Program Specialist - Research Administration

Summary 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). 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/. 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 AOReviews the work of program support specialists who prepare non-VA paid appointment documentation for accuracy and completeness before submission to HR for processingCoordinates with affiliate universities to collect and ensure accuracy of VA IPA documents as neededThis includes new - extension - modification - and termination actionsVerifies availability of funding for IPA agreements at the direction of the AODirects Research Service new employee orientation for non-VA paid employeesOnboards contractors through the appropriate approved methods at the direction of the AOProduces management reports from various sources - analyzes and distributes findings to research and medical center officialsand produces reports from existing databasesCreates and implements methods for administrative data retrieval and assessmentProvides training and troubleshooting for staff in administrative and business processesAnalyzes databases and systems for consistency - errors - and patternsand verifies that administrative data confers to the quality requirementsMaintains a comprehensive tracking system for all VA appointed personnelAnalyzes 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 improvementOversees 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 companiesEnsures all records are maintained and destroyed in accordance with policiesWrites - edits - and distributes newsletters and other materials to inform and engage audiencesMaintains and updates SharePoint sites with newsletters - standard operating procedures (SOPs) - and operational memos for easy access by the research communityAssists in the coordination of events for the department such as research seminars - research town halls - and the national annual VA Research Week eventPerforms other related duties as assignedWork Schedule: Monday - Friday - 8:00am - 4:30pmRecruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Telework: This position may be authorized for Ad-hoc teleworkTelework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.