Chief Medical Officer

Summary

The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) reports to the Executive Director and serves as a senior advisor to the Executive Director, Chairman, and Commissioners on matters involving medical, clinical, and public health evidence related to consumer product safety. The CMO ensures that the Commission's use of medical and public health evidence reflects objective, methodologically rigorous analysis consistent with the agency's statutory focus on consumer product-related injury risk.

Duties

The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) advises the Executive Director, Chairman, and Commissioners on clinical and injury trends, contributes to policy development and evaluation, and oversees cross-cutting clinical and scientific initiatives across the agency. The CMO's work is conducted consistent with the Commission's accountability to the President and the American people, and is intended to strengthen internally grounded, evidence-based decision-making. The CMO: Serves as a senior clinical and scientific advisor to the Executive Director, Chairman, and Commissioners, providing guidance on policy development, program direction, and long-range strategy related to injury prevention and consumer product safety. Works with the Executive Director and advises the Chairman and Commissioners in the development of agency policy and operating strategies aligned with CPSC and Administration public health and safety goals. Develops and implements agency-wide standards and methodologies governing the evaluation, interpretation, and use of medical and public health evidence in regulatory, compliance, and enforcement contexts. Leads objective evaluation and resolution of clinical, epidemiological, and scientific evidence informing high-impact Commission decisions, including the assessment of competing or controversial scientific perspectives. Evaluates and contextualizes external clinical and public health recommendations, including consensus statements and advisory opinions, to determine their relevance, applicability, and evidentiary weight in Commission decision-making. Integrates clinical and medical evidence with exposure data, product use patterns, and injury surveillance systems to support risk-based regulatory decision-making. Advises on issues of injury causation and risk characterization, including the relationship between product design, foreseeable use, exposure conditions, and observed health outcomes. Identifies emerging areas where clinical or public health claims may outpace available evidence and establishes appropriate evidentiary thresholds for Commission action. Provides scientific assessments and strategic counsel to support agency decision-making and ensure that regulatory and programmatic actions reflect rigorous, evidence-based analysis consistent with CPSC's statutory mission. Exercises executive leadership over cross-cutting clinical and public health initiatives, directing high-priority projects across CPSC offices, including Risk Reduction, Compliance and Field Operations, Import Surveillance, and Communications, and leading interoffice initiatives and projects as directed. Establishes standards and accountability across CPSC offices; identifies internal and external factors affecting agency mission execution. Chairs or participates in CPSC advisory, planning, and steering committees; communicates key scientific and policy considerations; and helps resolve complex or controversial issues.

Qualifications

In addition to the mandatory education requirement, all applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the candidate with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following: GS-15: 1) Experience providing medical, clinical, public health, or scientific expertise to inform regulatory, policy, or public health decisions; 2) evaluating and applying scientific evidence, including clinical, epidemiological, toxicological, or injury-related data; 3) integrating medical and risk information to assess health hazards and injury causation; 4) developing or implementing scientific policies, standards, or methodologies; 5) leading multidisciplinary projects or initiatives; 6) advising leadership on complex scientific or public health issues; and 7) collaborating with internal and external stakeholders on regulatory, scientific, or public health matters. Evidence of the above specialized experience must be supported by detailed documentation of duties performed in positions held. Your resume is the key means we have for evaluating your skills, knowledge, and abilities as they relate to this position. Therefore, we encourage you to be clear and specific when describing your experience. We will not make assumptions regarding your experience or based on job titles alone. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s). 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. 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. 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. Applicants must meet the qualifications for this position by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

Mandatory Education Requirement. All applicants must meet one of the following requirements to qualify: Bachelor's or graduate/higher level degree: 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 from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained. You MUST provide transcripts to support your educational claims. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable during the application process. Official transcripts will be required upon appointment. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of this announcement. All education claimed by applicants will be verified.