Technical Writer-Editor (Medical Science)

Summary
This position is located in the Research & Development Service, James A. Haley VA Hospital (JAHVA) Tampa, FL. The incumbent provides guidance, technical direction, consistency, and quality control for all research presentations and grant submissions within the Research and Development Service (R&D). JAHVA hosts significant activities in many research program areas to include Rehabilitation, Clinical Science, Biomedical Laboratory, Health Sciences) and the Center for Clinical Trials Research.
This job is open to

• The public
  U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

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Duties
***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION***
Major Duties:

• The technical writer prepares reports developed by others for protocol submission, reports, and publications by making sure the material conveys what is intended to say, is arranged logically, presents facts to support the conclusions drawn, is in accordance with agency policy, and is written clearly and interestingly for the intended audience.
• Combines the writing of auditors, project managers, and other teams into a single coherent work, or prepares abstracts of technical reports.
• Serves as a subject matter expert for all processes by overseeing the requirements for all the research programs when writing grants.
• Prepares training manuals and materials in collaboration with program directors, administrative leadership, and researchers regarding grant writing, publication, poster submissions and items for media events.
• Participates in the development and collection of critical data for high-level projects such as briefings, preparing presentations, and validating the accuracy and validity of presentation or dissemination material content.
• The technical writer monitors the status and quality of workload and adjusts appropriately in accordance with established priorities.
• Ensures timely accomplishment of assigned tasks and ensures each employee is fully occupied by contributing to the project.
• The position is accountable for the overall management of internal and external communications, and the provisions of advice to the directors and researchers on dissemination policies, strategies, and programs to internal and external stakeholders, and government agencies.
• The incumbent will have the ability to review reports, circulars, presentations, products, publications, and protocols before their release to internal and external stakeholders.
• Develops written products that articulate, interpret, and explain highly complex, potentially controversial, and important program policies and findings.
• Create or edit reports, letters, memos, email, and presentation to professional standards. Analyze, interpret, and integrate information in a variety of formats, such as graphs, tables, databases, and spreadsheets.
• Work both collaboratively and independently to develop new and creative web design features as well as updating and maintaining essential information on the program's internal website and VA Pulse presence.
• Performs related duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: 8:00am - 4:00pm Monday - Friday
Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required
Requirements
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
For GS-12:
Possess at least one (1) full year of specialized experience that equipped you with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of a Technical Writer-Editor (Medical Science) at the GS-12 grade level. This experience must have been equivalent to GS-11 grade level in Federal service. Specialized experience that required substantial subject-matter or technical knowledge of the field. This experience must have demonstrated the ability to acquire and present technical information through independent reading, interviews with subject-matter specialists, observation of tests and experiments, interpretation of blueprints or diagrams, or other appropriate methods. Such experience may have been acquired as a writer or editor of technical reports, articles, manuals, or specifications. NOTE: Resume(s) must clearly demonstrate the required experience to be creditable.
This position includes a Selective Placement Factor (skill, knowledge, ability or other worker characteristic basic to - and essential for - satisfactory performance of the job). Selective Placement Factors are a prerequisite to appointment and represent minimum requirements for a position. Applicants who do not meet it are ineligible for further consideration.
The Selective Placement Factor for this position is: possess experience in editing reports developed by others for scientific peer-review publications and research grant application submission. (Application/resume materials must reflect this experience in detail to receive credit for this selective placement factor).
Preferred Experience: Editing reports or other written documents developed by others for scientific peer-reviewed publications and research grant application submissions; Critically reviewing reports or other written documents for clarity and coherence; Communicating information in reports to internal and external audiences. Design experience in graphical display of scientific or technical constructs. Experience writing, and editing speeches, articles, blogs, or other informational products about intellectual property (IP) for public (non-IP-specialist) audiences.
You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position:

• Project Management
• Research
• Written Communication

IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. 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.
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; religious; 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.
Physical Requirements: The work is mainly sedentary. Typically, the employee may sit comfortably to perform portions of the work. Required minor lifting and moving of research-related items as well as standing, bending, or stretching to inspect various research areas and equipment. Work also often requires intense concentration. The "Physical Demands" factor covers the requirements and physical demands placed on the employee by the work assignment. This includes physical characteristics and abilities, e.g., specific agility and dexterity requirements, and the physical exertion involved in the work, e.g., climbing, lifting, pushing, balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling, or reaching. To some extent the frequency or intensity of physical exertion must also be considered, e.g., a job requiring prolonged standing involves more physical exertion than a job requiring intermittent standing.
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
This job does not have an education qualification requirement.
Additional information
Receiving Service Credit for 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. For more information on how to apply using this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator within the office, contact the facility Human Resources Department at (813) 972-2000.
The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation and be found well-qualified (have a final rating of 85 or more before any Veterans preference points) for this vacancy. 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.
Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process.
If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

• Benefits
  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.
  Review our 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.
IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s).
Your responses to the assessment questionnaire will be reviewed along with the information provided in your resume and supporting documentation to determine if you are qualified for the position. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your rating may be lowered and/or you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.
The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.
Candidates who apply under All U.S. Citizens announcements will be rated and ranked using Category Rating procedures. Qualified candidates will be assigned to a quality category. The categories are defined as follows:

• Best qualified - applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are highly proficient in all requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position;
• Highly qualified - applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the requirements of the job;
• Well qualified - applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in some, but not all, of the requirements of the job; and
• Qualified - applicants possessing experience and/or education that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors.

Application of Veterans' Preference: Category rating and selection pr...