Physician - Pain Management Director

Summary

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The VA Fargo Healthcare System is recruiting for (1\) Physician \- Pain Management Director. The Director of Pain Management will oversee daily program needs and operate under the direction of the Associate Chief of Staff (ACOS) for Primary Care (PC), as the position will fall under the Primary Care ICC.

Learn more about this agency

This job is open to

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### The public

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

### Internal to an agency

Current federal employees of the hiring agency that posted the job announcement.

### Clarification from the agency

All qualified candidates encouraged to apply. Open to U.S. Citizens but non\-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens. NOTE: The 2\-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

Duties

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The VA Midwest Health Care Network advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well\-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well\-being.

The Director of Pain Management works closely with leadership across various ICC's, to coordinate pain related services and improve consistency across the system. The director will provide support, guidance, and coordination of all pain services, including those not directly under the Director's purview.

Duties include, but are not limited to:

• Provides leadership for the Level 2 Pain Management Team (PMT), which is mandated by the CARA Act to improve pain care across each VA Healthcare System. This multidisciplinary team must consist of a pain provider, pain psychologist, pain physical therapist and an addiction medicine specialist, at a minimum, evaluating complex Veterans in pain, ensures that comprehensive multimodal pain care is delivered and that Opioid Use Disorder is appropriately managed when present. Leadership is provided for the PMT, including Facility PMOP Coordinator, Pain Pharmacists, and Pain SW as well as future expansion of Level 2 PMT. This oversight includes hiring and onboarding new staff, current clinical operations, staff educational needs, process improvement, and future clinic growth and development.
• Leads an Interdisciplinary Pain Team (IPT) Clinic that combines expertise from various disciplines, with the goal of providing pain care to the most complex veterans utilizing a Biopsychosocial Model.
• Provides oversite for e\-consult clinics for Level 2 PMT to support providers across the facility in providing optimal pain management at Level 1\.
• Leads implementation of educational offerings and group classes for veterans centered on the Biopsychosocial Model for pain management, Pain Neuroscience Education, pain coping skills development, and the Whole Health Circle of Health. The Director will play a pivotal role in the ongoing development and delivery of these and other innovative pain management approaches.
• Actively supports and coordinates education and resources for pain care at Level 1 in Primary Care to improve the overall pain management system of care with an aim to fully implement the Stepped Care Model for Pain Management and appropriate utilization of local and V23 TelePain resources. They facilitate ongoing education for Fargo staff to foster a comprehensive understanding of the biopsychosocial underpinnings of chronic pain and the ability to provide comprehensive pain care. The Director of Pain Management serves as a subject matter expert and is consulted by staff across the system for their expertise related to pain management, veteran education, clinic utilization, patient access, etc.
• Collaborates with pain specialists across various disciplines to improve access to pain care and decrease utilization of less efficacious unimodal pain care both inside and outside the VA HCS.
• Collaborate with local/TelePain Referral Care Initiative (RCI) teams to improve Veteran pain care and ensure implementation of process improvement strategies

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

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 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. Shifts may vary.

Requirements

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### Conditions of employment

• U.S. Citizenship; non\-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959\.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre\-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i\-9\-central/form\-i\-9\-acceptable\-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state\-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre\-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

### 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 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 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), b) OR

\[(2\) Those approved by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA),OR

(3\) Other residencies (non\-US residency training programs followed by a minimum of five years of verified practice in the United States), 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.

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 or fee\-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.

• Proficiency in spoken and written English.

Preferred Experience: 3 or more years of experience as a clinician. 2 or more years of experience in clinical program development and oversight. Experience in the PMOP Triad preferred. Training in the Biopsychosocial Model for Pain Management and/or stepped Care Model for Pain Management preferred.

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

Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre\-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre\-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.

### Education

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 an institution whose accreditation was in place for the year in which the course of study was completed. Approved schools are:

• Schools of medicine accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) for the year in which the degree was granted, or

• Schools of osteopathic medicine approved by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation of the American Osteopathic Association for the year in which the degree was granted.

• For foreign medical graduates not covered in (1\) or (2\) above, facility officials must verify with the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) that the applicant has met requirements for certification, and must obtain a copy of the ECFMG certificate, if claimed by the applicant. \[If the applicant does not claim an ECFMG certificate, facility officials must still confirm that the medical school meets (or met) ECFMG eligibility requirements for the year the candidate graduated.]

NOTE: The Under Secretary of Health or designee in the VHA Central Office may approve the appointment under authority of 38 U.S.C. 7405 of a physician graduate of a school of medicine not covered above if the candidate is to be assigned to a research, academic, or administrative position with no patient care responsibilities. The appointment will be made only in exceptional circumstances where the candidate's credentials clearly demonstrate high professional attainment or expertise in the specialty area.

### Additional information

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health\-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

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.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

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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

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You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Your application, resume, C.V., and/or other supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

NOTE: A formal pay\-setting process will be used to determine your salary. The salary may be at any point in the range listed for this vacancy.

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; religions; 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.

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.

Veterans' Preference Note: Preference eligible candidates and other Veterans will be given preference when qualification of candidates are approximately equal for Title 38 positions in VHA. When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10\-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF\-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit Feds Hire Vets \- Veterans \- Job Seekers \- Veterans' Preference.

Required Documents

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To apply for this position, you must submit a C.V. and/or resume. Other documents may be requested later in the process if needed.

Special Note for Applications: To complete your application, please use the following link https://vacareers.va.gov/wp\-content/uploads/sites/5/Resume.docx to download the standard Clinical Resume Document. This one\-page document does not need to be modified and must be uploaded into the two\-page restricted 'Resume' document upload field.

Your full resume/CV may be uploaded without page limitation into the 'Other' document upload field.

How to Apply

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• To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.

• Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.

To apply for this position online, complete steps 1 and 2 above by 11:59 PM (ET) on 07/08/2026 to receive consideration. Please note, this announcement may close prior to the closing date indicated if the position is filled through other means. If you are unable to apply online before the closing date click here and include the OCA\-CBSY\-12932883\-26\-KA in the Notes field.

During the application process you may have an option to opt\-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career\-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

### Agency contact information

Karol Alonzo

Phone

9098056672

Email

karol.alonzo@va.gov

Address

*Fargo VA Medical Center*

*2101 Elm Street*

*Fargo, ND 58102*

*US*### Next steps

Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. We will review applications to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued, and applicants will be notified of their status by email. Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made.

You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USA Jobs account and clicking on Applications. Information regarding your application status can be found in the USAJobs Help Center.

NOTE: Participation in the seasonal influenza program is a condition of employment and a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). It is a requirement that all HCP to receive annual seasonal influenza vaccination or obtain an exemption for medical or religious reasons. Wearing a face mask is required when an exemption to the influenza vaccination has been granted. HCP in violation of this directive may face disciplinary action up to and including removal from federal service. HCP are individuals who, during the influenza season, work in VHA locations or who come into contact with VA patients or other HCP as part of their duties. VHA locations include, but are not limited to, VA hospitals and associated clinics, community living centers (CLCs), community\-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs), domiciliary units, Vet centers and VA\-leased medical facilities. HCP include all VA licensed and unlicensed, clinical and administrative, remote and onsite, paid and without compensation, full\- and part\-time employees, intermittent employees, fee basis employees, VA contractors, researchers, volunteers and health professions trainees (HPTs) who are expected to perform any or all of their work at these facilities. HPTs may be paid or unpaid and include residents, interns, fellows and students. HCP also includes VHA personnel providing home\-based care to Veterans and drivers and other personnel whose duties put them in contact with patients outside VA medical facilities.

Overview

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Accepting applications

Open \& closing dates

04/09/2026 to 07/08/2026

Salary

$300,000 \- $400,000 per year

Education and length of practice are considered through a formal pay\-setting process to determine the final compensable salary (Base Pay \+ Market Pay)

Pay scale \& grade

VM 15

Location

1 vacancy in the following location:

Fargo, ND

1 vacancy

Remote job

No

Telework eligible

No

Travel Required

Not required

Relocation expenses reimbursed

No

Appointment type

Permanent

Work schedule

Full\-time

Service

Excepted

Promotion potential

None

Job family (Series)

• 0602 Medical Officer

Supervisory status

Yes

Security clearance

Not Required

Drug test

Yes

Position sensitivity and risk

Non\-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

Trust determination process

• Credentialing
• Suitability/Fitness

Financial disclosure

No

Bargaining unit status

No

Announcement number

OCA\-CBSY\-12932883\-26\-KA

Control number

864604900