Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below. This job is open to current permanent VA Nationwide employees, Federal employees of other Agencies, and U.S. Citizens.

• Provides recommendations and advice on project/ study design related to data management and statistical analysis.
• Reviews data reports and statistical summaries of studies reported in the literature that are pertinent to the initiatives being conducted by the referring Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center (GRECC) staff.
• Evaluates program-wide needs, sets timetables and specifications, and manages work to completion. Devises and recommends process improvements including new technology, methods, and instrumentation.
• Provides guidance and data collection and management including basic statistical compilation, analysis, validation, and trending.
• Serves as statistical reviewer of all research, education evaluation, and clinical (e.g., quality improvement) initiatives/ protocols conducted in the Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center (GRECC) Program. Acts as statistical consultant on all new and ongoing protocols each year. The work requires the incumbent to select and apply the most appropriate statistical techniques to be employed.
• Conducts analysis of statistical methods within each protocol to ensure that that these methods are clearly described and appropriate to meet project goals.
• Using the appropriate software (e.g., SAS), the incumbent will write and run all code needed to upload, store, clean, validate, and configure the project data and complete all statistical analyses.
• Performs analyses and presents results and reports that are clear, understandable, and accurate.
• Expert knowledge of the SAS statistical programming language for performing statistical analyses, producing reports, and reformatting data. Working knowledge of other statistical programs such as SPSS, R, STATA, and Excel.
• Knowledge of different database programs.
• Knowledge and experience working with an environment where the security of data is of paramount importance.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 7:30a to 4:00p (subject to change based on the needs of the agency)
Telework: Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description Title/PD#: 04667-0

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• 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 dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial 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 trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

Basic Requirements:

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• EDUCATION- Degree that included 15 semester hours in statistics (or in mathematics and statistics, provided at least 6 semester hours were in statistics), and 9 additional semester hours in one or more of the following: physical or biological sciences, medicine, education, or engineering; or in the social sciences including demography, history, economics, social welfare, geography, international relations, social or cultural anthropology, health sociology, political science, public administration, psychology, etc. OR
• Combination of education and experience -- courses as shown in 1 above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. The experience should have included a full range of professional statistical work such as:
  • (a) sampling,
  • (b) collecting, computing, and analyzing statistical data, and
  • (c) applying statistical techniques such as measurement of central tendency, dispersion, skewness, sampling error, simple and multiple correlation, analysis of variance, and tests of significance.

Grade Determinations:
Statistician (Health)- GS-12

1. Specialized Experience: Equivalent to the GS-11 level in the Federal service, that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) needed to successfully perform the duties of the position and that is typically in/or related to this Statistician Health GS-1530-12 position to be filled. This experience must be supported by your resume to be creditable. Specialized experience includes:
   • Knowledge of research policies & procedures and of the research protocol approval process.
   • Expertise in conducting geriatric human subject research; creativity, flexibility and adaptability to independently conduct the work required of each complex project.
2. Education Substitution: Must possess an Ph. D. or equivalent doctoral degree

Preferred Experience:

• Has greater than one (1) year exp. as Research Health Science Specialist or Research Assistant/Associate coordinating & managing a single- or multi-site human subject research and clinical quality improvement (QI) studies.
• Experience using technical writing styles and proper English grammar; ability to edit professional, technical manuscripts.
• Experience in project coordination, recruitment of subjects, subject interviewing, data collection, basic data analysis and report writing (for project management purposes), creation and maintenance of the research protocol's standard operating procedures (SOP) manual, and training other staff.
• Experience using SAS, R, or other compatible data analysis software.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

The full performance level of this vacancy is 12.

Physical Demands: The work is sedentary. Some work may require periods of walking, standing, bending, or driving a motor vehicle. Employees frequently carry research records and other similar materials. The work does not require any special physical effort of the work.

How you will be evaluated

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

Area of Consideration - Eligible applications will be reviewed and referred in the following order:

• Current permanent VA employees of the Central Arkansas Veterans Health Care Systems
• All other VA employees
• Current Permanent Federal employees of other agencies
• All other applicants

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for 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; religions; 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.

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.

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.

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

• Resume
• Transcript

Resume Requirement: Your resume must include the following information: Job title, description of duties, beginning and ending date (month/year) of employment; and average hours worked per week.

Special Note for Applications: To complete your application, please use the following link https://vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Resume.docx to download the standard Clinical Resume Document. This one-page document does not need to be modified and must be uploaded into the two-page restricted 'Resume' document upload field.

Your full resume/CV may be uploaded without page limitation into the 'CV/Resume' document upload field.

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), etc.

• Cover Letter
• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Disability Letter (VA)
• CV/Resume
• Other (2)
• Performance Appraisal
• Resume
• SF-15
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action (if applicable for Eligibility):

• Most recent SF-50 if you are a current or former Federal employee

Examples of appropriate SF-50's include:

• Within grade increases at the highest grade held
• Promotions with an effective date more than one year old
• SF-50's at the highest grade held with an effective date more than one year old

Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit Feds Hire Vets - Veterans - Job Seekers - Veterans' Preference.

Veterans' preference does not apply for internal or other current permanent Federal agency employees.

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