Summary This position is in the Research Office at the VA Hudson Valley Health Care System (HVHCS). The duties for this position involve administrative support and specialized duties for research. Such work includes a variety of administrative functions necessary for the smooth management of an office and ranges from correspondence and information control to tracking projects, employee training, equipment, supplies, and services. Responsibilities This position is in the Research Office at the VA Hudson Valley Health Care System (HVHCS). The duties for this position involve administrative support and specialized duties for research. Such work includes a variety of administrative functions necessary to the smooth management of an office, including tracking projects, employee training, and corresponding with investigators and research administrators. This position also provides support and acts as a liaison to HVHCS's external research oversight committees at the James J Peters VAMC (JJPVAMC) located in the Bronx. All HVHCS research project requires approval by the JJPVAMC research committees. This work requires independent judgement and interpretation to apply guidelines to perform a variety of duties. Program Support-30% Provides clerical and technical level support to all administrative areas. Such work requires specialized knowledge of the Research Program's operation, procedures, and guidelines. Performs general program support work such as collection, compilation, and/or tracking of data and program information. The employee independently completes assignments in accordance with accepted practices, resolving most conflicts that arise. Provides procurement support for equipment, services, and supplies. Works with AO/R to use IPPS and Vista and ensure separation of duty. Research Program Training and Tacking-20% Serves as the Training Coordinator for the HVHCS Research Program. Maintains documentation and tracks relevant training requirements for all staff involved in research. Notifies staff of updates to training requirements. Serves as primary contact for researchers requiring assistance with the research application software, including setting up new accounts, training, and use of the software. Liaison to Research Review Committees-30% Acts as a liaison for the regulatory committees and provides programmatic support to the RDC, IRB, and SRSS managed by the JJPVAMC on behalf of HVHCS. Employee will have a broad understanding of the work conducted by the coordinators of the research oversight committees and will serve as a general backup for those individuals. This work will include responding to investigator requests; working with coordinators to ensure forms are correctly completed, and submitting documentation to each committee in accordance with the individual committee requirements. Independently reviews research applications for completeness, and assists with processing the timely review of proposals. Reviews documents to ensure that they meet requirements before sending studies for committee reviews. Identifies any deficiencies found in the pre-review of study applications and works to resolve issues with PIs and study teams. Records Liaison-20% Responsible for the implementation, collection, maintenance, and tracking of filing systems that support the operations of the Research Office and the JJPVAMC research committees. Provides research record support and maintains an accurate inventory of records created and stored. Assists investigators/staff with records storage requests and ensures program records are filed, retrievable, and in accordance with all applicable policies. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Telework: This position may be authorized for telework. Position Description/PD#: Program Support Assistant/PD372750 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, 08/11/2026. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-6 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Organize and maintain files, lists, manuals, and other materials used to support daily work Track submissions, communications, and deadlines to keep information current and easy to access Identify missing or incorrect details in submitted materials and notify staff to make corrections Use computer systems and software to enter information, create reports, and track progress Help staff set up accounts, solve access issues, and understand how to use online systems Verify the accuracy of staff training records, rosters, and appointment documents Collect and update information related to projects, training, equipment, and progress 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 Education cannot be substituted for experience in this series. 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. Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. 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/.
