Supervisory Biologist

Summary

The Research Biologist is a key member of the Laboratories of Research and Development at the James

A. Haley VA Medical Center, reporting directly to the Director of Research Operations for Research Service and Development. This position holds primary responsibility for ensuring compliance with the Research Safety Program at the Tampa VA Medical Center.

To qualify for this position applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement – 07/27/2026. 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‑12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS‑11. 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‑11 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include – but are not limited to:
Experience with biosafety, chemical hygiene, hazardous waste management, and emergency preparedness within a biomedical research environment. Possess expertise in laboratory operations, program management, compliance reporting, and coordination with regulatory bodies. Strong understanding of the scientific process – research protocol development – facility and equipment management – and supervisory principles necessary for leading a diverse laboratory team. Developing and implementing standard operating procedures – conducting risk assessments – presenting training sessions – and ensuring ongoing regulatory compliance across all research activities.

Independently resolving conflicts – interpreting regulations – and coordinating with multiple departments to ensure operational and safety standards are met.

The Individual Occupational Requirement
:
For the 0401 Occupational Series you must have a degree in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines, or a combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major – as shown above – plus appropriate experience or additional education. For more information on these qualification standards please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management’s website at https://(Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)..

• Ensure compliance with safety protocols and federal‑state‑VA research laboratory regulations; oversee laboratory decommissioning, hazardous waste management, access restriction, and physical security; coordinate and conduct laboratory inspections.
• Prepare compliance reports and risk assessments; develop, update, and deliver research safety training.
• Maintain biosafety, chemical hygiene, security, and disaster preparedness plans; serve as Research Safety Officer and Chemical Hygiene Officer.
• Manage chemical inventory, review and implement safety policies/SOPs; participate in safety and radiation committees, emergency drills, and address Environment of Care findings; liaise with Engineering, Occupational Health & Safety, and other entities to implement research safety plans; facilitate laboratory moves and act as regulatory inspection point‑of‑contact; supervise and train staff in basic and animal science laboratories.
• Oversee hiring,…