Health Science Specialist (Research Safety Officer)

About the role

The Research Safety Officer (RSO) is a Health Science Specialist position established within the Office of the Associate Chief of Staff for Research (ACOSR). In collaboration with, and under the guidance of the Deputy ACOS for Research (DACOSR), the RSO is responsible for management of the Research Safety Program for the Phoenix VA Health Care System (PVAHCS). This includes general administration, planning and oversight of all research safety. To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 05/14/2026. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-13 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-12. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. You may qualify based on your experience as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-12 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Reviews all research protocols related to biohazard, chemical, physical, radiation and occupational safety concerns for compliance with all applicable regulations, policies and guidelines; Prepares records of animal facility inspections and reports; Reviews Safety Research Subcommittee (SRS) operations including internal and external safety/infection control inspections, lab access, training compliance; Monitors compliance with all applicable research safety regulations, policies and guidelines related to biological, chemical, physical and radiation hazards requirements; Analyzes and communicates legislation, VA Central Office and other regulatory directives, to develop research safety policies/standards; Facilitates maintenance of accreditation with the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs (AAHRPP) and the American Association for Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC); Develops and updates policies and procedures related to biohazards, chemicals, radiation, and occupational safety concerns; Monitors compliance with all applicable regulations, policies and guidelines related to biological, chemical, physical and radiation hazards requirements; Designs, oversees, implements, and/ or participates in scientific research studies including the development, supervision and performing of experiments, surveys, investigations, or projects, to develop information in such areas as disease prevention, pathophysiology, etiology, treatment and control; Develops local procedures, which implement agency policies, on basic and applied research program development, administration and evaluation and assesses the impact of the above listed agents on the safety of research participants and personnel working in research laboratories. EVIDENCE OF YOUR EXPERIENCE MUST BE DETAILED IN YOUR RESUME TO RECEIVE FULL CREDIT. 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. Note: 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. Physical Requirements: Work is active, involving constant interaction with other laboratory personnel and investigators in the conduct of the research. There may occasionally be long hours and repetitive motions. There is also a substantial component of sedentary work in data collection, analyses and writing of manuscripts. Travel to scientific conferences will be expected. W

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