Healthcare Engineer

Summary

This position serves as an entry level and career development Healthcare (Project) Engineer at James H. Quillen VA Medical Center. This position will perform general assignments to gain knowledge and experience necessary in project planning, i.e, design production, and assists with construction administration for Minor Construction Projects.

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Duties

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The position is under the direct supervision by a senior Healthcare Engineer, provides engineering support to the assigned medical center and assists with construction specifications, and drawings, technical reference library of codes, standards, and other regulations which are applicable to the engineering construction industries Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), American National Standards Institute (ANSI), and others.

The position serves as an entry level and developmental Healthcare Engineer providing assistance to senior Healthcare Engineers in engineering design, contract administration, project management, and construction coordination during the design and construction of projects. The position with direct oversight by a senior Healthcare Engineer, is responsible, for performing the duties of a Contracting Officer Representative (COR) on minor professional design and construction projects.

This position maintains COR certification to oversee the administration of assigned minor Facility Engineering Service's Architect/Engineer and Construction Contracts. The position supports and advances patient care by applying engineering skills to Healthcare Engineering as demonstrated by the following major responsibilities:

A. Assessing healthcare facility programs and making recommendations to assure compliance with relevant regulations, guidelines, and standards.

B. Applying engineering and code related knowledge to support the operational engineering requirements of the healthcare system.

C. Prepares materials on current technical topics and trends for presentation to supervisor.

This position, under close supervision of supervisor or other senior Healthcare Engineers, assists with determining the requirements for healthcare projects in relation to the needs of the medical center, inclusive of the parent site, as well as off-site locations under the auspice of the medical center, whether VA owned or leased. Project needs are determined for the organization down to the department level based on a broad array of guidelines, standards, regulatory requirements, and mission priorities.

A unique task of a Healthcare Engineer during the construction phase of a project is to minimize the impact to patient care operations, and in many cases, to ensure patients are able to continue to be cared for in a safe and secure manner due to the inability for the medical center to stop seeing patients during the construction phase of a project. The position, in conjunction with senior Healthcare Engineers, assists with determining what temporary means and methods are necessary to be executed to reduce any risk of danger

Work Schedule : Mon-Fri 7:45am-4:30pm

Compressed/Flexible : Not Authorized

Telework : Not Eligible

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement # : 61342F

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives : Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• 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 ( Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification 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).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

Basic Requirements : May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).

To qualify for appointment to this position, all applicants must possess the following:

1. Citizenship - You must be a citizen of the United States
2. English Language Proficiency - You must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d)
3. Education (must meet one of the following):
   1. Bachelor's degree or higher in Engineering or Architecture. To be acceptable, the curriculum must be from a school with at least one curriculum accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Engineering Accreditation Commission (excludes engineering technology) or National Council of Architectural Registration Boards curriculum. Examples of acceptable engineering and architectural degrees include, but are not limited to: Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Architecture and Architectural Engineering. Titles may vary from educational institutions and change over time; OR
   2. Evidence of passing the Fundamentals of Engineering Examination with a bachelor's degree. Evidence can be in the form of an Engineering in Training certificate issued from any State, the District of Columbia, Guam or Puerto Rico, or test results from the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) identifying a passing score; OR
   3. Evidence of current professional registration or licensure as a Professional Engineer or Architect. Evidence of current professional registration or licensure can be from any State, the District of Columbia, Guam or Puerto Rico.

GS-07 Healthcare Engineer (Entry Level Developmental) - No additional requirements beyond the basic requirements.

GS-09 Healthcare Engineer (Developmental) Experience/Education Requirement:

• In addition to meeting the basic requirements, to qualify for the GS-09 you must meet one of the following:
  • You must have at least 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-7) OR
  • Master of Engineering degree or Master of Architecture degree or Master of Science degree in Engineering or a related field of study as outlined in basic requirements; OR
  • Bachelor's degree as outlined in paragraph basic requirements plus two full years of progressively higher-level graduate education in a related field of study, provided the applicant's total background demonstrates the core competencies for GS-09 level assignment.
• Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
  • Knowledge of the principles, theories, concepts and practices of the engineering profession.
  • Ability to interpret relevant codes, regulations, guidelines and standards to make recommendations to assure compliance with healthcare facility programs.
  • Ability to understand the operational professional engineering needs of clinical services in the healthcare system.
  • Ability to prepare material on current technical topics and trends for presentation to other technical staff and mid-level hospital management and to keep abreast of changes in engineering technology related to a healthcare facility.

GS-11 Healthcare Engineer (Developmental) Experience/Education Requirement:

• In addition to meeting the basic requirements, to qualify for the GS-11 you must meet one of the following:
  • You must have at least 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-9) OR
  • Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in Engineering or related field of engineering as outlined in basic requirements OR
  • Master of Engineering degree, Master of Architecture degree, Master of Science degree in Engineering or a related field of study as outlined in basic requirements, plus 1 full year of progressively higher level graduate education in a related field of study, provided the applicant's total background demonstrates the knowledge, skills and abilities for GS-11 level assignment; OR
  • Bachelor's degree as outlined in basic requirements plus 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education in a related field of study, provided the applicant's total background demonstrates the knowledge, skills and abilities for GS-11 level assignment.
• Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
  • Knowledge of either mechanical, electrical, structural, civil or other engineering/architectural principles, practices and their applications in the healthcare environment.
  • Knowledge of basic project management principles as applied to the healthcare setting.
  • Ability to apply healthcare engineering related standards, codes, policies and regulations, inclusive of, state and local codes.
  • Ability to communicate effective orally and in writing with internal and external customers with tact and diplomacy.
  • Ability to develop material for clinical or administrative staff that addresses the principles and application of engineering technology and/or theory used in healthcare.
  • Ability to advise staff on emerging engineering technology related to a healthcare facility, while keeping abreast of changes in such technology and utilizing the information to solve healthcare facility engineering challenges.

GS-12 Healthcare Engineer (Full Performance Level) Experience Requirement:

• In addition to meeting the basic requirements, to qualify for the GS-12 you must possess at least 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-11).
• Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
  • Knowledge of mechanical, electrical, structural, civil and other engineering/architectural principles, practices and their applications in the healthcare environment.
  • Knowledge of healthcare industry standards and related regulatory agency and organization (including, but not limited to The Joint Commission (TJC), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA), etc.) regulations, requirements, guides, policies, procedures, directives, standards and general medical program requirements as they relate to healthcare engineering.
  • Knowledge of construction standards, methods, practices and techniques, materials and equipment to determine compliance with engineering regulations and standards.
  • Skill in researching and analyzing information, conditions, human factors and projections to make sound engineering and business recommendations and decisions to proactively identify problems and develop innovative solutions within the context of applicable rules, regulations and procedures.
  • Ability to plan and execute complex, multi-faceted projects and inspections while prioritizing resources against approved scopes of work, contract documents and budgets.
  • Ability to organize and lead multi-disciplinary task forces with members from different departments and divisions, as well as design and construction firms.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit

Grade Determinations :

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS -12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-07 to GS-12.

Education

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit:

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

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.

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

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.

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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.