Duties

As the Director for the Division of Practice Improvement (DPI) - Health Scientist Administrator, you will identify and develop solutions to the most pressing problems in clinical practice for adoption by clinicians and lead development and implementation of policies and objectives to support the conduct of comprehensive and integrated health services research, implementation science, and dissemination and implementation projects.

Your major duties and responsibilities may include:

• Serving as the Director of the Division of Practice Improvement in a non-clinical setting, supervising a professional staff focused on practice transformation and improvement to build the evidence based on how to improve care delivery with the ultimate goal of improving health outcomes.
• Conceptualizing, planning, executing and disseminating the findings from intramural and extramural clinical, health services and implementation science research programs.
• Leading the establishment of goals and objectives for the identification, design and implementation of research activities as they pertain to practice transformation and improvement.
• Providing leadership for a full range of programmatic activities and recommending the initiation of projects and special courses of action to ensure the accomplishment of the evolving and changing research agenda set forth by the Secretary of HHS; Director, AHRQ and CEPI Center Director.
• Developing, managing, and analyzing studies/projects within practice improvement and serve as a senior researcher for major subject matter/program areas of research conducted and supported in their area of expertise.
• Cultivating research partnerships within the Agency and with other individuals in other Federal entities; professional, government, and public organizations, quality improvement organizations; hospitals; health plans, insurers; policy makers; and consumer organizations.
• Preparing papers and presentations in collaboration with internal and external colleagues.

NOTE: Do not cut and paste the duties, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• U. S. Citizenship is required.
• All qualification requirements and time-in-grade must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Federal applicants must submit an SF-50 to show status and time-in-grade.
• Males ages 18 through 25 must be registered with the Selective Service.
• Employment is subject to the successful completion of the pre-appointment process (i.e., background investigation, verification of qualifications and job requirements, completion of onboarding forms, submission of required documents, etc.)
• PHS Commissioned Corps applicants must submit current personnel orders.
• This position has an education requirement - transcripts are required.
• A one year supervisory probationary period may be required.
• Position is not in the Bargaining Unit.
• Drug Screening is not required.
• Recruitment incentives may be authorized.
• Student loan repayment incentive is not authorized.

Qualifications

THESE QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS MUST BE MET BY THE CLOSING DATE: 08/15/2022

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

OPM INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR GENERAL MEDICAL AND HEALTHCARE SERIES, 0601:

You must have a Bachelor's or graduate/higher degree with major study in an academic field related to the medical field, health sciences or allied sciences appropriate to the work of the position being advertised. 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 must provide a copy of your unofficial transcripts that verify that you meet this education requirement by the closing date of this announcement. A copy of a diploma is not acceptable as verification.

In addition to the OPM Education requirements, to qualify for this position at the GS-15 level, your resume must clearly demonstrate that you have one full year of the minimum qualifying experience comparable in difficulty and responsibility to at least the GS-14 level in the federal service.

MINIMUM QUALIFYING SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position and is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. To be creditable, an applicant's one full year of specialized experience must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary for successful job performance.

Examples of the minimum qualifying experience equal to the GS-14 level include the following types of tasks performed on a regular and recurring basis:

• Directing and providing solutions on issues related to clinical practices or primary care; AND
• Designing, executing and disseminating research projects and results that study the delivery of health care; AND
• Planning, directing, and overseeing practice improvement interventions or evaluation of projects designed to improve clinical practice.

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; religious; community; student; social). If such experience is on a part-time basis, you must provide the average number of hours worked per week as well as the beginning and ending dates of the experience so it can be fully credited.

Applicants whose resumes clearly demonstrate the required minimum qualifying specialized experience will be evaluated based on the occupational assessment competencies listed below. A COMPETENCY is defined as a measurable pattern of knowledge, skills, abilities, behaviors, and other characteristics that an individual needs to perform work roles or occupational functions.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):

LEADERSHIP - Inspires, motivates and guides others toward goal accomplishments; coaches and mentors subordinates; adapts leadership styles to a variety of situations; models high standards of honesty, integrity, trust, openness, and respect for individuals by applying these values to daily behaviors. PRACTICE IMPROVEMENT - Knowledge of and expertise in the systematic approaches to improving the ways care is delivered to patients in clinical settings. SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH - Knowledge of the scientific principles, methodology, and processes used to conduct systematic and objective inquiry including study design collection, analysis, and interpretation of data, and the reporting of results. SCIENTIFIC WRITING - Prepares written documentation to transfer scientific information about concepts, situations, products, services, or results to audiences with varying levels of scientific knowledge.

TO PREVIEW THE OCCUPATIONAL ASSESSMENT QUESTIONNAIRE, please click on the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11562004

Current status candidates must provide an SF-50 that allows HR to verify that they meet Time-in-Grade (TIG) requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

Please Note: An SF-50 for the current year pay adjustment is NOT acceptable for verifying TIG (ex. 2022 general increases cannot be used to verify TIG).

To allow us to verify that you meet TIG requirements, please provide any of the following SF-50s:

Competitive or Career-ladder promotion to your highest grade (this does NOT include 120 day temporary promotions ) Regular Within Range Increase (WRI) or With In Grade (WGI) increase at your highest grade (this does not include quality step increases (QSIs). Competitive career/career-conditional appointment to your highest grade.
• SF-50 at your highest grade held, that is at least one year older than the announcement closing date of 08/15/2022.

Not sure which SF-50 to submit? Check out our video... Go here to watch the video on the SF50s to submit in your application package .

Education

This position has an education requirement. You must submit a copy of your transcripts (or a list of your courses including titles, credit hours completed and grades) to document that you have met the education requirement. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted in the application package. Official transcripts will be required prior to your starting work.

Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov .

Additional information

Vaccine Update:

• Federal agencies may request information regarding the vaccination status of selected applicants for the purposes of implementing other workplace safety protocols, such as protocols related to masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine.

HHS is an equal opportunity employer. Selection for this position will be based solely on merit without regard to race, color, religion, age, gender, national origin, political affiliation, disability, sexual orientation, marital or family status or other differences.

Security and Background Requirements: If not previously completed, a background security investigation will be required for all appointees . Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication. False representation may be grounds for non-consideration, non-selection and/or appropriate disciplinary action.

E-Verify: AHRQ participates in the USCIS Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify). E-Verify helps employers determine employment eligibility of new hires and the validity of their social security numbers.

Direct Deposit: All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.

Creditable Service: A newly appointed or reappointed employee may receive service credit for annual leave for prior work experience directly related to the duties of the position being filled. The use of this service credit is at the discretion of the selecting official and must be finalized prior to selectee's entrance on duty. For more information, please click here .

Financial Disclosure: This position requires you to file a public or confidential financial disclosure report prior to receiving a final offer letter as well as within 30 days of your appointment. This will require you to report information such as recent sources of income, financial interests you hold, and outside activities you participate in, as well as similar information from a spouse or any dependent children. If you have questions, please contact AskHR@hrsa.gov .