Posted June 26, 2026
Program Specialist (Research Compliance Officer)
VA Central Texas Health Care System
Temple, TX
Full Time
Reference: VACentralTexasHealthCareSystem874435100
This position is in the Corporate Compliance Section of the Central Texas Veterans Health Care System (CTVHCS) and reports directly to the Corporate Compliance Chief. The Research Compliance Officer (RCO) provides expert leadership, authoritative consultation, and strategic direction for the facility's research compliance program. Develops, implements, evaluates, and maintains a comprehensive program ensuring compliance with VA, VHA, federal, state, and accreditation requirements. IMPORTANT: 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.
Note: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application. Major duties include, but not limited to:
Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30am - 4:00pm or 8:00am - 4:30pm
Telework: Situational (ad hoc) telework, with supervisory approval on an occasional, non-routine basis.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Program Specialist (Research Compliance Officer)/PD013310
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 07/06/2026.
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-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09. 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.
You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:
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: Some work may require movement between offices, hospitals, warehouses, and similar areas for meetings and to conduct work. Work may also require walking/standing, in conjunctions with travel to and attendance at meetings and/or conferences away from the work site. Incumbent may carry and lift light items weighing less than 15 pounds.
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/.
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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.
Note: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application. Major duties include, but not limited to:
- Provides expert leadership and authoritative consultation for the full spectrum of research compliance domains, including human subject protection, animal research, laboratory safety, biosafety, research security, conflict of interest, and research misconduct.
- Develops, implements, and evaluates compliance oversight systems, policies, and procedures supporting accreditation and regulatory expectations (HRPP, AAALAC, AAHRPP, etc.).
- Serves as principal liaison with ORO, IRB, IACUC, Safety, VMU, and the R&D Committee regarding regulatory interpretation, program evaluation, and remediation strategies.
- Monitors and interprets changes in federal research regulations; leads implementation of revised procedures, policies, and required training.
- Provides expert consultation to facility leadership, ACOS/R&D, COS, and the Facility Director on compliance trends, high-risk issues, and program status.
- Conducts complex audits, monitoring, and oversight reviews of human subject research, animal research, biosafety activities, and other research program areas.
- Performs routine and "for-cause" audits; evaluates documentation, informed consent processes, regulatory compliance, safety plans, protocol adherence, and research record integrity.
- Prepares written reports of findings and corrective action recommendations for leadership, committees, and regulatory partners.
- Designs and delivers compliance training for investigators, research staff, committee members, and supervisory personnel.
- Advises investigators on regulatory interpretation, protocol requirements, corrective actions, and procedural expectations.
- Collaborates with ISSO, Privacy Officer, Safety/Radiation Officers, Veterinary Medical Officer, and affiliated university partners on integrated compliance oversight.
- Conducts analytical studies to evaluate program effectiveness, workload, compliance performance, and process efficiency.
- Develop or refine local policies, SOPs, guidance documents, and audit methodologies to improve compliance performance.
Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30am - 4:00pm or 8:00am - 4:30pm
Telework: Situational (ad hoc) telework, with supervisory approval on an occasional, non-routine basis.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Program Specialist (Research Compliance Officer)/PD013310
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 07/06/2026.
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-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09. 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.
You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:
- Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-09 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: conducting research compliance audits in human subjects research, animal research, biosafety, or other federally regulated research oversight programs; interpreting and applying federal research regulations; working with research oversight committees; developing and providing training or educational programs related to regulatory or research compliance; conducting investigations related to research compliance. OR,
- Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or three full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M. if related to the work of this position. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED) OR,
- Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond graduate level. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED)
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: Some work may require movement between offices, hospitals, warehouses, and similar areas for meetings and to conduct work. Work may also require walking/standing, in conjunctions with travel to and attendance at meetings and/or conferences away from the work site. Incumbent may carry and lift light items weighing less than 15 pounds.
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/.
