Clarification from the agency

Open to current, full time employees of the Dept. of VA and other US Federal Agencies

Biomedical Engineer includes following duties and is not limited to; using basic engineering principals, provide professional, biomedical services for the institution. Provide customer service and interact with management, co-workers, patients and the general public in a cooperative, courteous and respectful manner. Research and biomedical engineering project management assistance. Develop and/or implement training programs on medical equipment for clinical staff and end users, conduct medical equipment management program that meets current regulations outlined by regulatory bodies including but not limited to The Joint Commission, Office of Inspector General, Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the National Fire Protection Association. Investigates, remediates and documents Repairable Medical Device (RMD) recalls and safety alerts issued through the VA Alerts and Recall Management System (ARMS) within established timeframes. Participates in local safety improvement processes such as Root Cause Analysis (RCA), safety work groups, and Environment of Care Rounds. Identifies hazards during routine job performance and takes action to ensure they are addressed and corrected. Manages a recall and safety alert program for medical devices and advises clinical/leadership staff on medical engineering technologies. The incumbent analyzes organizational and operational problems, with recommendations for timely and economic solutions. Member has the ability to make departmental decisions in the absence of the Chief Biomedical Engineer. Biomedical Engineers establish policies/procedures and standards that affect medical equipment and assists with capital asset. Evaluation of functional and operational requirements for medical and engineering systems. Additional duties are performed as assigned by supervisor related to maintenance, remediation, and tracking of medical systems (action items, special projects, etc.) to meet mission critical requirements. May be asked to assist in other administrative duties as well.
Work Schedule: Mon-Fri 7:30a to 4:00p
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required
Functional Statement Title: Biomedical Engineer GS-0858GS07 / Biomedical Engineer GS-0858 GS09 / Biomedical Engineer GS-0858 GS11 / Biomedical Engineer GS-0858 GS12
This is a Bargaining unit position.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Designated and/or random drug testing required
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• You may be required to serve a probationary period
• Subject to a background/security investigation
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
• Incumbent must be a current full-time permanent employee of the Dept. of VA or other US Federal Agency

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/09/2019.

[Reference Complete Qualification Standard: VA Handbook 5005/104 PART II APPENDIX G3, Updated March 25, 2019]

BASIC REQUIREMENTS

Citizenship: Citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter3, section A, paragraph 3g, this part.)

English Language Proficiency: must be proficient in spoken and written English.

Education and/or Experience. The individual must meet either item (1) or (2) below to meet this requirement:

1. Bachelor's Degree or Higher in Engineering. To be creditable, the curriculum must be from a school of engineering with at least one curriculum accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), as a professional engineering curriculum. Examples of acceptable engineering degrees include: Biomedical Engineering, Clinical Engineering, Bioengineering, Biomechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Biochemical Engineering. Titles may vary from educational institutions and change over time.

OR,

2. Certification as a Certified Clinical Engineer (CCE) and a bachelor's degree not listed (1.) above.


Biomedical Engineer GRADE LEVEL REQUIREMENTS

GS-07
Experience. None beyond the basic requirements.

Education. Bachelor's degree as outlined above, or CCE certification with at least a bachelor's degree.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. None beyond the basic requirements.

GS-09
Experience. At least [one] year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower level.

OR,

Education Master's degree in Biomedical Engineering, or a related field of study.

OR,

Bachelor's degree, plus two full years of progressively higher level graduate education in a related field of study, provided the applicant's total background demonstrates the KSAs for the GS-9 level assignment.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
1. Knowledge of the principles, theories, concepts, and practices of the Biomedical Engineering profession.
2. Ability to interpret relevant codes, regulations, guidelines, and standards, and make recommendations to ensure compliance with medical center programs.
3. Ability to understand the operational needs of clinical services in the health care system.
4. Ability to prepare material on current technical topics and trends, for presentation to other technical staff and mid-level hospital management, and the ability to keep abreast of changes in technology.

GS-11
Experience. At least [one] year of experience equivalent to the next lower level, [and must fully meet the KSAs at that level.

OR,

Education Ph.D., or equivalent doctoral degree in Biomedical Engineering, or a related field of engineering,

OR,

Bachelor's degree, plus three full years of progressively higher level graduate education in a related field of study.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
1. Ability to implement and/or sustain an equipment management or biomedical research program that meets The Joint Commission (TJC), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), or other applicable regulatory requirements.
2. Ability to develop material for a continuing education program for clinical or research staff, that address the principles and application of medical technology, and/or biomedical theory used in healthcare.
3. Ability to advise [ ] staff on emerging medical [ ] technology[, or research procedures], while keeping abreast of changes in such technology, and utilizing the information to solve biomedical engineering problems.
4. Knowledge of basic project management principles, as applied to the healthcare setting and medical equipment, and information system implementation.

GS-12
Experience. Completion of at least [one] year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower level; or completion of a post-doctoral research fellowship in the field of biomedical engineering, and must fully meet the KSAs at that level.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. [In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs]
1. Ability to conduct a medical equipment management [or biomedical research program that is compliant with applicable healthcare standards and regulatory agencies.]
2. Ability to develop a curriculum for a continuing education program, that address the safe and effective use of medical technology, and/or research devices.
3. Ability to manage a recall and safety alert program for medical devices, including medical device hazard investigations, to assure compliance with patient safety goals, SMDA, and [TJC] requirements.
4. Ability to conduct capital asset and infrastructure planning for medical equipment spanning initial concept, installation, and effective implementation of complex medical equipment.
5. Ability to function as the subject matter expert in the field of biomedical engineering, directly supporting specialized clinical technology, including service, system administration, training, quality assurance, and life-cycle management.
6. Ability to effectively advise clinical and administrative staff on medical technology, including existing and emerging technology, which addresses viability, long-term suitability, compatibility, and/or safety.
7. Knowledge of concepts related to computer based medical systems, networking protocols, and information security as it applies to medical technology within VHA.
8. Skill in communicating and working collaboratively with key stakeholders, including technical and professional staff at various levels of the organization.
9. Ability to apply project management principles to deployment of medical equipment and health information technologies.

References: (REF., VA Handbook 5005/104 PART II APPENDIX G3 Biomedical Engineering Qual Standard)

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-07 to GS-12.

Physical Requirements: Work is sedentary in nature; however, some light lifting (under 15 pounds), walking and standing may be required (See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service).

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, résumé, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

NOTE: The Professional Standards Board (a peer-review group) will review the selected candidate's education and experience and recommend the grade and salary at which the candidate will be placed. For internal selectees eligible for promotion, the board will recommend grade and HR will determine step in accordance with policy.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.