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Statistician (Medicine)

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
National Surgery Office (NSO)- Surgery11
This job announcement has closed

Summary

The National Surgery Office is strategically aligned within the office of the Assistant Under Secretary for Health, Clinical Services/Chief Medical Officer. The National Surgery Office provides direction and management of the policy that impacts the delivery of surgical care by Veterans Health Administration (VHA) providers, the clinical oversight of the established VHA Surgical Programs as well as surgical outcomes, and stewardship for surgical outcomes data analyzed for research purpose.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
08/01/2022 to 08/16/2022
Salary
$94,373 to - $122,683 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 13
Locations
1 vacancy in the following locations:
Denver, CO
Washington, DC
Location Negotiable After Selection, United States
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
CBZY-11593516-22-BJ
Control number
668670700

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Duties

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*** Washington, DC or Denver, CO site locations are preferred but 100% remote option may be available for highly qualified candidates **

Duties will include, but are not limited to the following:

  • Provides statistical consultation and technical advice to subject matter experts
    on statistical theories and techniques.
  • Performs statistical analyses of clinical data which include both parametric and nonparametric tests using SAS, SAS ODS, and R computer based statistical software.
  • Prepares detailed reports for national meetings of clinicians and leadership using software such as SAS and R. Runs standardized statistical reports to generate risk models for a predefined set of clinical outcomes such as 30-day operative mortality and perioperative morbidity.
  • Performs statistical analysis for comparison of surgical subpopulations and risk-adjustment of outcomes using statistical software including SAS and R.
  • Validates database records using extracts, match/merges, and discrepancy reports with VA administrative data sources and comparison of current data to historical data.
  • Provides instruction to field personnel regarding high level statistics and NSO program details.
  • Utilizes understanding of surgical terminology to apply appropriate analyses.
  • Produces data output into Excel and PDF documents and SQL tables to prepare a myriad of presentation styles for appropriate and concise electronic reports, including considerations of protection of the data and computer skills of the report recipients.
  • Manages small project teams, with responsibility for overseeing prioritization of tasks and meeting deadlines.
  • Designs reports to ensure appropriateness of data presented, understandability to a wide audience, and applicability to quality assurance requirements.
  • Selects methods and performs analyses using generalized linear models, mixed effects models, hierarchical regression, longitudinal analysis, survival analysis, empirical Bayes and Markov Chain Monte Carlo simulation, bootstrap techniques, and machine learning skills.
  • Collaborates with programmers in creating and modifying relational database tables (e.g. SQL Server) for new project expansion and routine reporting. Provides editorial oversight on analysis performed by investigators who seek to publish national surgical data findings in peer reviewed journals.
  • Designing and performing statistical analysis for healthcare outcomes studies, resulting in prepared manuscripts and abstracts.



Work Schedule: 8:00 a.m.- 4:30 p.m.
Telework: VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.
Virtual: Washington, DC or Denver, CO site locations are preferred but 100% remote option may be available for highly qualified candidates
Position Description/PD#: Statistician (Medicine)/PD062630
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

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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
  • You may be required to serve a probationary period
  • Subject to background/security investigation
  • Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
  • Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)
  • Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 08/16/2022.

Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-13 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-12. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.

Basic Requirements: 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. Credit toward meeting statistical course requirements should be given for courses in which 50 percent of the course content appears to be statistical methods, e.g., courses that included studies in research methods in psychology or economics such as tests and measurements or business cycles, or courses in methods of processing mass statistical data such as tabulating methods or electronic data processing. (transcripts required)
OR

Combination of education and experience -- courses as shown in 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.
AND

In addition to meeting the basic education requirement, you must also meet the specialized experience requirement.

  • Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-12 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Perform statistical analyses of clinical data which include both parametric and nonparametric tests using SAS, SAS ODS, and R computer based statistical software; Prepares detailed reports for national meetings of clinicians and leadership using software such as SAS and R; Runs standardized statistical reports to generate risk models
    for a predefined set of clinical outcomes such as 30-day operative mortality and perioperative morbidity; Validates database records using extracts, match/merges, and discrepancy reports with VA administrative data sources and comparison of current data to historical data; and Produces data output into Excel and PDF documents and SQL tables to prepare a myriad of presentation styles for appropriate and concise electronic reports, including considerations of protection of the data and computer skills of the report recipient
You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:
  • Statistical Analysis
  • Quality Improvement
  • Statistical Software Reporting
  • Database Design and Management
  • Mathematical Reasoning

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.

Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. 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.

Physical Requirements: The work is mostly sedentary.

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

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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities [i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities], and/or Disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. Contact the Agency Contact for information on how to apply under this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal/VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

To ensure compliance with an applicable preliminary nationwide injunction, which may be supplemented, modified, or vacated, depending on the course of ongoing litigation, the Federal Government will take no action to implement or enforce the COVID-19 vaccination requirement pursuant to Executive Order 14043 on Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination for Federal Employees. Therefore, to the extent a VA job announcement includes language requiring applicants to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 pursuant to Executive Order 14043, that requirement does not currently apply to this Job Announcement. VA may request information regarding your vaccination status, if selected, for the purposes of implementing other workplace safety protocols, such as masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine.

Due to COVID-19, VA is currently in an expanded telework posture. If selected, you may be expected to temporarily telework, even if your home is located outside the local commuting area. Once employees are permitted to return to the office, you will be expected to report to the duty station listed on this announcement. Management officials will provide information about returning to the official, pre-pandemic worksite, when applicable. At that time, you may be eligible to request to continue to telework depending upon the terms of your organization's telework policy and the duties of the position.

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.

Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.

Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the 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.

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.

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