Biomedical Engineer

Summary

The National Eye Institute seeks a biomedical engineer to support its clinical electrophysiology and psychophysics service. You will design, improve research procedures, software, data analysis, and instrumentation; collaborate with clinical/scientific teams; and ensure patient safety while supporting research on vision-related diseases. The ideal candidate will have experience working with patients with vision-related disorders. Knowledge in clinical electrophysiology/psychophysics is desired.

Duties

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At the GS-11, duties are as follows:

• Design and construct instrumentation systems used in clinical and basic research.
• Developing and testing different computer applications related to biotechnology.
• Evaluate experimental needs to determine optimum approaches to instrumentation.
• Evaluate the products and systems offered by manufacturers for performance, reliability, cost-effectiveness, serviceability, availability, and recommend purchase of the most suitable items.
• Tests systems, Train users on the operation of the system, and write operator instructions or manuals.
• Write articles for publication in technical journals.

At the GS-12, duties are as follows:

• Plan, design and construct instrumentation systems used in clinical and basic research.
• Develop state-of-the-art instrumentation systems and techniques for research.
• Evaluate experimental needs to determine optimum approaches to instrumentation.
• Evaluate the products and systems offered by manufacturers, and recommend purchase of the most suitable items.
• Write articles for publication in technical journals.
• Test systems, write operator instructions and manuals, and train operators in the use of systems.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• U.S. Citizenship requirement or proof of being a U.S. National must be met by closing date.
• Employment is subject to the successful completion of a background investigation, verification of qualifications, completion of onboarding forms, submission of required documents, and any other job-related requirement before or after appointment.
• Applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
• Males born after December 31, 1959 must be registered with the Selective Service.
• The NIH maintains a tobacco free work environment and campus.
• Must be able to perform the essential duties of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Based on your appointment, a one or two-year trial/probationary period may be required. A decision regarding your continued employment with NIH will be made as you near the end of this period.
• Position requires Education

Qualifications

To qualify for a Biomedical Engineering, GS-0858 position, you must have:

A. a bachelor's degree in professional engineering from a school of engineering with at least one curriculum accredited by the Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology (ABET) as a professional engineering curriculum; OR

B. a bachelor's degree in professional engineering that includes differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced that first-year physics and chemistry) in 5 of the following 7 areas of engineering science or physics: (1) statics, dynamics; (2) strength of materials (stress-strain relationships); (3) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (4) thermodynamics; (5) electrical fields and circuits; (6) nature and properties of materials (relating particle and aggregate structure to properties); and (7) any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics; OR

C. a completed registration as a professional engineer by any State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico; OR

D. a completed registration as an Engineering Intern (EI) or an Engineer in Training (EIT); OR

E. passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) examination or any other written test required for professional registration by an engineering licensure board in the various States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico; OR

F. completed at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences and in engineering that included the courses specified in the basic requirements. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of a professional engineering curriculum as described above; OR

G. completed a curriculum that led to a bachelor's degree in engineering technology OR in an appropriate professional field, e.g., physics, chemistry, architecture, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, or geology AND I have at least 1 year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance.

In addition, to qualify for a Biomedical Engineer GS-11 level position, you must have:

A. 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree that is directly related to the duties of this position, OR I have completed the requirements for such a degree in an appropriate field of engineering; OR

B. 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-9 level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector, performing the following types of tasks: 1.) Evaluating products and systems for performance, reliability, cost-effectiveness, and serviceability. 2.) Instructing researchers in the use of medical and computer equipment. 3.) Formulating specifications for developing instrumentation systems or devices for research or clinical use. AND 4.) Writing operating instructions for maintaining biotechnology instruments or systems; OR

C. a combination of post graduate education and experience that is directly related to the duties of this position that meets 100% of the qualification requirements for this position.

In addition, to qualify for a Biomedical Engineer GS-12 level position, you must have:

1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector, performing the following types of tasks: 1.) Evaluating commercial products to determine performance, reliability, cost-effectiveness, and serviceability for laboratory use. 2.) Providing technical direction to a team designing biomedical instruments or systems. 3.) Formulating plans for developing instrumentation systems or devices for laboratory use. AND 4.) Writing reports to articulate experiment findings.

You will receive credit for all experience material to the position, including experience gained in religious, civic, welfare, service, and organizational activities, regardless of whether you received pay. Do not copy and paste the duties or specialized experience from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.

We may verify or assess your qualifications at any time. Inflated or unsupported qualifications may affect your rating. Any misrepresentation or material omission of facts may be sufficient cause to end further consideration of your candidacy. Persons listed as knowing your past accomplishments or experience in your application may be contacted for verification purposes at any time. Verification may, but need not, begin before receiving an offer.

Preview application questionnaire before you apply:

Education

This position has an education requirement. You are strongly encouraged to submit a copy of your transcripts (or a list of your courses including titles, credit hours completed and grades). Unofficial transcripts will be accepted in the application package. Official transcripts will be required from all selectees prior to receiving an official offer. Click here for information on Foreign Education.

If you qualify based on education in lieu of specialized experience, you are strongly encouraged to submit a copy of your transcripts or a list of your courses including titles, credit hours completed and grades. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted in the application packages. Official transcripts will be required from all selectees prior to receiving an official offer. Click here for information on Foreign Education.

Additional information

• This position is designated as a "non-emergency/teleworker" position and the selected candidate will be considered a "non-emergency/teleworker" employee. In the event of a closure, you must be available to telework or request leave.
• At the supervisor's discretion, this position may offer work schedule flexibilities: telework compressed schedules, flexible schedules.
• PHS Commissioned Officers interested in performing the duties of this position within the Commissioned Corps should apply online to this announcement to receive consideration.
• Visit our Help Applying page for helpful information on the application process.
• Military Spouses selected from this announcement will remain in their current duty location (i.e., the official duty station of the military service member.
• If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: Reasonable Accommodation.
• We may make additional selections for similar positions within the commuting area(s) of the locations listed through this vacancy announcement. By applying, you agree to have your application shared with any interested selecting official(s). Clearance of CTAP/ICTAP will be applied for similar positions.
• If selected, you may be eligible to receive a salary above the minimum based on superior qualifications and/or a special need of the Government for your services. This applies to employees paid under the General Schedule (GS) and Federal Wage System (FWS) pay systems and is at the discretion of the hiring manager. A salary above the minimum must be approved before the appointment.
• A newly appointed or reappointed employee may receive service credit for prior work experience or active-duty uniformed service that otherwise would not be creditable for the purpose of determining his or her annual leave accrual rate. All creditable service must be directly related to the duties of the position being filled and decisions to allow for such credit must be finalized prior to the selectee's entrance on duty. Recipients will be determined on a case-by-case basis based on organizational need, specific case justification, and budget limitations.

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.

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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.