SUMMARY

These positions are located within the Greater Los Angeles VA Healthcare System (West Long Angeles and Sepulveda) Medical Research Service in Los Angeles, CA. Research programs are spread over two campuses to support one of the largest and most diverse research enterprises within the VA. The Staff Assistant provides support, public outreach and administrative assistance to ensure the successful management of a research project funded and supervised by the Principal Investigator.

TO QUALIFY FOR THE GS-9 LEVEL, YOU MUST MEET ONE OF THE FOLLOWING REQUIREMENTS:

Specialized Experience: You must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-7) in the Federal service that has given you the particular knowledge, skills and abilities required to successfully perform the duties of a Staff Assistant - Research and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Specialized experience includes coordinating and providing administrative support of clinical research projects and programs; interpreting and analyzing data; identifying and analyzing problems; utilizing Microsoft Office and other computer programs to create online meetings, prepare presentation materials, manuals, forms and electronic databases; and communicating and working with individuals with varied backgrounds. Applicants must have strong oral and written communication skills. NOTE: Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must clearly indicate the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.
Education: Successful completion of a master’s degree or two (2) full years of graduate level education leading to such a degree in a related field of study that demonstrates your ability to perform the duties of this position. NOTE: If you select this option, you must submit a copy of your transcript (unofficial or official) with your application. Education cannot be credited without documentation. -OR-
Combination: Equivalent combinations of successfully completed progressively higher-level graduate education (beyond the first year) and specialized experience, as described above, which meet the total experience requirements for this grade level. The education portion must include graduate courses that demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. NOTE: If you select this option, you must submit a copy of your transcript with your application. Education cannot be credited without documentation.

You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position:

• Administration and Management
• Financial Management
• Research

IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.
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; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
Physical Requirements: The work is primarily performed in an office environment and requires alternating periods of walking and sedentary work. Manual dexterity is required for operating office equipment. Typing/computer operation may involve long periods of hand and wrist movement. Occasional light lifting and carrying for delivery of supplies and documents.
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

IMPORTANT: 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: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov).

HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s).
Your responses to the assessment questionnaire will be reviewed along with the information provided in your resume and supporting documentation to determine if you are qualified for the position. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your rating may be lowered and/or you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.
The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate’s abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

Candidates who apply under All U.S. Citizens announcements will be rated and ranked using Category Rating procedures. Qualified candidates will be assigned to a quality category. The categories are defined as follows:

• Best qualified - applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are highly proficient in all requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position;
• Highly qualified - applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the requirements of the job;
• Well qualified - applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in some, but not all, of the requirements of the job; and
• Qualified - applicants possessing experience and/or education that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors.

Application of Veterans’ Preference: Category rating and selection procedures place those with veteran’s preference above non-preference eligibles within each category. Preference eligible applicants that meet the eligibility and qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent are listed in the highest quality category (except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level or higher).
It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.
Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

IF YOU ARE RELYING ON YOUR EDUCATION TO MEET QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

Major duties include but are not limited to:

• Provides outreach and communication coordination;
• Assists the Principle Investigator in outreach, presentations, and press releases highlighting the success and goals of the supporting programs;
• Serves as the key liaison for communication among the researchers, committees and the Principle Investigator and troubleshoots and/or optimizes access to facilitate and achieve study goals;
• Reviews current materials already developed in research e.g., SOP documents, brochures, presentations and all research program (human, biosafety, radiation safety and animal) forms relevant to research programs;
• Frequently meets with research investigators to obtain their perspective of their needs and how the current materials meet the needs for access to the research facility; and maintain any researcher’s guides, SOPs, and forms that are available to investigators at other VAs or other academic institutions for potential adaptation and/or revision of currently used research forms;
• Develops an external “communication plan” that includes outreach strategies for recruitment, overarching principles of research programs to be communicated and identifies the best method of communication;
• Manages all administrative activities related to the support of the research program;
• Interfaces with the service level Communications lead, IT staff, and University affiliates to publicize all accomplishments (such as funded/submitted grants, published manuscripts and scientific presentations), the purchase of new equipment, and availability of the facilities and resources that are available to researchers;
• Communicates and assists funded scientists on administrative tasks to conduct research utilizing the imaging core;
• Assists, coordinates and participates in meetings, conference calls, committee meetings, and scientific meetings pertaining to the administrative functioning of the research program;
• Schedules and moderates weekly meetings, teleconference calls, and email communications to apprise the Principle Investigator of new developments or problems and work to trouble shoot solutions to implement, establish now/ongoing project priorities, and prepare goal related outcomes;
• Maintains office and research supplies inventory by arranging purchases through facility approved vendors when needed;
• Creates data entry systems using Microsoft Excel and enter equipment utilization (such as research equipment hours used) data with a high degree of accuracy;
• Creates and maintains notes of all meetings, communications with research and committee staff meetings relating to the research program and updating of all SOPs to ensure thorough and uniform documentation within the system;
• Utilizes Microsoft PowerPoint, Excel, Word, and Publisher to create presentations, advertisements, assessments, and publications related to the function and activities of the research program;
• Assists with the budgeting and financial management of the Principal Investigator’s research project; and
• Performs other related duties as assigned

The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50’s (current/former Federal employees), documentation to support Veterans Preference or ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees).

• Cover Letter
• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Disability Letter (VA)
• Other (1)
• Other (2)
• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-15
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcrip