This position is located in the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Office of the Director (OD), NIH Ethics Office. The Ethics Specialist both carries out the activities of the NIH Ethics Office and supports management of the overall NIH ethics program, with primary responsibility for planning, administering, and implementing the Ethics Program and for ensuring that it is carried out in accordance with applicable ethics regulations and statutes.
Summary
This position is located in the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Office of the Director (OD), NIH Ethics Office. The Ethics Specialist both carries out the activities of the NIH Ethics Office and supports management of the overall NIH ethics program, with primary responsibility for planning, administering, and implementing the Ethics Program and for ensuring that it is carried out in accordance with applicable ethics regulations and statutes.
Research situations and provide advice to IC managers and NIH programs on conflict of interest situations concerning international research and collaborative endeavors with private industry.
Provide advice on the interpretation and application of statutes, regulations, and policies to the employees of the NIH Office of the Director and to the NIH ethics community (Deputy Ethics Counselors (DECs), Ethics Coordinators (ECs), attorneys, and others at NIH.
Work with staff to assess the need for, evaluate the usefulness and accuracy of ethics information furnished, in light of the NIH mission, administrative operations and program activities.
Manage all aspects of public and confidential financial disclosures, including determining who should file, coordinating the annual notification of employees concerning reporting procedures, and reviewing the forms for completeness and compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements.
Coordinate the planning, development, and implementation of ethics training activities, including the design of curricula incorporating controversial issues and specific case law that has impacted policy decisions.
Ensure the timely distribution of new or revised guidelines or explanations of ambiguous requirements via issuances, memoranda, etc.
Provide training and education materials for IC ethics staff to use for their employees including maintaining the New Employee Ethics Orientation website, the Annual Ethics Training website, and the NIH Ethics program website.
Conduct analyses and prepare reports on ethics considerations, recommending policy or procedural changes as appropriate
If you are selected at the GS-9 or GS-11 level, you will essentially perform the same duties as those at the full performance level described above, however, duties are less complex and will be performed under closer supervision with more detailed guidance.
U.S. Citizenship requirement or proof of being a U.S. National must be met by closing date.
Employment is subject to the successful completion of a background investigation, verification of qualifications, completion of onboarding forms, submission of required documents, and any other job-related requirement before or after appointment.
Applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
Males born after December 31, 1959 must be registered with the Selective Service.
Qualifications
In order to qualify for an Ethics Program Specialist GS-0301 position at the GS-09 level, you must have:
A. completed a master's or equivalent graduate degree, or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or an LL.B. or J.D. Education must be related to the position to be qualifying; OR
B. 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-07 level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector, performing the following types of tasks: disseminating requests for financial disclosure reports; managing documents, data, and databases relating to ethics and compliance requirements; conducting technical or conflict reviews on ethics documents; and creating tabular and narrative reports on ethics considerations; OR
C. a combination of post baccalaureate education related to the position and experience that meets 100% of the qualification requirements for this position.
To qualify for an Ethics Program Specialist GS-0301 position at the GS-11 level, you must have:
A. completed a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or an LL.M. Education must be related to the position to be qualifying; OR
B. 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-09 level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector, performing the following types of tasks: Providing advice to employees on the application of ethics statutes, regulations and policies; monitoring the financial disclosure process including who would file, notifying employees, and reviewing financial disclosure forms; and presenting reports on ethics considerations to management officials; OR
C. a combination of post baccalaureate education related to the position and experience that meets 100% of the qualification requirements for this position.
To qualify for an Ethics Program Specialist GS-0301 position at the GS-12 level, you must have:
Experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector, performing the following types of tasks: providing advice to employees and managers on the interpretation and application of ethics statutes, regulations, and policies on issues including financial disclosure, recusals and gift exceptions; reviewing confidential and public financial disclosure reports or prohibited holdings reports; providing advice on possible conflict of interest violations and making corrective action recommendations; and designing ethics training courses and materials.
You will receive credit for all experience material to the position, including experience gained in religious, civic, welfare, service, and organizational activities, regardless of whether you received pay.
Do not copy 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.
If you qualify based on education in lieu of specialized experience, you are strongly encouraged to submit a copy of your transcripts or a list of your courses including titles, credit hours completed and grades. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted in the application packages. Official transcripts will be required from all selectees prior to receiving an official offer. Click here for information on Foreign Education.
Additional information
If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.
As a condition of employment, all federal employees must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. During the onboarding process, if selected, you must provide proof of vaccination. An official job offer and continued employment is contingent on this requirement. For more information on this requirement, visit the Safer Federal Workforce page on vaccines. If you need a COVID-19 vaccine, please visit Vaccines.gov.
Due to COVID-19, we are currently operating in a maximum telework state. If selected, you may be expected to telework. As employees to return to the office, you may be required to report to the location listed on this announcement within 30 calendar days of receiving notice, even if your home/temporary telework site is located outside the local commuting area. At the discretion of the supervisor and NIH policy, you may be eligible for workplace flexibilities, which may include remote work or telework options, and/or flexible work scheduling. These flexibilities may be requested in accordance with NIH Workplace Flexibilities guidance.
At the supervisor's discretion, this position may offer work schedule flexibilities: [telework (work from home on a regular basis or ad hoc basis but reports to the office at least once a week/two days a pay period), compressed schedules, flexible schedules].
A one-year trial/probationary period may be required upon selection/placement.
PHS Commissioned Officers interested in performing the duties of this position within the Commissioned Corps should apply online to this announcement to receive consideration
We may make additional selections for similar positions within the commuting area(s) of the locations listed through this vacancy announcement. By applying, you agree to have your application shared with any interested selecting official(s). Clearance of CTAP/ICTAP will be applied for similar positions.
The National Institutes of Health 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.
The NIH maintains a tobacco free work environment and campus.
Must be able to perform the essential duties of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation.
Visit our Applicant FAQs page for helpful information on the application process.
Visit our Total Compensation page for a detailed look into the benefits, awards, leave, retirement and other incentives employees may receive as part of a rewarding work environment.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
If you meet the minimum qualifications for this position, your application and responses to the online questionnaire will be evaluated under Category Rating and selection procedures for placement in one of the following categories:
Best Qualified - for those who are superior in the evaluation criteria
Well Qualified - for those who excel in the evaluation criteria
Qualified - for those who only meet the minimum qualification requirements
The Category Rating Process does not add veterans' preference points but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each category. Applicants determined to be Best Qualified will be referred for further consideration. Preference eligibles in the Best Qualified category are referred before all other applicants.
To determine your qualifications and referral status, we may review your resume and supporting documentation and compare it against your responses to the vacancy questionnaire. Ensure you support your self-ratings by the information you provide in your application. We may verify or assess your qualifications at any time. Inflated or unsupported qualifications may affect your rating. Any misrepresentation or material omission of facts may be sufficient cause to end further consideration of your candidacy. Persons listed as having knowledge of your past accomplishments or experience in your application may be contacted for verification purposes at any time. Verification may, but need not, begin prior to receiving an offer.
To be considered well qualified for the purposes of the Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) and the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP), you must be able to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry and substantively exceed the basic qualifications by scoring at least an 85 on the assessment and meet all eligibility, physical, medical, suitability, and all other requirements.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
REQUIRED FOR ALL APPLICANTS RESUME:
Your resume must thoroughly describe 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 assessment questionnaire. We cannot assume you have performed the necessary experience required for this position regardless of your employment history or academic career.
To ensure all of the essential information is in your resume, we encourage you to use the USAJOBS online Resume Builder. If you choose to use your own resume, you must ensure it contains all of the required information and you organize it so we can associate the following information for each experience/position:
Job title
Name of employer
Beginning and ending dates of employment (month/day/year format)
Hours worked per week. We will assume full-time unless otherwise stated. We will prorate part-time employment in crediting experience.
Detailed description of job duties, accomplishments, related skills, and responsibilities to include any supervisory/managerial responsibilities and number of staff supervised (if applicable)
Series and grade or equivalent (if a federal position)
If the position has an education requirement or you are qualifying on the basis of education, you must list your education history including the type of degree and your major of study. If the position requires a certain number of credit hours, you are strongly encouraged to list the relevant courses in your resume.
Do not include a photograph or video of yourself, or any sensitive information (age, date of birth, marital status, protected health information, religious affiliation, social security number, etc.) on your resume or cover letter. We will not access web pages linked on your resume or cover letter to determine your qualifications.
ASSESSMENT QUESTIONNAIRE:
You must submit a completed assessment questionnaire.
Unless otherwise stated, we will only use the information above to determine your qualifications. Not providing the required information may result in a determination that you do not meet minimum requirements for the position (e.g., an ineligible rating) or a lower rating.
REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION FOR PREFERENCE OR ELIGIBILITY CLAIMS
To claim veterans' preference, career transition selection priority, Schedule A or military spouse eligibility, you must provide the documentation listed below AND respond accordingly to the associated question on the online questionnaire.
Veterans' preference (DD-214, VA Disability Letter, etc.): Reference Standard Form 15 (SF-15) for required documentation for 10 point claims. Submission of SF-15 is not required, unless you are claiming derived preference (XP) as described in questions 7, 8, or 9 on the SF-15. In those cases, you must submit a completed SF-15 and the required documentation. For 5 point claims, you must submit your DD-214 (if separated) or any written documentation from the armed forces that certifies you are 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.
Schedule A Eligibility (Applicants with Disabilities) Applicants who are eligible to be considered under Schedule A must submit appropriate documentation to verify eligibility. Documentation must be obtained from a licensed medical professional (e.g., a physician or other medical professional certified by a state, the District of Columbia, or a U.S. territory to practice medicine); a licensed vocational rehabilitation specialist (i.e., state or private); or any Federal agency, state agency, or agency of the District of Columbia or a U.S. territory that issues or provides disability benefits. The letter must be printed on a medical professional's letterhead and signed. Veterans' preference takes precedence in these appointments.
The Schedule A and military spouse hiring authorities do not guarantee employment or give an individual preference in the hiring process.
If you do not provide the required information, we will assume you are not eligible, or you do not wish to be considered for any preference or eligibility.
Do not submit documentation that is not requested of you. To protect your personal information, we will only send your resume and cover letter to the selecting official or hiring manager.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
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.
To apply for this position, please read and follow all instructions in this announcement, complete the online application, and submit the documentation specified in the "Required Documents" section. Your complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM Eastern Time (ET) on 01/21/2022 to receive consideration.
To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply.
Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. See the "Required Documents" section for any additional forms and/or supplemental materials required.
Read all Eligibility questions and respond accordingly to any Eligibility you wish to claim. You will only be considered for those Eligibility questions (Status Applicant, Reinstatement, Schedule A, etc.) you respond in the affirmative to, regardless of what documentation you submit. We cannot assume you intended to respond differently to a question based on other information in your application package.
Complete the assessment questionnaire. Applicants are asked all questions regardless of their consideration preferences. We will only consider you for the grades, series, locations, specialties, and other considerations that you self-identify as being qualified for or interested in. Preview assessment questionnaire before you apply: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11301537
Verify all required documentation is included in your application package, review your responses to the assessment questionnaire for accuracy, and then submit your application.
In addition to the required documents, we encourage you to submit a cover letter, copy of your transcripts, and any applicable certifications or licenses. Even though this information is not required at the time of application, we may request this information later.
We cannot assume responsibility or grant extensions for personal issues (e.g., troubles navigating the application process, loss of internet, not understanding a question) when applying to our announcements. For technical difficulties, contact HR Systems Support between 8:00 AM and 4:30 PM ET Monday through Friday at hrss@nih.gov.
If you need any other accommodation or assistance with applying, please contact Conchita Lawrence at lawrencecf@mail.nih.gov. Requests for reasonable accommodations must be made before the announcement closing date.
National Institutes of Health
6701 Rockledge Dr
Bethesda, MD 20892
US
Next steps
Once you submit your application package, you will receive an acknowledgement email. You will be notified of the status of your applications via email. In addition, you can track the progress of your application package through your USAJOBS account.
At the discretion of the agency, you may be contacted via phone or email for an interview or to provide additional information up to several months from the closing date of the announcement. Please ensure you have provided accurate contact information. To remain in consideration, you must respond in a timely manner to our correspondence and requests for documentation or information throughout the hiring process.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
REQUIRED FOR ALL APPLICANTS RESUME:
Your resume must thoroughly describe 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 assessment questionnaire. We cannot assume you have performed the necessary experience required for this position regardless of your employment history or academic career.
To ensure all of the essential information is in your resume, we encourage you to use the USAJOBS online Resume Builder. If you choose to use your own resume, you must ensure it contains all of the required information and you organize it so we can associate the following information for each experience/position:
Job title
Name of employer
Beginning and ending dates of employment (month/day/year format)
Hours worked per week. We will assume full-time unless otherwise stated. We will prorate part-time employment in crediting experience.
Detailed description of job duties, accomplishments, related skills, and responsibilities to include any supervisory/managerial responsibilities and number of staff supervised (if applicable)
Series and grade or equivalent (if a federal position)
If the position has an education requirement or you are qualifying on the basis of education, you must list your education history including the type of degree and your major of study. If the position requires a certain number of credit hours, you are strongly encouraged to list the relevant courses in your resume.
Do not include a photograph or video of yourself, or any sensitive information (age, date of birth, marital status, protected health information, religious affiliation, social security number, etc.) on your resume or cover letter. We will not access web pages linked on your resume or cover letter to determine your qualifications.
ASSESSMENT QUESTIONNAIRE:
You must submit a completed assessment questionnaire.
Unless otherwise stated, we will only use the information above to determine your qualifications. Not providing the required information may result in a determination that you do not meet minimum requirements for the position (e.g., an ineligible rating) or a lower rating.
REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION FOR PREFERENCE OR ELIGIBILITY CLAIMS
To claim veterans' preference, career transition selection priority, Schedule A or military spouse eligibility, you must provide the documentation listed below AND respond accordingly to the associated question on the online questionnaire.
Veterans' preference (DD-214, VA Disability Letter, etc.): Reference Standard Form 15 (SF-15) for required documentation for 10 point claims. Submission of SF-15 is not required, unless you are claiming derived preference (XP) as described in questions 7, 8, or 9 on the SF-15. In those cases, you must submit a completed SF-15 and the required documentation. For 5 point claims, you must submit your DD-214 (if separated) or any written documentation from the armed forces that certifies you are 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.
Schedule A Eligibility (Applicants with Disabilities) Applicants who are eligible to be considered under Schedule A must submit appropriate documentation to verify eligibility. Documentation must be obtained from a licensed medical professional (e.g., a physician or other medical professional certified by a state, the District of Columbia, or a U.S. territory to practice medicine); a licensed vocational rehabilitation specialist (i.e., state or private); or any Federal agency, state agency, or agency of the District of Columbia or a U.S. territory that issues or provides disability benefits. The letter must be printed on a medical professional's letterhead and signed. Veterans' preference takes precedence in these appointments.
The Schedule A and military spouse hiring authorities do not guarantee employment or give an individual preference in the hiring process.
If you do not provide the required information, we will assume you are not eligible, or you do not wish to be considered for any preference or eligibility.
Do not submit documentation that is not requested of you. To protect your personal information, we will only send your resume and cover letter to the selecting official or hiring manager.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
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.
To apply for this position, please read and follow all instructions in this announcement, complete the online application, and submit the documentation specified in the "Required Documents" section. Your complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM Eastern Time (ET) on 01/21/2022 to receive consideration.
To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply.
Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. See the "Required Documents" section for any additional forms and/or supplemental materials required.
Read all Eligibility questions and respond accordingly to any Eligibility you wish to claim. You will only be considered for those Eligibility questions (Status Applicant, Reinstatement, Schedule A, etc.) you respond in the affirmative to, regardless of what documentation you submit. We cannot assume you intended to respond differently to a question based on other information in your application package.
Complete the assessment questionnaire. Applicants are asked all questions regardless of their consideration preferences. We will only consider you for the grades, series, locations, specialties, and other considerations that you self-identify as being qualified for or interested in. Preview assessment questionnaire before you apply: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11301537
Verify all required documentation is included in your application package, review your responses to the assessment questionnaire for accuracy, and then submit your application.
In addition to the required documents, we encourage you to submit a cover letter, copy of your transcripts, and any applicable certifications or licenses. Even though this information is not required at the time of application, we may request this information later.
We cannot assume responsibility or grant extensions for personal issues (e.g., troubles navigating the application process, loss of internet, not understanding a question) when applying to our announcements. For technical difficulties, contact HR Systems Support between 8:00 AM and 4:30 PM ET Monday through Friday at hrss@nih.gov.
If you need any other accommodation or assistance with applying, please contact Conchita Lawrence at lawrencecf@mail.nih.gov. Requests for reasonable accommodations must be made before the announcement closing date.
National Institutes of Health
6701 Rockledge Dr
Bethesda, MD 20892
US
Next steps
Once you submit your application package, you will receive an acknowledgement email. You will be notified of the status of your applications via email. In addition, you can track the progress of your application package through your USAJOBS account.
At the discretion of the agency, you may be contacted via phone or email for an interview or to provide additional information up to several months from the closing date of the announcement. Please ensure you have provided accurate contact information. To remain in consideration, you must respond in a timely manner to our correspondence and requests for documentation or information throughout the hiring process.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
