Health System Specialist

Summary

• -----------

The position will support VA Research and Development (R\&D) Service at the VA Portland Health Care System (VAPORHCS). The position will be responsible for providing oversight in support of all research activities at VAPORHCS at all stages of development. VAPORHCS hosts significant activities in many research program areas to include Rehabilitation, Clinical Science, Biomedical Laboratory, Health Sciences as well as the Center for Clinical Trials Research.

Learn more about this agency

This job is open to

• -----------------------

### The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

### Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)

Federal employees whose job, agency or department was eliminated and are eligible for priority over other applicants.

### Clarification from the agency

ALL US CITIZENS DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled using Direct\-Hire Authority (5 CFR 337\.205\) for this occupation.

Duties

• ----------

Duties include but not limited to:

• The position will work with all VAPORHCS principal investigators and research stakeholders to develop plans for adequately staff, evaluate research progress relative to staffing levels, monitor funding levels for staffing, and transition personnel following completion of specific research projects and other related translational and operational activities.
• The position will review complex multi\-year financial, regulatory, and organizational reports and applies standard analytical techniques and evaluated workflow to determine potential problem areas to develop recommendations to propose and implement corrective actions in those areas to improve coordination between organizations at local, regional, and national organizations.
• The position will participate with research and clinical colleagues in the immediate organization in formulating and administering plans and policies designed to meet R\&D program objectives.
• The work involves isolating and defining unknown conditions, resolving critical problems, or developing new theories, major aspects of scientific programs or missions, and portions of broader programs and initiatives impacting research strategy.
• The position serves as an expert on VA regulations, rules, procedures, and practices for initiating, preparing, and monitoring procurement, and contractual agreements. Serve as a COR designee for the service and oversees areas of acquisition administration and contractor's performance, as it pertains to R\&D.
• Responsibilities include ongoing contacts with researchers to disseminate all materials including R\&I, IRB, etc., problems solve any difficulties with subject recruitment, data collection or entry issues and general project procedures.
• Performs budget work for the R\&D Service in support of one or more of the phases or systems involved in budget administration including the formulation, presentation, or execution of a budget. Performs studies and audits on control and use of funds throughout each fiscal year.
• Provides regular and accurate budgetary information, commitments, and projections in a variety of forms and reports including ORD reports and project budget reports. Prepares a variety of management reports related to the status of funds, expenses, obligations, FTEs, and workload, adjusting to ensure accurate portrayal of status of funds.

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

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD\#: Health System Specialist/PD737030

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Requirements

• ----------------

### Conditions of employment

• 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 dentification 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 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 period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

### Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet specialized experience requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 05/04/2026\.

Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR): The 0671 series requires specific education or experience to be met in order to be appointed into a position of this series. You must meet one of the pre\-determined Education or Experience Individual Occupational Requirements listed below as set by Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

* Undergraduate and Graduate Education in a Major study of hospital administration, public health administration, or related fields such as business or public administration with course work in health care administration. OR

* Specialized Experience: Progressively responsible analytical or administrative, or clinical management or supervisory experience in the health care field. This work may have been performed in an operating health care facility or a higher organizational echelon with advisory or directional authority over such facilities. Work must have involved a close working relationship with facility managers and analysis and/or coordination of administrative, clinical, or other service activities, and provided knowledge of the following:

+ Missions, organizations, programs, and requirements of health care delivery systems;

+ Regulations and standards of various regulatory and credentialing groups; and

+ Government\-wide, agency, and facility systems and requirements in various administrative areas such as budget, personnel, and procurement

You may qualify based on your specialized experience as described below:

For GS\-12:

* Specialized Experience: You must have at least one (1\) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS\-11\) in the Federal Service, that is directly related to the work of the position and has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties as a Health System Specialist. Qualifying specialized experience would typically include but not limited to the following:

+ assisting investigators in completing application for studies and grants;

+ analyzing various action documentation and communications regarding studies, conducting preliminary reviews to determine scope of work and proposals and recommending document preparation and review;

+ formulating and administering plans and policies designed to meet program objectives;

+ recognizing opportunities for improvement and offer solutions using management principles and techniques, leading to changes in existing methods, techniques, processes, or practice;

+ providing regular and accurate budgetary information, commitments, and projections in a variety of forms and reports;

+ conducting a systematic and objective inquiry; including study design, collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; and the reporting of results;

+ developing, scheduling, coordinating, monitoring, evaluating, and managing projects and resources, including technical performance;

+ preparing, justifying, reporting on, and executing the budget; and the relationships among program, budget, accounting, and reporting systems; and

+ overseeing of acquisition and contracts.

Preferred Experience:

• One or more years of experience with federal regulations, rules, procedures, and practices for initiating, preparing, and monitoring accounts, procurement, and contractual agreements.
• Experience with reviewing projects accounts, grants, budgets, and contract requests for a national\-level research program within a healthcare organization.
• Experience working as a contracting official representative for the Service and oversees areas of acquisition and contractor performance.

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; religions; 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

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

### Additional information

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case\-by\-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

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

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF\-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well\-qualified for this vacancy. To be well\-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. 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/.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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. Opens in a new windowLearn 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.

How you will be evaluated

• -----------------------------

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

USA Hire Assessments include a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment.

Your experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. A full year of work is considered to be 35\-40 hours of work per week. 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. IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

Resume Reminder \- Your resume must include the following information for each job listed:

• Job title
• Duties (be as detailed as possible)
• Month \& year start/end dates (e.g. June 2007 to April 2008\)
• Full\-time or part\-time status (include hours worked per week)
• Salary/Rank etc.
• Series and Grade, if applicable, for all Federal positions you have held
• References, current or recent supervisor

Do not include the following types of information in your resume:

• Classified or Government sensitive information
• Social Security Number (SSN)
• Photos of yourself
• Personal information, such as age, gender, religious affiliation, etc.

Please be aware that your answers will be verified against information provided on your resume. Be sure that your resume clearly supports your responses to all of the questions by addressing your work experience in detail. The experience stated in your resume must support your assessment responses.

Recommended: Even though we do not require a specific resume format, your resume must be clear so that we are able to fully evaluate your qualifications. To ensure you receive appropriate consideration, please list the duties you performed under each individual job title. If we are unable to match your experiences with the positions held, you may lose consideration for this vacancy. We cannot make assumptions regarding your qualifications.

During the application process you may have an option to opt\-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

Required Documents

• ----------------------

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

• Resume

The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please make sure you have included other 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 claims, or ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees). You will not be contacted for additional information.

• Cover Letter
• DD\-214/ Statement of Service
• Disability Letter (VA)
• Other (1\)
• PCS Orders
• Performance Appraisal
• Professional Certification
• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF\-15
• SF\-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

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

NOTE: Participation in the seasonal influenza program is a condition of employment and a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). It is a requirement that all HCP to receive annual seasonal influenza vaccination or obtain an exemption for medical or religious reasons. Wearing a face mask is required when an exemption to the influenza vaccination has been granted. HCP in violation of this directive may face disciplinary action up to and including removal from federal service. HCP are individuals who, during the influenza season, work in VHA locations or who come into contact with VA patients or other HCP as part of their duties. VHA locations include, but are not limited to, VA hospitals and associated clinics, community living centers (CLCs), community\-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs), domiciliary units, Vet centers and VA\-leased medical facilities. HCP include all VA licensed and unlicensed, clinical and administrative, remote and onsite, paid and without compensation, full\- and part\-time employees, intermittent employees, fee basis employees, VA contractors, researchers, volunteers and health professions trainees (HPTs) who are expected to perform any or all of their work at these facilities. HPTs may be paid or unpaid and include residents, interns, fellows and students. HCP also includes VHA personnel providing home\-based care to Veterans and drivers and other personnel whose duties put them in contact with patients outside VA medical facilities.

Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.

### 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.

How to Apply

• ----------------

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include the initial online questionnaire and submission of the required documentation specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. To preview the application questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12945389\. The application process is as follows:

• To begin,
click Apply Online to create a USA JOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents.

* Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.

• Click the
Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date, 05/04/2026\.

* If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice.

* Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.

* Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.

* Set aside at least 3 hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re\-use your unique assessment link. NOTE: Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused.

Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support\-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en\-us.

To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.

To view the announcement status or your application status: https://help.usajobs.gov/how\-to. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.

Beginning September 27, 2025, Federal agencies will only accept resumes up to two pages in length to comply with the Merit Hiring Plan. Resumes longer than two pages will result in ineligibility for further consideration for the position. USAJOBS will not allow you to upload or build resumes longer than two pages, and you will need to update the resumes in your profile before applying for a job. Resumes should include information relevant to the knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies of the position to which you are applying. VA is unable to make assumptions about qualifications if not clearly listed.

Resumes must be legible so they can be reviewed for eligibility, minimum qualifications and other position requirements listed in the job announcement.

Your resume must be 5MB or less. We recommend saving and uploading your resume as a PDF to maintain formatting and number of pages. We also accept GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, TXT, PDF, ODT or Word (DOC or DOCX). We do not accept PDF portfolio files. We recommend using a sans\-serif font size like Lato, if available. Other widely available options are Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open San Source Sans Pro, Roboto or Noro Sans. Make your page margins 0\.5 inches. Consider using 14\-point size font for titles and 10\-point for the main text in your resume. The resume builder can help you create a resume using these recommendations and uses the information in your USAJOBS profile to help you get started.

Helpful Hints for Creating a Two\-Page Resume:

Prioritize most relevant and recent experience*

Use concise, results focused language*

Align language from the job announcement*

Focus on demonstrating skills and competencies*

Remove outdated or unrelated experience*

Use the USAJOBS resume builder*

Additional guidance on this new requirement and resume building tools can be found at *https://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/documents/resume/page\-limit.*

### Agency contact information

John Buan

Phone

503\-220\-8262 X59964

Email

John.Buan@va.gov

Address

VA Portland Health Care System

3710 Southwest US Veterans Hospital Road

Portland, OR 97239

US### Next steps

Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. After we receive application packages (including all required assessments and documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we will review applications to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued, and applicants will be notified of their status by email. Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made.

If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. If initial application submission is updated and resubmitted with a new resume, only the most current resume will be reviewed for consideration. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre\-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

Overview**

• ------------

Accepting applications

Open \& closing dates

04/24/2026 to 05/04/2026

Salary

$96,443 \- $125,378 per year

Pay scale \& grade

GS 12

Location

1 vacancy in the following location:

Portland, OR

1 vacancy

Remote job

No

Telework eligible

No

Travel Required

Not required

Relocation expenses reimbursed

No

Appointment type

Permanent

Work schedule

Full\-time

Service

Competitive

Promotion potential

None

Job family (Series)

• 0671 Health System Specialist

Supervisory status

No

Security clearance

Not Required

Drug test

No

Position sensitivity and risk

Non\-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

Trust determination process

• Credentialing
• Suitability/Fitness

Financial disclosure

No

Bargaining unit status

No

Announcement number

CBSV\-12945389\-26\-JB

Control number

866697400