Health Scientist (Informatics)

Summary

This position is located in the Department of Health and Human Services, Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, headquartered in Washington, District of Columbia.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

Federal career or career conditional employees in the competitive service; displaced Federal employees with CTAP or ICTAP eligibility; Military Spouses; individuals eligible for VEOA or VRA appointments; foreign service employees; national service (Peace Corps/VISTA); USPHS officers and officer candidates; certain former overseas employees; former employees with reinstatement eligibility; and individuals with disabilities.

Duties

WHAT YOU'LL BE DOING DAY TO DAY

As an Health Scientist (Informatics) you will use your knowledge of and experience with The Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation to optimize business results and customer experience by:

Developing substantive knowledge and expertise on informatics, data, and patient centered outcomes research to advise senior leaders on actions that support building data capacity for research.

Consulting and collaborating with statistical, data science, and public health professionals in the collection, linkage, processing, mining, coding, classification, and analysis of public health surveillance, search, and administrative health data.

Meeting with agency representatives to discuss present and emerging health data capacity problems of major scope and concern.

Serving as project officer and project manager for data projects carried out at agencies that are funded through the Office of the Secretary Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Trust Fund (OS-PCORTF).

Participating in meetings with agency representatives to discuss present and emerging health data capacity problems of major scope and concern, and facilitates those meetings as asked.

Collaborating with agencies to establish a recommended course of action necessary to cope with such problems.

Conducting assessments of health information technology innovations and new information technology solutions particularly for data analysis related to health policy and health outcomes research.

Analyzing policy and technical proposals and prepares documents that distill complex considerations into complete, yet concise, decision-making context and criteria.

Leading the design, implementation, and evaluation of projects that improve the understanding of health policy, information technology, or the health outcomes associated with interventions used in delivery of health care.

Assisting in preparing comprehensive reports that include discussion of substantive issues related to data science methodology for research and analysis.

Preparing issue papers, review regulations, in matters involving health information policy.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

U.S. Citizenship required

Males born after December 31, 1959 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service -

Suitable for federal employment

Meet time in grade restrictions by the closing date of the announcement

Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication. All information concerning qualifications is subject to investigation.

Documentation that you present for purposes of completing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Form I-9 will be verified through the DHS "E-Verify" System.

All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choice.

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date.

Financial disclosure statement may be required.

Probationary (or trial) period may be required.

Qualifications

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

Basic Qualifications:

Must have at least a bachelor's or graduate/higher level 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.

AND

Additional Qualification Requirement: In addition to meeting the Basic Qualification Requirement candidate must also:

Have one year specialized experience to perform successfully the duties of the position. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-13 grade level in the Federal service performing or ALL of the following:

1) Improving the quality, efficiency, or effectiveness of health data (e.g., electronic health record data, patient registry data, survey data, or clinical trials data) through data collection, linkage, harmonization, or analysis for research or public health studies.

2) Facilitates translations of scientific findings into relevant policy and program recommendations.

3) Preparing and presenting summaries of scientific finding related to health studies.

Documenting experience: IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Qualifications are based on breadth/level of experience. In addition to describing duties performed, applicants must provide the exact dates of each period of employment (from MM/YY to MM/YY) and the number of hours worked per week if part time. As qualification determinations cannot be made when resumes do not include the required information, failure to provide this information may result in disqualification. Applicants are encouraged to use the USAJOBS Resume Builder to develop their federal resume.

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

In accordance with Office of Personnel Management policy, federal employees are assumed to have gained experience by performing duties and responsibilities appropriate for their official series and grade level as described in their position description. Experience that would not normally be part of the employee's position is creditable, however, when documented by satisfactory evidence, such as a signed memorandum from the employee's supervisor or an SF-50 or SF-52 documenting an official detail or other official assignment. The documentation must indicate whether the duties were performed full time or, if part time, the "percentage of times" the other duties were performed. It is expected that this documentation is included in the employee's official personnel record. In order to receive credit for experience in your resume that is not within the official series and grade level of your official position, you must provide a copy of the appropriate documentation of such experience as indicated above.

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). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to gain employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. 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.

Education

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: .

Note: Applications can be accepted from students who expect to complete qualifying education within 9 months from the date of application. Education was completed successfully before the applicant can be appointed.

Additional information

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

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.

Incentives may be authorized; however, this is contingent upon multiple factors, including funds availability. If authorized, certain incentives may require you to sign a service agreement to remain in the Federal government for a period of up to 3 years. Note: This statement does not imply nor guarantee an incentive will be offered and paid. Incentives may include the following: moving expenses, recruitment or relocation incentive; student loan repayment, superior qualifications appointment, creditable service for annual leave for prior non-federal work experience or prior uniformed military service, etc.

Bargaining Unit Position: Yes

Research position: No

Drug Screening Required: No

Special Hiring Authorities for Veterans -

Special Hiring Authorities for Military Spouses -

People With Disabilities (Schedule A) -

Career Transition Assistance Program/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP/ICTAP): For information on how to apply as an CTAP/ICTAP eligible see . To be well-qualified and exercise selection priority for this vacancy, displaced Federal employees must be rated at 85.0 or above on the rating criteria for this position.

Beginning January 1, 2010, agencies must seek prior approval from OPM before they can appoint a current or recent political appointee to a competitive or non-political excepted service position at any level under the provisions of title 5, United States Code. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employee in the executive branch, you MUST disclose that to the Human Resources Office.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Additional selections may be made for similar positions across the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) within the local commuting area(s) of the location identified in this announcement. By applying, you agree to have your application shared with any interested selecting official(s) at HHS. Clearance of CTAP/ICTAP will be applied for similar positions across HHS.

In accordance with Executive Order 12564 of September 14, 1986, The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is A Drug-Free Federal Workplace. The use of illegal drugs, on or off duty, by Federal employees is inconsistent not only with the law-abiding behavior expected of all citizens, but also with the special trust placed in such employees as servants of the public.

Once the application process is complete, a review of the resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the application questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If, after reviewing your resume and or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

PHS Commissioned Corps (CC) Officers: PHS Commissioned Corps (CC) Officers interested in performing the duties of this position within the Commissioned Corps may apply online to this announcement. Candidates will be referred as CC personnel and not as candidates for conversion to a permanent career or career-conditional appointment.

For Competitive Merit Promotion and Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA) Applicants: The highest rated candidates will be referred to the hiring agency.

For Noncompetitive Applicants: All qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring agency.

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

Oral Communication

Planning and Evaluating

Technical Competence - Scientific Guidance

Written Communication To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link:

Required Documents

Submission of a resume alone IS NOT a complete application. You must provide a complete online Application Package which includes:

Your Resume You are encouraged to use the USAJobs online resume builder to ensure that all required information is in your resume. Your resume must clearly articulate how your skills and experiences align to the criteria defined in the qualifications section of this announcement and it must support your responses to the application questionnaire. For each position you must describe your duties, accomplishments, related skills, and responsibilities. Your resume must also include the day, month, and year that you began and ended for each position held. Full-time employment will be assumed unless otherwise stated on your resume. Part-time employment will be prorated in crediting experience. Not providing this information may result in the lowering of your assessment score or an ineligible rating. For resume writing guidance, please visit the or view their . For Most Effective Resumes Tips visit: .

A complete Application Questionnaire SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) - documentation supporting eligibility. If submitting a copy of your Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50), or equivalent, submit one that shows the effective date of your current position, the full performance level, career or career conditional tenure and status in the competitive service.

Other required supporting documents. Other Supporting Documents: (Only Submit if applicable to you.)

College transcripts (if qualifying all or in part based on your education)

Veterans' Preference documentation:

Discharged Veterans: If you are claiming 5 point preference, you must submit a copy of your DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from the armed forces that supports dates of service and discharge status; if claiming 10 point preference, an application for 10-Point Veterans Preference (SF-15) and an official document dated 1991 or later, from the Department of Veterans Affairs or from a branch of the Armed Forces, and/or any other associated documentation based on your preference.

Active Duty Members: Under the VOW (Veterans Opportunity to Work) to Hire Heroes Act of 2011, if claiming 5 point preference, submit written documentation from the armed forces that certifies the service member is expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted with your application package.

CTAP/ICTAP Documentation

A copy of your RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for failure to relocate, notice of disability annuity termination, or certification from the National Guard Bureau or Military Department that you are eligible for disability retirement;

A copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action'', documenting your RIF separation, noting your positions, grade level, and duty location, and/or Agency certification of inability to place you through RPL, etc.;

A copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and

Any documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential.

PHS Commissioned Corps Personnel: You must provide a copy of your current personnel orders and/or other supporting documentation to be referred as CC.

Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA) documentation, if applicable. For more information, please go to