Healthcare Engineer

This Healthcare Engineer position is located in the Engineering Service at the VA Boston Healthcare System. This position is full-time at 40 hours per week.

NOTE: This is an open and continuous job opportunity announcement. Certificates are issued on an unannounced periodic basis based on requests from management. Applications will be evaluated and referred for selection as vacancies occur within the organization. This announcement may close at any time once all positions are filled.

Qualifications:

COVERAGE. The following are requirements for appointment as a Healthcare Engineer in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). These requirements apply to all VHA general engineers employed in the General Schedule (GS) 0801 series. Healthcare Engineers provide overarching professional services focusing on engineering and/or architecture involved in all aspects of the healthcare delivery processes and systems. They ensure the appropriate infrastructure, facilities and equipment are available for the medical mission. Healthcare Engineers are a specialized subset of more broadly defined professional engineering or architect occupations with general or specialty area degrees (e.g., general engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, civil engineering, architecture, architectural engineering, etc.). Healthcare Engineers collaborate with biomedical engineers to provide seamless integration of medical technology into the patient care environment. Healthcare Engineers specify the spatial layouts, infrastructure and environmental requirements to enable medical equipment integration into the healthcare facility. Healthcare Engineers must understand functional relationships in how clinicians, patients and supplies circulate within the treatment space where the medical equipment is located. Using healthcare engineering knowledge, they plan and design custom site preparation requirements for medical equipment, including installation.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS. To qualify for appointment to this position, all applicants must possess the following:

a. Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States (U.S.).

b. 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.

c. English Language Proficiency. Healthcare Engineer candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7403(f).

GRADE DETERMINATIONS. In addition to the basic requirements above, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.

Healthcare Engineer, GS-12

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

(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.

(3) Assignment. Employees at this level serve as Healthcare Engineers at the full performance level. They work independently, under general supervision with wide latitude to exercise independent judgment. Healthcare Engineers demonstrate intimate grasp of high order healthcare engineering and capital subject matter. They serve as institutional resources for healthcare delivery processes and systems, working extensively with clinical stakeholders, acquisition staff, contractors and executive leadership by leading healthcare engineering programs, technology assessments, integration planning and implementation of both current and emerging technologies. Healthcare Engineers support the delivery of healthcare to Veterans by contributing to the education of clinical staff, planners and leadership to ensure safe and efficient healthcare delivery. Healthcare Engineers plan, execute and document highly complex, multi-faceted healthcare facility construction projects and inspections while prioritizing resources against approved scopes of work, contract documents and budgets. They identify problems and develop innovative solutions within the context of applicable rules, regulations and procedures, as it relates to the healthcare environment.

Definitions.

a. Creditable Experience. To be creditable, the experience must have been accomplished after satisfying the basic education requirement as outlined in this appendix, required the use of knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) directly applicable to the assignment and be associated within the scope of the healthcare engineering profession.

b. Quality of Experience. Qualifying experience must be at a level comparable to healthcare engineering experience at the next lower grade level of the position being filled. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity and range of variety as described in this standard at the specified grade level and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time.

c. Part-Time Experience. Part-time experience is creditable according to its relationship to a full-time workweek. For example, an individual employed 20 hours per week, or on a half time basis, would receive one full-time work week of credit for each two weeks of service.

Reference. VA Handbook 5005/150, Part II, Appendix G72, dated March 18, 2022.

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 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. 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 traveling by motor vehicle.

Responsibilities:

The position serves as a Project Engineer at an assigned Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Healthcare System. 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(architectural, electrical, life safety, mechanical, civil, structural, etc.) at an assigned medical center and associated Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs).

The position serves as resident and program engineer consisting of the planning, design, and overseeing of major healthcare system projects; oversees Professional Architecture/Engineering (A/E) and Construction contracts to ensure the contractor is in compliance with all contractual requirements, healthcare regulations and codes, specifications and schedules are met in accordance with the government's requirements for VA owned and leased facilities.

The position provides engineering support to the assigned healthcare system and is responsible for maintaining construction specifications and drawings, maintaining technical reference library of codes, standards, and other regulations which are applicable to the engineering construction industries Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), American National Standards Institute (ANSI), and others. The position serves as a healthcare engineering advisor, engineer consultant, engineer designer, contract administrator, project manager, construction coordinator, and instructor during the design and construction of all projects assigned. The position is responsible for providing healthcare engineering support to all assigned projects. The position is responsible for performing the duties of a Contracting Officer Representative (COR) on professional design and construction projects, training service staff on technical issues and assisting the service staff on the completion of technical and administrative issues regarding infrastructure related operations of the medical facility.

The position maintains Contracting Officer Representative (COR) certification to oversee the administration of Facility Engineering Service's Architect/Engineer and Construction Contracts.

The position supports and advances patient care by applying engineering and managerial skills to healthcare engineering as demonstrated by the following major responsibilities:

• Conducts capital asset and infrastructure planning and design for the medical facility spanning initial strategic planning, concept development, design, construction, and effective implementation of complex buildings, utilities, and medical support systems.
• Manages healthcare engineering project design and administers construction in accordance with VA policies and procedures, VA Design Guides, VA Design Manuals, VA Master Specifications and related industry codes and standards.
• Performs healthcare engineering project construction management and post project activities while ensuring continuity of building and utility services for medical facility operations.
• Assists in the provision of a continuing education program for clinical staff and maintenance personnel addressing the principles and application of building and utility systems in the delivery of health care. This includes a curriculum that addresses the safe and effective use of medical gases, emergency power, ventilation, and other healthcare infrastructure related technology. This requires skill to effectively communicate, both orally and in writing, with a wide variety of individuals, including technical and professional clinical staff, to communicate technical information.
• Assists in development and implementation of the environment of care program that meets current Joint Commission, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), College of American Pathologists (CAP), NFPA, and VA requirements, particularly as it relates to construction safety and infection control.

Work Schedule: To be determined by management
Ad Hoc Telework: Authorized for telework that occurs on an occasional, non-routine basis. Telework that occurs to complete short-term special assignments or to accommodate special circumstances even though the telework arrangement may occur continuously for a limited and specific period of time.
Functional Statement #: 523-F04774
Recruitment Incentive: Authorized for candidates with healthcare experience competencies in electrical/mechanical engineering
Relocation Incentive: Not authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized