Health System Specialist - Research Committee Manager

This position serves as Health System Specialist - Research Committee Manager within the Research and Development (R&D) Service in Palo Alto, CA. The VA Research Program strives to promote Veteran-centered care to improve patient experiences and outcomes across VA healthcare and community settings, and to advance value-driven care by providing Veterans the highest quality care at the lowest financial burden.

***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION*** The Research Committee Manager position is vital within the ORD and the facilities where research programs are conducted. Research Program Managers provide the link between Veterans and highly innovative projects. The major duties include but are not limited to: Research and Development (R&D), Institutional Review Board (IRB), Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees (IACUC), Subcommittee for Research Safety (SRS), Central Institutional Review Board (CIRB), Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC), and/or Human Research Protection Program (HRPP) Program Administration Oversees and manages these programs and their activities, including preparation of committee and reviewer materials with appropriate documentation, ensuring projects are reviewed by appropriate personnel, and ensuring all outstanding issues related to project management are resolved in a timely manner; Serves in an advisory capacity to the R&D Leadership, research investigators, research committee members, and research committee Chairs and others on issues relative to carrying out the institution's research activities involving the use of humans, animals, and safety procedures for investigative purposes; Serves as the accreditation Facility Liaison; Oversees the protocol review process of multiple programs and committees, ensuring projects are reviewed by appropriate personnel, including the Information System and Security Officer (ISSO) and Privacy Officer (PO), and issues related to project management are resolved; Develops and maintains a pre-review program that will coincide with the IRB, IACUC, SRS, IBC, CIRB, and/or R&D Committee review of all research involving human subjects, animal subjects, basic laboratory science and the human research protection program; Develops and manages required annual and semi-annual reviews of the assigned programs; Stays informed on guidelines relating to security and safety in the conduct of research and advises Research and Safety leadership, as needed; Educates the investigative community of local and external policies and procedures with regards to research involving animal and human subjects; Develops reporting procedures, sampling techniques, and measurements at various points in the research committee process and research programs to identify problem areas or inherent weaknesses in work processes, procedures, information systems and content; Quality and Compliance Maintains the federal-wide assurance with the Office of Human Research Protection and ensures IRBs are appropriately constituted and registered; Maintains the IBC registration with the National Institutes of Health Office of Science Policy and ensures IBC is appropriately constituted and registered; Maintains the program's accreditation process for the Association for the Assessment and Accreditation for Laboratory Animal Care International (AAALAC); Analyzes and evaluates each research project to ensure compliance with Federal and State regulations, including but not limited to VA, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Office of Human Research Protection (OHRP), Office of Research Oversight (ORO), and other applicable regulatory and procedural requirements; Develops programs, policies, and procedures within the Research Office; Monitors quality assurance program implementation and indicators designed to prevent erroneous transactions and ineffective work practices and to verify adherence to quality assurance plans and requirements; Alerts investigators of deficiencies found within their submissions and educates them as to the steps required to correct the deficiencies; Administrative Oversight Assumes responsibility in preparing for all external reviews; Researches and/or analyzes problems, administrative issues, or program requirements as they relate to animal, human subject, or safety research and the research review process; Initiates or reviews correspondence for all research; Oversees and refines customized, networked computerized databases to allow for timely tracking of research projects; Serves as the electronic records system administrator for the Research Office; and, Performs all other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Telework: This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.

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 of the position is primarily sedentary, although some slight physical effort may be required. Work is typically performed in an adequately lighted and climate-controlled office. 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) - See "Required Documents" below for details. 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, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.