Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist

Summary

Serves as a Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist (BEES) at the full performance level within Healthcare Technology Management (HTM) Service at the Orlando VA Healthcare System (OVAHCS). Works in support of the medical equipment management program Troubleshoots and performs planned maintenance on a range of medical devices and clinical systems.

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Duties

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• Manages the lifecycle of medical equipment and clinical systems.
• Troubleshoots medical equipment and clinical systems.
• Performs incoming inspections and planned maintenance on medical equipment and clinical systems.
• Documents are all work in the Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS).
• Responds to and remediates hazard alerts, recall notifications, and incidents concerning medical equipment and clinical systems. Documents all actions in the appropriate system.
• Monitors system backups, ensures network connectivity, mitigates cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and maintains clinical systems.
• Utilizes test equipment in accordance with manufacturer instructions.
• Manages projects involving medical equipment and clinical systems.
• Provides customer support to staff, evaluates issues and needs, responds with solutions, and keeps customers abreast of status.
• Educates staff on the safe operation and user-level maintenance of medical equipment and clinical systems.
• May serve as a Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) and/or purchase card holder.
• Develop documentation to purchase commodities and/or vendor services. Manages, monitors, and evaluates contractor performance and addresses issues or deficiencies.
• Comply with applicable standards, policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements.
• Provides guidance and mentorship to expand professional knowledge and enhance technical skillsets.
• Maintains and enhances knowledge in technological advancements through professional development and technical training.

Work Schedule : Monday to Friday 7:30am - 4:00pm

Telework : Not Available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement # : 80467F

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives : Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): 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 dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• 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

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.
• English Language Proficiency- Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).
• Education, Experience or Certificatio n-(Documentation Submitted)- Individual must meet at least one of the requirements below.
• Associates or higher degree in the biomedical technology or biomedical engineering field; OR
• Associates or higher degree in electronics, a field of information technology, or engineering (other than biomedical engineering) AND 1 year of creditable experience; OR Foreign Education. To be creditable, education completed outside the United States must have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials, and such education must have been deemed at least equivalent to experience gained in conventional United States programs.
• Completion of the Department of Defense (DOD) biomedical equipment technician training program; OR
• Completion of a DOD training program in repair and maintenance of electronic systems or information technology AND 1 year of creditable experience; OR
• Completion of a biomedical engineering technician or Healthcare Technology Management (HTM) certificate program that included an internship or apprenticeship; OR
• Completion of biomedical engineering technician or HTM certificate program that did not include an internship AND 1 year of creditable experience; OR
• Hold or having ever held certification as a Certified Biomedical Equipment Technician (CBET), Certified Radiology Equipment Specialist (CRES), Certified Laboratory Equipment Specialist (CLES), or Certified Healthcare Technology Manager (CHTM). Continuous maintenance of certification is not required throughout VHA employment.

Grandfathering Provision: 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). For employees who do not meet all the basic or assignment-specific requirements in this standard, but who meet the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed, the following provisions apply:

1. Employees may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level, or be changed to a lower grade within the occupation, but they may not be promoted beyond the journey level or be newly placed in supervisory or managerial positions.
2. Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed on a temporary or permanent basis until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.
3. Employees retained in this occupation under this provision who subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of re- entry to the occupation.

Grade Determinations :

GS-11 Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist

Experience. In addition to the basic requirements, one year of creditable experience equivalent to the GS-09 grade level, that is directly related to the position to be filled.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:

• Knowledge of standards including National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Joint Commission (TJC), and the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) for safe operation of medical equipment and clinical systems.
• Skill in using test and calibration equipment including digital multi- meters, electrical safety analyzers, defibrillator analyzers, patient simulators, manometers, tachometers, and Local Area Network (LAN) analyzers.
• Skill in interpreting a variety of technical data including schematic drawings and wiring diagrams.
• Skill in applying networking principles, such as Access Control List (ACL), Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), and Virtual Local Area Networks (VLAN).
• Ability to perform advanced testing to troubleshoot medical equipment and clinical system interfaces.
• Ability to maintain medical computers and software.
• Ability to manage projects involving medical equipment and clinical systems.

Assignment. Employees in this assignment is responsible for managing multiple assignments, organizing, and independently prioritizing their work with minimal supervision. They serve as Contracting Officer Representative or Contracting Officer Technical Representative to purchase medical equipment, maintenance and repair contracts, and facility projects as needed. BESSs conduct pre- purchase evaluations and address pre-implementation security issues to ensure medical device isolation architecture requirements are met. They provide instruction and guidance to end users on proper use and care of equipment including operator-level maintenance of equipment and accessories. BESSs are responsible for monitoring system backups; data integrity; ensuring network connectivity between systems, servers, databases, and the electronic medical record; and maintain systems security and standards. In the event of a system failure, BESSs reload operating systems and clinical application software and interface with the Office of Information and Technology to keep systems operational. They use schematic drawings, wiring diagrams, and manufacturer service literature as guidelines to accomplish work. BESSs use specialized electronic test equipment or software to analyze, evaluate, diagnose, troubleshoot, calibrate, or repair analog and digital microprocessor controlled, computerized, or networked digital systems. BESSs coordinate and manage vendor services and review work performed to ensure defined specifications are met and documented. They serve as a member of a Root Cause Analysis team as needed. BESSs determine when healthcare technology, instrumentation, or systems are obsolete, hazardous, or no longer cost-effective to maintain. They ensure proper disposal of medical equipment and clinical systems including removal of protected health information and hazardous materials. BESSs document all activities and ensure the data is correctly entered into the Computerized Maintenance Management System. They ensure compliance with all applicable standards, policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements such as National Fire Protection Association, Food and Drug Administration, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Joint Commission , and the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation.

Preferred Experience: Preferred applicants have at least 12 months of experience in life cycle management of medical systems, including imaging, life support, dialysis, and patient monitoring, with both physical and network support. Candidates should also demonstrate fundamental knowledge of Joint Commission (TJC) and NFPA requirements as they relate to Facilities Management and Health Technology Management.

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

Physical Requirements: Must be able to stoop, reach, kneel, crouch, and maintain intense concentration for long periods of time under adverse conditions, such as troubleshooting, repairing and/or calibrating life-saving equipment while it is monitoring and/or supporting the life of a patient. Heavy lifting (over 40 lbs.) can be accomplished by getting assistance when needed. Certain electronic component repairs require adequate eyesight and dexterity.

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

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

Area of Consideration- Eligible applications will be reviewed and referred in the following order:

1. Current permanent VA employees of the facility.
2. All other VA employees.
3. Veterans
4. All other applicants

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.

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.