Summary The Associate Chief of Staff for Research and Development (ACOS for R&D) is a full time Executive Career Field position and reports to the Medical Center Director through the Chief of Staff. The incumbent functions as the Director of the Research Service and formulates the goals and objectives of the research mission of the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System (CAVHS), including biomedical, clinical, health systems, and rehabilitation research. Responsibilities Duties: Develops and/or reviews and approves policies and procedures for administration of the organization's research program. The ACOS is responsible for compliance with both VISN- and VACO-mandated research policies including those issued by the Office of Research and Development (ORD) and the Office of Research Oversight (ORO). The ACOS is also responsible for leading efforts to obtain and maintain mandated accreditation of the Program for Human Research by as required by VACO and the Association for the Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC) program. Continuously monitors new and revised legislation, VHA Directives and mandates from other agencies (OSHA, FDA, the JC, OIG, etc.) to identify changes. Assists in the development of new and/or updates existing research policies and procedures bases on new or modified regulations and mandates to maintain compliance. The ACOS for Research monitors the effectiveness of the interactive research program to develop procedures necessary to advance the research program in accordance with all principles, rules and regulations affecting research within the VA and other Federal Agencies. Monitors compliance with the program requirements. Conducts program assessments and prepares reports necessary to apprise the MCD, COS and R&D Committee of status of the program. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 7:00 am - 3:30 pm (subject to change based on the needs of the agency) Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Associate Chief of Staff (Research & Developement)/PD048310 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized 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 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 or 2-year trial 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 or trial 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 all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 01/20/2026. 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-15 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-14. 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. Individual Occupational Requirement : Applicants who meet the Individual Occupational Requirement described below must also meet the specialized experience requirements listed below. 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. This degree must be from an educational program from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained. You may qualify based on your experience as described below: Specialized Experience: Demonstrates work experience using qualitative and quantitative techniques for analyzing and measuring the effectiveness, efficiency, and productivity of administrative and healthcare programs. Skilled in using computers and applicable databases/software for statistical purposes and managing information. Experience as a mentor and coach while promoting problem solving and the development of smooth functioning teams. Experience as a leader/supervisor for a defined group of specialties assuring that business operations and decision support excellent patient care. Skilled in managing, coordinating, and planning budget cycles for clinical operations in programs responsible for clinical services for long-term strategic plans and recommendations. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Communications Decision Making Interpersonal Skills Organizational Stewardship 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: The work is sedentary. Typically, the employee may sit comfortably to perform portions of work, however there is periodic walking to and from the Research area to the departments in the main hospital; standing; bending; carrying of light items such as files, policy and committee meeting binders, books, research glassware, chemicals, specimens etc. No special physical demands are required to perform the work. 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. 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/. Additional Information 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. 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.
