Summary

The position serves as a Healthcare Engineer (Project Engineer) at the Palo Alto VAMC. This position performs project planning, produces designs, manages designs, manages construction, and provides construction administration for Minor Construction Projects, Non-Recurring Maintenance (NRM) Projects, Station Level Projects, and Leases, including all areas and aspects at an assigned medical center and associated Community Based Outpatient Clinics.

Duties

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• Plans, develops, manages, and oversees Major Construction, Minor Construction, Non-Recurring Maintenance (NRM), Station-Level, and leased facility projects from concept through project completion.
• Serves as Project Manager and Contracting Officer Representative (COR) for architectural, engineering, and construction contracts, ensuring compliance with VA policies, Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), contract specifications, schedules, and performance requirements.
• Develops project scopes, conceptual designs, engineering analyses, technical specifications, cost estimates, budgets, schedules, and construction documents for healthcare infrastructure projects.
• Coordinates multidisciplinary engineering teams, architects, contractors, clinical services, and facility leadership to successfully execute complex healthcare engineering projects while minimizing impacts to patient care.
• Reviews architectural and engineering drawings, specifications, contractor submittals, shop drawings, change orders, and design packages to ensure compliance with VA Design Manuals, healthcare regulations, life safety requirements, and engineering standards.
• Performs construction administration, quality assurance inspections, project monitoring, and contractor oversight to ensure projects are completed safely, on schedule, within budget, and in accordance with contract requirements.
• Conducts engineering studies, facility assessments, site investigations, infrastructure evaluations, and feasibility analyses to support capital planning, facility modernization, and strategic infrastructure improvements.
• Ensures compliance with Joint Commission (TJC), NFPA, OSHA, FDA, VA Design Guides, VA Master Specifications, infection control requirements, environmental regulations, and life safety codes throughout all phases of project execution.
• Provides technical engineering consultation and expert recommendations to executive leadership, clinical staff, maintenance personnel, contractors, and project stakeholders regarding healthcare facility infrastructure, utilities, and engineering systems.
• Leads Integrated Project Teams (IPTs), facilitates project meetings, resolves complex engineering issues, manages project risks, and prepares executive reports, project updates, and technical documentation supporting healthcare engineering operations and strategic facility initiatives.

Work Schedule

Telework: Ad-hoc upon Supervisory approval

Functional Statement #: 10723F

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary, although some physical effort may be required, e.g., walking, standing, climbing ladders, stooping, kneeling, and carrying light items such as manuals or briefcases. The work environment involves everyday risks or discomforts that require normal safety precautions typical of such places as offices, training rooms, and libraries. The work area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. The incumbent must also work outdoors in all types of weather. There may be occasional exposure to moderate risks or discomforts in storage areas or hazardous waste sites.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• 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 identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass Occupational Health evaluation.
• 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

• 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. Healthcare Engineer candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. a7 7403(f).
• Education:
• (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, 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.
• (4) Foreign Education. To be creditable, engineering, architecture or related education completed outside the U.S. must be 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 a Bachelor's degree as outlined outlined in paragraph 3.b. of this appendix.

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).

Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.

GS-7: Experience. None beyond the basic requirements.

GS-9:

1. Experience or Education. Candidates at this level must meet one of the following:(a) One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade; OR;

(b) 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 paragraph 3.b.(1); OR;

(c) Bachelor's degree as outlined in the Basic Requirements above 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.

-AND-

2. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience or education above, the GS-9 candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:(a) Knowledge of the principles, theories, concepts and practices of the engineering profession.(b) Ability to interpret relevant codes, regulations, guidelines and standards to make recommendations to assure compliance with healthcare facility programs.(c) Ability to understand the operational professional engineering needs of clinical services in the healthcare system.(d) 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:

1. Experience or Education. Candidates at this level must meet one of the following:

(a) One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade; OR;

(b) Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in Engineering or a related field of engineering as outlined in paragraph 3.b.(1); OR;

(c) Master of Engineering degree, Master of Architecture degree, Master of Science degree in Engineering or a related field of study as outlined in paragraph 3.b.(1), 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;

(d) Bachelor's degree as outlined in paragraph 3.b.(1) 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.

-AND-

2. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA). In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:(a) Knowledge of either mechanical, electrical, structural, civil or other engineering/architectural principles, practices and their applications in the healthcare environment.(b) Knowledge of basic project management principles as applied to the healthcare setting.(c) Ability to apply healthcare engineering related standards, codes, policies and regulations, inclusive of, state and local codes.(d) Ability to communicate effective orally and in writing with internal and external customers with tact and diplomacy.(e) Ability to develop material for clinical or administrative staff that addresses the principles and application of engineering technology and/or theory used in healthcare.(f) 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:

1. Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade. (NOTE: There is no educational substitution at this grade level)

-AND-

2. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to meeting the experience requirements for this grade level, the candidate must fully demonstrate the following KSAs:(a) Knowledge of mechanical, electrical, structural, civil and other engineering/architectural principles, practices and their applications in the healthcare environment.(b) 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.(c) Knowledge of construction standards, methods, practices and techniques, materials and equipment to determine compliance with engineering regulations and standards.(d) 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.(e) Ability to plan and execute complex, multi-faceted projects and inspections while prioritizing resources against approved scopes of work, contract documents and budgets.(f) 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 https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

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

Education

• The position maintains COR certification to oversee the administration of Facility Engineering Service Architect/Engineer and Construction Contracts.
• The position serves as the Integrated Project Team (IPT) Chairperson, comprised of diverse and multidiscipline professional team members, consisting of internal and external stakeholders, and is a recognized expert in project management.
• The position participates in planning deliberations and contributes significantly to the management decision-making process through teamwork, innovation, coordination, and collaboration with other senior members and stakeholders to ensure objectives are