Summary

The Healthcare Engineer 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 (architectural, electrical, life safety, mechanical, civil, structural, etc.) at an assigned medical center and associated Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC)'s.

Duties

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Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

Duties to include but not limited to:

• Provides a broad review of all disciplines of Engineering when applied to a healthcare environment to support construction document reviews and preparation.
• Demonstrates knowledge of The Joint Commission (TJC) requirements, NFPA 101 the Life Safety Code and NFPA 99 Healthcare Facilities Code, in addition to VA design requirements is necessary to provide direction to Architectural/Engineering firms on complex healthcare designs to ensure compliance and regulatory requirements are met for the medical facility.
• Develops initial concept documents, creates and maintains project and lease applications in multiple VA database systems, such as the Veterans Support Service Center (VSSC), Strategic Capital Investment Planning Tool, and Capital Assets Inventory.
• Coordinates construction activities for a wide range and variety of interrelated systems and services.
• Develops specifications and plans for alterations, additions to existing buildings, grounds, utility plants and systems, as well as for preparing the site for the installation of highly complex medical equipment ranging from smaller Ultrasound type equipment to larger Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) type equipment.
• Provides direct project support or direction to large maintenance activities which take facility wide coordination and efforts to accomplish.
• Evaluates and performs scheduling and layout of operations, inspection, and surveillance of materials, methods, and equipment used in construction.
• Responsible for training the facility maintenance staff on new equipment or complex utility systems to ensure the staff have the comprehensions, qualifications and understanding of the systems to maintain and operate.
• Provides technical troubleshooting techniques to evaluate and provide in-depth forensic data to why specialized medical systems, utility and/or components of the facility have failed.
• Consults with contractor personnel to resolve difficult and complex, unforeseen problems and latent defect conditions developing during construction.
• Responsible for a working knowledge of Infection Control and the requirements to be followed included in the Risk Assessments, their application in the health care environment, and methods necessary to retain separation of active construction from the healthcare environment.
• Performs scheduling and layout of construction operations, and inspection and surveillance of materials, methods, and equipment used in construction.
• Conducts investigations to obtain factual information pertaining to a variety of issues.
• Explores background information (literature, reports, and discussions with others having specialized knowledge of the issue) including code reference checks (National Fire Protection Act, International Building Code, Americans with Disabilities Act), and multiple other related jurisdictional codes.
• Provides project management for the planning, construction design reviews, construction and equipment installation including, but not limited to: cardiac catheterization laboratories, operating rooms, pharmacy compounding suites, sterile processing facilities, radiology suites, and computer systems.

Work Schedule: 8:00am-4:30pm, Monday-Friday

Compressed/Flexible:Not Authorized

Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized

Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases. When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade).

Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year). Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience.

Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.

Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66.

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)

Telework: Ad-hoc

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 26008F

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.
• 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.
• 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:

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• 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 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.
• English Language Proficiency: Healthcare Engineer candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. a7 7403(f).
• 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 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:

Healthcare Engineer, GS-07

Experience: None beyond the basic requirements.

Healthcare Engineer, GS-09

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

1. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade; OR
2. 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
3. Bachelor's degree as outlined in paragraph 3.b.(1) 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:

1. Knowledge of the principles, theories, concepts and practices of the engineering profession.
2. Ability to interpret relevant codes, regulations, guidelines and standards to make recommendations to assure compliance with healthcare facility programs.
3. Ability to understand the operational professional engineering needs of clinical services in the healthcare system.
4. 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.

Healthcare Engineer, GS-11

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

1. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade; OR
2. Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in Engineering or a related field of engineering as outlined in paragraph 3.b.(1); OR
3. 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
4. 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.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA): In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:

1. Knowledge of either mechanical, electrical, structural, civil or other engineering/architectural principles, practices and their applications in the healthcare environment.
2. Knowledge of basic project management principles as applied to the healthcare setting.
3. Ability to apply healthcare engineering related standards, codes, policies and regulations, inclusive of, state and local codes.
4. Ability to communicate effective orally and in writing with internal and external customers with tact and diplomacy.
5. Ability to develop material for clinical or administrative staff that addresses the principles and application of engineering technology and/or theory used in healthcare.
6. 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.

Healthcare Engineer, GS-12

Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to meeting the experience requirements for this grade level, the candidate must fully demonstrate the following KSAs:

1. Knowledge of mechanical, electrical, structural, civil and other engineering/architectural principles, practices and their applications in the healthcare environment.
2. 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