Department of Defense

Senior Human Subjects Protection Scientist

Fort Detrick, Maryland Full time

Senior Human Subjects Protection Scientist

Department: Department of Defense

Location(s): Fort Detrick, Maryland

Salary Range: $169279 - $197200 Per Year

Job Summary: About the Position: MRDC is now part of the Defense Health Agency (DHA) Research & Development (R&D). We are the medical materiel developer, with responsibility for medical research,development and acquisition. Our expertise in these critical areas helps establish and maintain the capabilities the military needs to remain ready and lethal on the battlefield. Please visit our website https://mrdc.health.mil/ This is a Direct Hire Solicitation

Major Duties:

  • Serves as a senior subject matter expert on human subjects protection for the Defense Health Agency (DHA) Research and Development directorate.
  • Acts as a designated Human Research Protection Official (HRPO), conducting reviews and providing oversight for research involving human subjects.
  • Supervises staff and their work in the Office of Human Research Oversight.
  • Ensures reviews completed by staff are compliant with applicable regulations and ethical principles.
  • Leads the human research protection program, providing authoritative advice on regulatory compliance for both intramurally and extramurally conducted human subjects research and cadaver use activities.
  • Formulates and implements unique solutions to complex challenges in the field of human research protection.
  • Composes detailed correspondence and other official materials to explain and interpret federal and Department of Defense (DoD) policies.
  • Develops operating procedures and guidelines to standardize processes for staff, Principal Investigators, and other stakeholders.
  • Ensures research funded by the DoD/DHA receives required HRPO review and approval in an efficient manner.
  • Fosters regulatory compliance through tailored education for researchers and other customers on human subjects protection requirements.

Qualifications: Who May Apply: US Citizens DHA Research & Development (R&D) is participating in an alternative personnel system known as the Personnel Demonstration Project (PDP). The DB-04 payband is equivalent to the GS-15 step 1 to GS-15 step 10 level. In keeping with the Demonstration pay fixing policies, employees earning a salary that falls within this payband equivalent, may not receive an immediate pay increase (promotion) if appointed to this position. Future pay increases within the payband will be accomplished through the pay for performance management system. In order to qualify, you must meet the education and experience requirements 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; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document. Basic Requirement for Senior Human Subjects Protection Scientist: Degree: Bachelor's or graduate (or higher level) degree with major study in an academic field related to the medical field, health sciences, or allied sciences appropriate to the work of the position. This degree must be from an educational program accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S.Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained. You MUST submit copies of your transcripts supporting your education. In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below: Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes: 1. Experience applying and/or implementing regulations and ethical principles for the protection of human subjects in research. 2. Experience in providing oversight or review of human subjects research by conducting audits, site inspections, assessments, and/or investigations to ensure regulatory compliance. 3. Experience developing solutions for complex problems related to human subjects protection policies and procedures. 4. Experience interpreting and communicating complex policies, procedures, and guidelines related to human research protection to diverse audiences. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (DB-03 / GS-14).

How to Apply: To apply for this position, you must complete the online questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 05/04/2026to receive consideration. To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application (https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12945221). Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. As a reminder, your resume must be two pages or less and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. For additional information, refer to the 'Required Documents' section. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process. You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application. Your resume selected in USAJOBS will be included, but you must re-select other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application may be incomplete. It is your responsibility to verify that your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan. Additional information on how to complete the online application process and submit your online application may be found on the USA Staffing Applicant Resource Center. To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://www.usajobs.gov/applicant/profile/dashboard/), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status.

Application Deadline: 2026-05-04