Clarification from the agency

Open to ALL US Citizens, including ALL Current Permanent Federal Employees, Current Permanent Department of Veterans Affairs Employees; and Current Permanent West Palm Beach VA Healthcare System (Facility) Employees. Facility Employees will have FIRST consideration, followed by Agency Employees, Federal Employees, and then US Citizens. Veteran's preference is not applicable to this announcement.

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This position is responsible for the planning, organizing, directing, evaluating, and management process for Service Line programs, which include setting qualitative and quantitative standards. This position develops and provides the Executive Leadership Team and the clinical staff information on the methods, techniques, and procedures necessary to integrate the Engineering, Maintenance, Biomedical, Capital Management, and other Engineering programs into the mission of the Medical Center. This position oversees the Joint Commission (TJC) Environment of Care Programs for Utility Systems Management, Safety, Life Safety, and Medical Equipment Management for both this Medical Center and all Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs).

In the absence of the Chief Engineer, the Assistant Chief has the full authority to act on behalf of the Chief Engineer.


Engineering Project Management and Administration

• Responsible for strengthening and enhancing healthcare facility engineering and operations. The Assistant Chief Engineer is a key managerial advisor reporting directly to the Chief Engineer.
• Provides management support and technical expert consultation to the Chief Engineer for all issues relative to the areas listed above. Acquires significant decision-making authority, responsibility, and accountability on issues affecting all of Engineering Service.
• 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.
• Oversees human resources management matters for the services, including development and implementation of succession and workforce plans.
• Supports the Strategic Capital Investment Planning (SCIP) process as part of the Medical Center planning team.

Budgeting/Financial Management Work

• Provides for the budgeting and financial management for Engineering Service including budget formulation, justification, and execution; financial management; and financial reporting.
• Exercises responsibility for budget formulation, presentation, and execution. Maintains awareness of and information about the overall status of financial resources for the office in order to react to changing situations with timely recommendations
• Participates with management in defending the budget before senior level management. Interacts and negotiates on adjustments or reprogramming in support of major program changes or requirements. Reviews for financial impact.

Research and Analysis Work

• Researches and/or analyzes problems, issues, or program requirements related to all areas of the facility and all facets of Engineering Service. Provides expert analysis and advice on complex program issues. ???????
• Assists with the coordination of all requests for additional resources, working closely with others to pull together comprehensive short-range and long-range plans. Performs other related duties as assigned.
• Plans and/or accomplishes special projects. Manages special projects for major office or program issues of broad impact. Conceives and implements new initiatives and projects to strengthen, facilitate, and integrate programs.???????

Professional Engineering/Architectural Analysis and Advice

• Meets regularly with other Engineers from across the country and VA Leadership from the Office of Capital Asset Management and Engineering Support (OCAMES).
• Must meet program performance standards as defined at the national, VISN level, and medical center level. Develops and maintains performance monitoring, tracking and reporting systems.
• Reviews subordinates' activity plans, specifications, and cost estimates for technical adequacy and feasibility. Establishes maintenance standards for new or unusual projects.

Performs Construction Administration Work

• Develop and implement the Medical Center's capital improvement program. Works with medical activities to identify additional space needs and needed renovations. Establishes leases as needed.
• Develops technical data regarding materials, sizes, dimensions, quantities, and costs to be incorporated in formal specifications.
• Prepares correspondence, technical reports, estimates, fact sheets, status reports, and schedules as required to complete project assignments.

Work Schedule: 7:30am-4:00pm, Monday through Friday
Compressed/Flexible:Not authorized
Telework: Available, ad-hoc basis
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 41668F
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

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.
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.

Qualifications

Basic Requirements: To qualify for appointment to this position, all applicants must possess the following:

Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States (U.S.). Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a).

Education-Transcripts Submitted.

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.

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.

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 the education requirements.


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

Supervisory Healthcare Engineer (Deputy), GS-13.

(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:

• Knowledge of the management of overall healthcare system resources, (i.e., finances, space, equipment, supplies, schedules and staffing).
• Knowledge of mechanical, electrical, structural, civil and other engineering/architectural principles, practices and their applications as related to healthcare facilities.
• Skill in using effective communication in managing interpersonal relationships with internal and external customers, stakeholders, executive leadership, labor representatives and managers.
• Skill in balancing priorities, delegating tasks and meeting multiple competing deadlines.
• Skill in interpreting broad or general national policies and guidelines and adapting/applying them to specific compliant programs at the local healthcare system.
• Skill in recognizing and assessing evolving scenarios, utilizing initiative, self-direction and assigned resources to affect resolutions.
• Ability to analyze complex organizational problems and develop and implement effective solutions that result in efficient operations.
• Ability to anticipate, develop and implement strategies in meeting the healthcare system's short term and long-term strategic goals in a highly fluid environment.
• Ability to ensure compliance with healthcare industry standards and regulatory agency and organization (including but not limited to TJC,OSHA, NFPA, etc.), regulations, requirements, guides, policies, procedures, directives and general medical program requirements as they relate to healthcare engineering.
• Ability to interview candidates for positions, recommend appointments, advancements, or when appropriate, disciplinary actions; evaluate performance and identify continuing education and training needs.

Assignment. For all supervisory assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity, difficulty, range of variety and be performed by the incumbent as a major duty at least 25% of the time. The incumbent must supervise staff for at least 25% of the time, administratively and technically at the full performance grade level or below. This Supervisory Healthcare Engineer, GS-13, position is the deputy to the Supervisory Healthcare Engineer, GS- 14, who supervises professional engineers and other support staff. They supervise the engineering service to accomplish the operations of the service. The deputy, as an assistant chief, in this position exercises the full range of supervisory responsibility to include but not limited to development of performance standards and performance evaluations, recommendations for appointment, awards, advancements, and when appropriate, disciplinary actions and identification of continuing training needs. The deputy provides a safe, reliable and precisely controlled operating environment for direct patient care. They are experts in the design, sustainment and improvement of the medical care environment, including all hospital building features, automated building management and environmental control systems, critical utility systems and medical equipment technology. They work under the authority and direction of the Supervisory Healthcare Engineer, GS-14, and may collaborate directly with executive leadership, medical staff, nursing staff and other clinical personnel regarding the design and operation of the environment for medical care. They manage the healthcare system's capital assets program and construction projects. They educate and advise clinical staff on the safe use of critical building features, utility systems and fire prevention systems as they relate to the environment of care. They educate and advise clinical staff on medical equipment technology including selection, operation, safety and security. Deputies/Assistant Chiefs ensure the healthcare system complies with a multitude of VA established or adopted standards, codes, accreditation and regulatory requirements including, but not limited to, those issued by TJC, OSHA and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Assignment Section-Continued in Handbook 5005/150, Part II, Appendix G72 - Healthcare Engineer Qualification Standard.

Preferred Experience: Prefer Engineering degree.

References: VA Handbook 5005/150, Part II, Appendix G72 - Healthcare Engineer Qualification Standard.

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

How you will be evaluated

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

Area of Consideration - Eligible applications will be reviewed and referred in the following order:

1. Current permanent VA employees of the West Palm Beach VA Healthcare System.
2. Current Department of Veteran Affairs agency employees.
3. Other federal employees.
4. All other applicants.

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

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.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.