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Mental Health Scientific Diversity Officer

Department of Health and Human Services
National Institutes of Health
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
This job announcement has closed

Summary

The NIMH Mental Health Scientific Diversity Officer will serve as the senior scientific expert to the NIMH Director and be responsible for providing leadership and direction for all diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility requirements within NIMH and initiatives as related to the planning, design, and promotion of strategies and programs to support all internal NIMH scientific research and workforce efforts.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
07/08/2024 to 07/12/2024
Salary
$163,964 to - $191,900 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 15
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Montgomery County, MD
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—You may qualify for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with agency policy.
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
15
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Trust determination process
Announcement number
NIH-NIMH-DE-24-12263697
Control number
794342000

Duties

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The Mental Health Scientific Diversity Officer position requires the incumbent to possess expertise in one or more scientific disciplines aligned with NIMH's mission and have knowledge, skills, and experience functioning as an organizational scientific research strategy, diversity, and inclusion professional. As the Mental Health Scientific Diversity Officer the incumbent will serve as a technical advisor and representative in fostering and enhancing broad NIMH and NIH overall diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility initiatives across all other programs. The incumbent will also serve as a senior expert and advisor in several priority areas, including improving diversity and equity in neuroscience and mental health research at the NIMH through biomedical, basic neuroscience, translational, clinical, and implementation science programs; highlighting extramural research training and career development programs; prioritizing mental health disparities; and promoting research and development of scientifically based strategies to diversify the neuroscience and mental health research portfolio at NIMH.

The Incumbent will be expected to:
  • Provide leadership and direction for all internal NIMH diversity requirements and initiatives as related to the planning, development, implementation, and evaluation of assigned biomedical/behavioral and social science research within the organization.
  • Serve as an expert responsible for providing technical leadership and direction for scientific diversity, health equity, and disparities research.
  • Plan and implement diversity initiatives and projects that involve innovative and cross-disciplinary research studies.
  • Spearhead the development and dissemination of technical and administrative guides, standards, and criteria that can support, foster, and enhance diversity, equity, inclusivity, and accessibility in NIMH research and the NIMH research workforce
  • Advance the design and development of equitable and accessible training programs that produce tangible and overlapping benefits improving the quality and inclusivity of the educational environment for NIMH scientists and research staff.
  • Provide leadership for planning and development, which includes establishing major goals and objectives, and ensuring diversity objectives are established and met for NIMH scientific research programs.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • 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.
  • Position requires Education.

Qualifications

The classified title of this position is Scientific Diversity Officer; however, the descriptive organizational title is Mental Health Scientific Diversity Officer and the position will be referenced as such throughout the announcement.

In order to qualify at the GS-15 level, You must meet at least of the one following basic Off ice of Personnel Management prescribed occupational series requirements (GS-0101, GS-0601) described in the following two questions. You do not need to meet the requirements for both occupational series. All education, unless completed outside of the U.S., must be from an educational program from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the education was completed.

A. FOR THE GS-101 SERIES:

In order to qualify for a Scientific Diversity Officer in the GS-101 Social Science Series, you must:

A. have a bachelor's or graduate/higher level degree in the behavioral or social sciences, or related disciplines appropriate to this position; OR
B. have a combination of education and experience that provided me with the knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field; OR
C. have four years of appropriate experience demonstrating that I have acquired knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field.

B. FOR THE GS-601 SERIES:

In order to qualify for a Scientific Diversity Officer in the GS-601 General Medical and Health care Series, you must have a bachelor's or graduate/higher level degree with a major study in an academic field related to the medical field, health sciences or allied sciences appropriate to the work of this position.

AND

C. You must possess at least one year of qualifying specialized experience at or equivalent to at least the GS-14 level in the Federal Government obtained in either the private or public sector, which includes planning, implementing, and evaluating scientific diversity initiatives conducted by an organization. This specialized experience includes the following types of tasks: 1. Assessing scientific diversity practices and guiding leadership to enhance inclusion/collaboration across a research program. 2. Evaluating biomedical/behavioral research to determine health disparity issues (e.g., recruitment of participants) that should be addressed. 3.Implementing policies/programs to promote an equitable culture across an organization that employs a more diverse scientific community. 4. Creating and recommending strategies (e.g., training, policies) to reduce health disparities (e.g., social, economic)impacting biomedical/behavioral research. AND 5. Leading scientific diversity objectives, policies, and activities to improve biomedical/behavioral research quality.

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.


Preview assessment questionnaire before you apply: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12263697

Education

This position has an education requirement. 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 package. Official transcripts will be required from all selectees prior to receiving an official offer. Click here for information on Foreign Education.


Additional information

  • This position is designated as a "non-emergency/teleworker" position and the selected candidate will be considered a "non-emergency/teleworker" employee. In the event of a closure, you must be available to telework or request leave.
  • 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].
  • If selected, you will be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report, OGE Form 450 to determine if a conflict or an appearance of a conflict exists between your financial interest and your prospective position with the agency. This information is required annually. For information, visit the NIH Ethics website: https://ethics.od.nih.gov/fd.
  • A one-year 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 and this sample for a detailed look into the benefits, awards, leave, retirement, and other incentives employees may receive as part of a rewarding work environment.

How you will be evaluated

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

You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

  • F1: Program Management & Planning
  • F2: Health Disparities Research and Education
  • F3: Leveraging Scientific Diversity
  • F4: Information Dissemination
  • F5: Partnering / Collaboration



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.

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