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Medical Records Administration Specialist

Department of Health and Human Services
National Institutes of Health
Multiple

Summary

Launch your career as a Medical Records Specialist at the NIH, supporting biomedical research and public health. Manage vital health information, grow your expertise, and contribute to work that improves lives nationwide.

This vacancy announcement is to fill few positions in the Health Information Management Division (HIMD) in the Clinical Center AND the National Eye Institute (NEI).

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
05/18/2026 to 05/22/2026
Salary
$70,623 - $111,087 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 9 - 11
Location
Few vacancies 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
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
11
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
NIH-SR-DE-26-12958400
Control number
869516600

Duties

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This vacancy announcement is to fill few positions in the Health Information Management Division (HIMD) in the Clinical Center AND the National Eye Institute (NEI).

National Eye Institute (NEI) ideal candidate statement: Experience in ophthalmology and ability to accurately distinguish ophthalmic diagnostic testing records is highly desirable.

Major Duties for Medical Records Specialist:

  • Recommend improvements to documentation templates, policies, and training programs. Implement and support standard operating procedures to ensure accurate and compliant clinical documentation.
  • Serve as a resource for clinical documentation improvement initiatives by developing and delivering education that promotes complete, accurate medical records and supports patient safety.
  • Analyze documentation trends to create data-driven training materials and collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to ensure alignment with regulatory requirements and industry standards.
  • Act as a liaison between health information management and other departments regarding coding practices and data use. Assign diagnostic and procedural codes using ICD, CPT, and HCPCS systems, applying knowledge of anatomy, physiology, and coding guidelines.
  • Review and analyze coding data to identify trends, support reporting needs, and inform operational or resource planning activities.
  • Conduct coding audits to ensure accuracy and compliance, implement corrective actions, and contribute to quality assurance and performance improvement initiatives.
  • Process requests for medical records in accordance with applicable privacy laws and regulations, ensuring proper authorization and legal compliance prior to release of information.
  • Maintain documentation of disclosures and provide guidance to staff on appropriate access and use of health information for patient care and operational needs.
  • Support the maintenance of service or procedure directories to ensure accurate classification, tracking, and reporting of healthcare services.
  • Assist in managing systems used to store, retrieve, and analyze coded clinical data, supporting reporting, operational efficiency, and data-driven decision-making.

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.
  • 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.
  • Based on your appointment, a one or two-year trial/probationary period may be required. A decision regarding your continued employment with NIH will be made as you near the end of this period.
  • If selected, depending on your official duty location, you may be required to complete a pre-employment medical examination, provide evidence of immunization, and be free from communicable diseases.

Qualifications

You qualify at the GS-09 level, if you meet one of the following qualification requirements:

A. You must demonstrate in your resume at least one (1) year of qualifying 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: 1) Maintain health information policy guidelines in accordance with federal and state regulations. 2) Enforce Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliance as it relates to protecting patient privacy and data security. 3) Assign International Classification of Diseases (ICD), Current Procedural Terminology (CPT), and Healthcare Common Procedures Coding System (HCPCS) codes based on strict medical terminology guidelines. 4) Ensure all medical record entries are properly signed, dated, and reflect history and physical progress notes, and discharge summaries. 5) Conduct periodic audits of medical record documentation.


OR

B. Completion of a Master's degree in an accredited or pre-accredited college or university; or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree; or possession of an LL.B. or J.D. degree, if related;

OR

C. A combination of education and specialized experience that meets the qualification requirements for this position.


You qualify at the GS-11 level, if you meet one of the following qualification requirements:

A. You must demonstrate in your resume at least one (1) year of qualifying 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: 1) Review Electronic Health Records (EHR) for accuracy, regulatory compliance, and complete documentation. 2) Assign ICD, CPT, and HCPCS codes based on strict medical terminology guidelines. 3) Analyze trends and track data patterns to generate utilization reports and optimize resource allocation. 4) Provide feedback to staff to improve future medical records documentation. 5) Recommend changes to EHR Software performance, clinical workflows, and internal quality assurance protocols.

OR

B. Completion of 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., if related;

OR

C. A combination of education and specialized experience that meets the qualification requirements for this position.

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 or specialized experience from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.

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 knowing your past accomplishments or experience in your application may be contacted for verification purposes at any time. Verification may, but need not, begin before receiving an offer.

Preview application questionnaire before you apply: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12958400

Education

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

  • This position is designated as a tier 2 "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.
  • A newly appointed or reappointed employee may receive service credit for prior work experience or active-duty uniformed service that otherwise would not be creditable for the purpose of determining his or her annual leave accrual rate. All creditable service must be directly related to the duties of the position being filled and decisions to allow for such credit must be finalized prior to the selectee's entrance on duty. Recipients will be determined on a case-by-case basis based on organizational need, specific case justification, and budget limitations.
  • Newly appointed or reappointed individual may receive a recruitment incentive. Recipients will be determined on a case-by-case basis based on organizational need, specific case justification, and budget limitations.
  • At the supervisor's discretion, this position may offer work schedule flexibilities: telework
  • PHS Commissioned Officers interested in performing the duties of this position within the Commissioned Corps should apply online to this announcement to receive consideration.
  • Visit our Help Applying page for helpful information on the application process.
  • If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: Reasonable Accommodation.
  • 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.
  • If selected, you may be eligible to receive a salary above the minimum based on superior qualifications and/or a special need of the Government for your services. This applies to employees paid under the General Schedule (GS) and Federal Wage System (FWS) pay systems and is at the discretion of the hiring manager. A salary above the minimum must be approved before the appointment.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

How you will be evaluated

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

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents) and your responses to the assessments required for this position.

You will be assessed on the following competencies:

  • Attention to Detail
  • Customer Service
  • Decision Making
  • Flexibility
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Reasoning
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork


Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. 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 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.

How You Will Be Evaluated
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 80 on the assessment and meet all eligibility, physical, medical, suitability, and all other requirements.

National Institutes of Health

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the largest biomedical research funding organization in the world. NIH is made up of 27 Institutes and Centers, each with a specific research agenda, often focusing on particular diseases or body systems. NIH employs approximately 18,000 employees in varied occupations, all supporting research efforts that improve health and save lives. For more information on NIH's mission and goals, and its 27 Institutes and Centers, visit the NIH website.

Virtually explore the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) Bethesda campus, learn about scientific research, and get to know NIH community members who are working to help people live longer, healthier lives: https://www.nih.gov/virtual-tour/.

To learn more about the Health Information Management Division, the Department of Clinical Informatics, or the Clinical Center visit: https://www.cc.nih.gov/dcri/about

To learn more about the National Eye Institute (NEI) visit: https://www.nei.nih.gov/

Agency contact information

NIH HR Service Desk Branch E
Email
ohrcsdbranchesrvdsk@od.nih.gov
Address
National Institutes of Health
6701 Rockledge Drive
Bethesda, MD 20892
US

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