Summary

This position serves as the Deputy (Assistant Chief) in the Engineering Service. This position is responsible for the planning, organizing, directing, evaluating & management process for Service Line programs, which include setting qualitative & quantitative standards. The Assistant Chief must be competent in many aspects of managing VHA Healthcare Facility Engineering Programs including Interdisciplinary Engineering Coordination and Integration.

Duties

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Major duties include:

• Acts in the full authority and capacity of the Chief in his/her absence, and is relied on for authoritative advice on all aspects of engineering matters.
• Involved with long and short-range planning, establishing policy, and budgeting for the Medical Center, as well as for all Engineering Service programs.
• Collaborates with operations and program managers to ensure integrated goals and priorities for Engineering Service are met.
• Responsible for the planning, organizing, directing, evaluating, and management process for the Engineering Service that includes setting qualitative and quantitative standards.
• Develops and provides the Medical Center executive leadership and the clinical staff information on the methods, techniques, and procedures necessary to integrate these programs into the mission of the Medical Center.
• Provides professional and technical guidance and direction and review of assigned programs, including professional engineering work in several disciplines such as; civil engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, structural engineer, environmental engineering, and fire safety and safety engineering.
• Develops Medical Center policies, procedures and resource allocations for assigned programs.
• Oversees human resources management matters for the services, including development and implementation of succession and workforce plans. The
• Manages human resource functions such as performance, training and development, hiring, and firing.
• Ensures internal personnel-related programs are dealt with in a timely and efficient manner; communicates agency and local policies and priorities to all employees within the Service; delegates to each section supervisor the authority and responsibility to carry out assigned tasks; follows progress of each and recommends improvement to be made where warranted; ensures labor/management relations are maintained in accordance with Medical Center policy; and procedures and that other requirements such as effective use of performance standards, EEO policies, and other personnel-related rules and regulations are effectively enforced.
• Creates and supports programs to ensure the healthcare system manages and maintains fire safety equipment, systems, and life safety building features.
• Responsible for implementing, managing and monitoring a comprehensive Safety Program as defined by Department policy and meeting the Safety and Life Safety requirements of both the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Joint Commission most recent edition of the Joint Commission Accreditation Manual for Hospitals (AMH).
• Identifies and manages risks associated with highly sophisticated medical equipment and the general physical environment.
• Manage a comprehensive medical equipment management program which includes management support in developing policy, procedures, and resource allocations.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday; 8am-4:30pm.

Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Authorized for a highly qualified applicant.

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: Not Available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 91318-S

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.
• Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation/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:

• 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 the spoken and written English language in accordance with 38 U.S.C. a7 7403(f).
• Education: 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

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

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.

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).

Grandfathering Provision. All individuals employed in VHA in this occupational series or in another occupational series performing the duties as described in the qualification standard on the effective date of this qualification standard, are considered to have met all the qualification requirements for the grade held including positive education that is part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements of this standard, but met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to the position, the following provisions apply:

1. Employees may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journeyman level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions.
2. Employees in an occupation that requires a licensure/certification/registration only at higher grade levels must meet the licensure/certification/registration requirement before they can be promoted to those higher grade levels.
3. 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.
4. Employees who are converted to title 38 hybrid status under this provision and subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation.
5. Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/registration that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation.

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

Supervisory Healthcare Engineer, GS-13

1) Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade (GS-12).

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:

• Knowledge of data analysis techniques related to managing workload, quality, performance and productivity within the area of responsibility.
• Knowledge related to the management of overall department resources, (i.e., finances space, equipment, supplies, schedules and staffing) at the local level.
• Knowledge of the full range of supervisory duties, which include responsibility for assignment of work, performance evaluations, selection of staff, training and development, recommendation of awards, advancements and disciplinary actions.
• Skill in using effective communication in managing interpersonal relationships, leading and dealing with employees, team leaders, labor representatives and managers.
• Ability to balance multiple responsibilities, set priorities, delegate tasks, meet multiple deadlines, analyze organizational problems and develop and implement effective solutions that result in efficient operations.
• Ability to draft and/or recommend local policies and/or directives related to healthcare engineering management.
• Ability to recognize and assess evolving scenarios, utilizing initiative, self-direction and assigned resources to affect resolutions.

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-13.

Physical Requirements: 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 Chief Engineer 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. 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, or driving or traveling by motor vehicle.

Education

A transcript, either official or unofficial, must be submitted with your application for ALL degrees. A copy of your certificate/degree or screenshot of your current classes are not a replacement of your transcript and they will not be used in the qualifying process.

Your transcript must include the following information:

• Your Name
• Name of the college or university
• Full address of the college or university
• Degree Received
• Date Conferred

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 em