Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this occupational series. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

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Duties Include but no limited to:

• The Chief Engineer is a key managerial advisor reporting directly to top Medical Center management. Position is a responsible leader and a member of the Medical Center top management team and is relied on for authoritative advice on all aspects of engineering matters. Position is a fully participating technical advisor in all or almost all significant management planning, policy, and decision-making actions of the Medical Center except those of a primarily medical nature. Position is involved with long and short-range planning, establishing policy, and budgeting for the Medical Center, as well as for all Facilities Management Service programs.
• Provides for the budgeting and financial management for Facilities Management Service. This includes budget formulation, justification, and execution; financial management; and financial reporting. Provides advice to management and program personnel on budgetary and finance issues. As top advisor to management, provides budget management for major, unstable programs. 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.
• Researches and/or analyzes problems, issues, or program requirements related to all areas of the facility and all facets of Facilities Management Service.
• 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. Undertakes or participates in special projects, ongoing analyses, investigations, and initiatives that have high priority for high-level management. This may involve producing complex analyses and written reports; organizing special committees, workshops, and other gatherings; initiating program reviews; and developing or fostering cross-agency activities. Identifies and determines training priorities, conducts and administers training programs, and develops and improves training guidance. May conduct classroom or other group-setting instruction.
• Serves as Chief Engineer within a medical center/VISN/VACO hierarchy.
• Responsible for development and implementation of the Medical Center's capital improvement program.
• Managing staff in a multi-site healthcare system (5-8+ sites)
• Managing contractual agreements.
• Managing construction design planning and construction projects.
• Improvement project and cost savings (System Redesign; Lean Six Sigma)
• Managing a multi-million-dollar budget ($250M+)
• Managing facility space plans.
• Developing facility infrastructure plans.
• Managing transportation and fleet management (20+ cars/Vans/DUV)
• Managing multiple people with varied technical skills.
• Developing training plans for team.
• Managing equipment and supplies.
• Managing boiler Plant Operations
• Managing HVAC Systems

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm
Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Will be Authorized for highly qualified applicant
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Will be Authorized for highly qualified applicant
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).
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 Authorized.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 30663F
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Will be Authorized for highly qualified applicant
PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Will be Authorized for highly qualified applicant
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:
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

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

Education:

(1) Bachelor's degree or higher in Engineering or Architecture-Transcripts Supplied. 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-(Submit Documentation). Evidence of current professional registration or licensure can be from any State, the District of Columbia, Guam or Puerto Rico.

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.

Grade Determinations:

Supervisory Healthcare Engineer, GS-14.

Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade GS-13.

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 mechanical, electrical, structural, civil and other engineering/architectural principles, practices and their applications as related to healthcare facilities.
• Knowledge related to the management of overall healthcare system resources, (i.e., finances, space, equipment, supplies, schedules and staffing).
• Skill in using effective communication in managing interpersonal relationships with internal and external customers, stakeholders, executive leadership, labor representatives and managers.
• Skill in balancing multiple responsibilities, setting priorities, delegating tasks and projects, meeting multiple deadlines, analyzing complex organizational problems and developing and implementing effective solutions that result in efficient operations.
• Skill in applying considerable independent judgment to interpret broad or general national policies and guidelines and adapt/apply them to specific compliant programs at the local healthcare system.
• Skill in recognizing and assessing evolving scenarios, utilizing initiative, and self-directing and assigning resources to affect resolutions.
• Skill in complying with national internal and outside regulatory agency and organization (including, but not limited to TJC, OSHA, NFPA, etc.) regulations, requirements, guides, policies, procedures, directives, standards and general medical program requirements as they relate to healthcare engineering.
• 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 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-14 position is the Chief Engineer. Chief Engineers supervise engineering service, including subordinate the Supervisory Healthcare Engineer(s) at the GS-13 level, to ensure compliance with VA, TJC and a variety of other prevailing codes and standards. In addition to Chief Engineers' integral role in providing capability and capacity for the primary medical mission, they ensure the availability of facilities for complex medical research and participate in community partnerships and supports Department of Defense contingency planning. Chief Engineers supervise the engineering staff to accomplish the operations of the service. As Chief Engineers, they exercise 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.(a) Chief Engineers provide for a safe, reliable and precisely controlled operating environment for direct patient care. Chief Engineers serve as 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 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 capital asset programs and construction projects.(b) Chief Engineers 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. They ensure the healthcare system complies with a multitude of accreditation and regulatory requirements including, but not limited to, those issued by TJC, OSHA and EPA.(c) Chief Engineers apply engineering concepts and methodologies to enhance the delivery of healthcare by providing a technologically advanced, safe and reliable healthcare environment. They are responsible for the planning, organizing, directing, evaluating and management process for service line programs, which include setting qualitative and quantitative standards. They develop and provide 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. They oversee the TJC, Environment of Care Programs for Utility Systems Management, Safety, Life Safety and Medical Equipment Management for both the assigned medical center and all CBOCs.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Physical Requirements: 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.

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.