Physician - Chief of Research

Phoenix VA Health Care System is recruiting the Physician - Chief of Research for a detail opportunity not-to-exceed 120 days. This position reports to the Chief of Staff. The Acting Physician - Chief of Research provides executive leadership, oversight, and direction for the facility's Research and Development (R&D) program, ensuring compliance with all applicable VA, federal, and regulatory policies.

Mileage, Lodging, and Per Diem may be provided, depending on Selectee's current location.

Qualifications:

To qualify for this position, you must meet the basic requirements as well as any additional requirements (if applicable) listed in the job announcement. Applicants pending the completion of training or license requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. Currently employed physician(s) in VA who met the requirements for appointment under the previous qualification standard at the time of their initial appointment are deemed to have met the basic requirements of the occupation.

Basic Requirements:

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• Degree of doctor of medicine or an equivalent degree resulting from a course of education in allopathic medicine or osteopathic medicine. The degree must have been obtained from one of the schools approved by the Department of Veterans Affairs for the year in which the course of study was completed.
• Current, full and unrestricted license to practice medicine or surgery in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia.
• Residency Training: Physicians must have completed residency training, approved by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in an accredited core specialty training program leading to eligibility for board certification. (NOTE: VA physicians involved in academic training programs may be required to be board certified for faculty status.) Approved residencies are:
  • (1) Those approved by the accrediting bodies for graduate medical education, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) or American Osteopathic Association (AOA), in the list published for the year the residency, or fellowship if applicable, was completed; OR
  • (2) One year of post medical school training (internship, first year of residency, or transitional year residency) approved by ACGME or AOA followed by two years of post-training independent practice (performing under a full and unrestricted license) in the United States; OR
  • (3) Non-US residency training programs followed by a minimum of three years of verified independent practice in the United States (performing under a full and unrestricted license) performing duties related to the position they are applying for (United States fellowships would be creditable towards this requirement), which the local Medical Staff Executive Committee deems to have provided the applicant with appropriate professional training and believes has exposed the Physician to an appropriate range of patient care experiences.
  • Exceptions:
    • Residents currently enrolled in ACGME/AOA accredited residency training programs and who would otherwise meet the basic requirements for appointment are eligible to be appointed as "Physician Resident Providers" (PRPs). PRPs must be fully licensed physicians (i.e., not a training license) and may only be appointed on an intermittent basis. PRPs are not considered independent practitioners and will not be privileged; rather, they are to have a "scope of practice" that allows them to perform certain restricted duties under supervision. Additionally, surgery residents in gap years may also be appointed as PRPs.
    • In rare and unusual circumstances, the Facility Director can submit a memo to the VISN Director through the VISN Chief Medical Officer, who may approve requests for reasonable exceptions to the residency training requirement for Physicians whose composite record of experience, accomplishments, performance, and qualifications warrant such action.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.

Preferred Experience: Experience with in the following: Clinical Leadership, Service Chief of Clinical Department Leader, VA productivity and efficiency measures.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

Responsibilities:

Detail Not-To-Exceed (NTE) 120 Days. Mileage, Lodging, and Per Diem may be provided, depending on Selectee's current location.

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards.

Major duties include, but not limited to:

• Develops, implements, and manages strategic goals and objectives for research at the facility, aligning research activities with VA's mission and facility priorities.
• Supervises all research staff, including principal investigators (PIs), coordinators, and administrative support personnel.
• Oversee the development, submission, review, conduct, and reporting of all facility based human subjects and animal research, ensuring adherence to ethical standards and responsible conduct of research.
• Serves as chair or administrative lead for the Research and Development Committee (R&DC), Institutional Review Board (IRB), and Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), or coordinates with these committees as appropriate.
• Ensures that all research protocols are properly reviewed, approved, and monitored in accordance with VA regulations and federal law.
• Oversee research infrastructure, including laboratories, research clinics, and shared facilities, to support investigators and projects.
• Administers budgets, extramural and intramural funding, and research resources, ensuring compliance with fiscal policies.
• Facilitates investigator development and mentorship, supporting training, recruitment, and retention of talented research staff.
• Acts as the facility liaison with the VA Office of Research and Development (ORD), the affiliated academic medical center(s), and extramural funding agencies.
• Promotes research integrity, compliance, and training research staff in issues such as QI, safety, privacy, human subjects' protection, and data security.
• Provides reports, data, and briefings to facility leadership, VISN, ORD, and external stakeholders regarding the facility's research portfolio, compliance activities, and performance metrics.
• Maintains an active program of scholarly and/or clinical investigation, as appropriate, consistent with leadership responsibilities.
• Other duties as assigned.

Pay: Competitive salary, annual performance bonus, regular salary increases
Paid Time Off: 50-55 days of paid time off per year (26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year and possible 5 day paid absence for CME)
Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA
Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)
Licensure: 1 full and unrestricted license from any US State or territory
CME: Possible $1,000-$2,500 per year reimbursement (must be full-time with board certification)
Malpractice: Free liability protection with tail coverage provided
Contract: No Physician Employment Contract and no significant restriction on moonlighting
Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm

Salary : $1,000 - $2,500