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. The area of consideration will be referred in the following order: 1. Current permanent VA Puget Sound Health Care System facility employees 2. Current permanent Agency (Department of Veterans Affairs) employees 3. Current permanent Other Federal Agency employees

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Competent in many aspects of managing Facility Engineering Programs. Responsible for the planning, organizing, directing, evaluating, and management process for Service Line programs. Develops and provides the Executive Leadership Team and the clinical staff information on methods, techniques, and procedures. Manages an active Medical Research program.

Engineering Program Management and Administration

• Responsible for strengthening and enhancing healthcare facility engineering and operations. Key managerial advisor. Fully participating technical advisor in all or almost all significant management planning, policy, and decision-making actions except those of a primarily medical nature. Involved with long and short-range planning, establishing policy, and budgeting, as well as for all service programs.
• Has significant decision-making authority, responsibility, and accountability on issues affecting service. Collaborates with operations and program managers to ensure integrated goals and priorities are met.
• Provides professional and technical guidance, direction and review of assigned programs.
• Oversees human resources management matters.
• Meets regularly with other Engineers from the VISN and VA Leadership. Provides an interface between the facility, the VISN, and VACO. Provides technical advice on a wide range of engineering issues. Mentors newer engineers.
• Routinely participates on VISN and national committees and work groups.
• Participates in discussion of proposed capital projects and makes preliminary designs of major alterations, improvements, and additions to implement programs.
• Creates and supports programs. Responsible for implementing, managing and monitoring a comprehensive Safety Program.
• Identifies risks associated with utility systems. medical equipment and the general physical environment.
• Responsible for providing professional engineering direction.
• Responsible for maintaining effective relations. May be called upon by Headquarters to participate in special studies, pilot operations or activities of Agency or Government-wide significance.
• Responsible for maintaining the precisely controlled research laboratory environment.

Budgeting/Financial Management Work

• Provides advice to management and program personnel on budgetary and finance issues. 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.

Research and Analysis Work

• Researches and/or analyzes problems, issues, or program requirements. Provides expert analysis and advice on complex program issues.
• Plans and/or accomplishes special projects.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Professional Engineering/Architectural Analysis and Advice

• Must meet program performance standards. Develops and maintains performance monitoring, tracking and reporting systems. Responsible for most strategic planning of present and future physical plant matters.

Performs Construction Administration Work

• Responsible for development and implementation of the Medical Center's capital improvement program. Works with medical activities to identify additional space needs and needed renovations.
• 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: Monday-Friday 8am-4:30pm
Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not authorized
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not authorized
Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases
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)
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 #: 000000
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized

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 dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation.
• 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

NOTE: THE 2-PAGE RESUME REQUIREMENT DOES NOT APPLY TO THIS OCCUPATIONAL SERIES. FOR MORE INFORMATION, REFER TO REQUIRED DOCUMENTS BELOW.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

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 spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 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.
• 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.

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).

Grade Determinations:

Supervisory Healthcare Engineer (Deputy), GS-13

Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to meeting the experience requirements for this grade level, the candidate must fully demonstrate the following KSAs:

1. Knowledge of the management of overall healthcare system resources, (i.e., finances, space, equipment, supplies, schedules and staffing).
2. Knowledge of mechanical, electrical, structural, civil and other engineering/architectural principles, practices and their applications as related to healthcare facilities.
3. Skill in using effective communication in managing interpersonal relationships with internal and external customers, stakeholders, executive leadership, labor representatives and managers.
4. Skill in balancing priorities, delegating tasks and meeting multiple competing deadlines.
5. Skill in interpreting broad or general national policies and guidelines and adapting/applying them to specific compliant programs at the local healthcare system.
6. Skill in recognizing and assessing evolving scenarios, utilizing initiative, self-direction and assigned resources to affect resolutions.
7. Ability to analyze complex organizational problems and develop and implement effective solutions that result in efficient operations.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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, GS14, 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). In summary, they apply engineering concepts and methodologies to enhance the delivery of healthcare by providing a technologically advanced, safe and reliable healthcare environment. They coordinate the operational planning, organizing, directing, evaluating and management process for service line programs, which may include setting qualitative and quantitative standards. They may develop and provide the Executive Leadership Team and the clinical staff information on the methods, techniques and procedures necessary to integrate engineering, maintenance, biomedical, capital management and other engineering programs into the mission of the medical center. They assist the Supervisory Healthcare Engineer, GS-14, with oversight of the TJC, Environment of Care Programs for Utility Systems Management, Safety, Life Safety and Medical Equipment Management for both their assigned medical center and all CBOCs.

CONTINUED IN EDUCATION SECTION

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.