands due to research, policy, or health care implications. This position can be stressful at times as it involves working independently in making decisions for the Center and the program. May be required to travel to various meetings, conferences, and VA Central Office on little notice.

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.

There is no educational substitution for the experience requirement at this grade level.



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: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov).

Additional information

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. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. 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 (202) 020-2020.

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 or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

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• Help 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. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
  
  

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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.

Palo Alto ORD VISN 21

3801 Miranda Avenue

Palo Alto, CA 94304

US