Summary This position is in the Research Office at the VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System (TVHS). The duties for this position involve administrative support in the specialized area for research. Such work includes a variety of clerical/administrative functions necessary for the smooth management of the research office and ranges from correspondence and information control to tracking projects, employee training, equipment, supplies, and services. Responsibilities The Program Support Assistant provides support and acts as a liaison to TVHS's external research oversight committees. Each TVHS research project requires approval by the Research &Development Committee (RDC) and its subcommittees as appropriate. This work requires independent judgement and interpretation to apply guidelines based on a thorough understanding of requirements such as the protection of human subjects per the Human Research Protection Program (HRPP), clinical trials, and extensive ongoing training to perform a variety of unrelated duties. Major duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to: Provides clerical and technical level support to all administrative areas. The work includes office functions such as forms and records management and oral and written communication with researchers. Such work requires specialized knowledge of the Research Program's operation, procedures, and guidelines to create a system that is operational, accurate and appropriate to the Research Program's needs and goals. Performs general program support work such as collection, compilation, research and/or tracking of data and program information. The employee independently completes assignments in accordance with accepted practices, resolving most conflicts that arise. Liaison for the regulatory committees and provides programmatic support to the RDC, IRB, and SRSS managed by the TVHS RDS. Position will have a broad understanding of the administrative work conducted by those individuals who are responsible for the research oversight committee and subcommittees and will serve as a general backup for those individuals. This work will include responding to investigator requests; working with technical personnel to ensure requests forms are correctly completed; submitting documentation to each committee in accordance with the individual committee requirements; ensuring the applications to each of the above committees occur within deadline for that month. Serves as alternate Records Liaison for the Research Office in conjunction with the RDS Supply Technician. Will serve as the primary Records Liaison when Supply Technician is Out of Office (OOO) or otherwise not available. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 7:00am-3:30pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Program Support Assistant - Research and Development/PD949510 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 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 identification 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 all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 07/23/2026. You may qualify based on your experience and/or educations described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-05 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: (1) Perform office functions such as forms and records management and oral and written communication. (2) Computer skills in database programs and document preparation programs such as Microsoft Word, Excel, Adobe Acrobat, etc. to prepare needed reports, memos, and letters (3) Maintain and update technical files, distribution lists, manuals, and records. (4) Gathers data, reviews proposal applications for completeness and assists with processing the timely review of proposals . (5) Maintain regulatory committee rosters and appointment letters. 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 A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. 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 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/.
