Clarification from the agency

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

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Duties

• Plan, design, and oversee major healthcare system projects across the full lifecycle-strategic planning, concept development, design, construction, commissioning, and post-occupancy-ensuring alignment with patient care needs and facility priorities.
• Administer A/E and construction contracts as the Contracting Officer's Representative (COR), monitoring performance, processing submittals/RFIs, verifying deliverables, managing change orders, and enforcing compliance with all contractual terms.
• Ensure compliance with VA policies and standards (e.g., VA Design Guides, VA Design Manuals, VA Master Specifications) and applicable healthcare codes and regulations (e.g., OSHA, NFPA, ANSI), resolving conflicts and documenting variances.
• Maintain continuity of clinical operations during construction by developing and implementing phasing plans, utility shutdown procedures, interim life safety measures (ILSM), and contingency strategies.
• Lead construction management and post-project activities, including site coordination, quality assurance, inspections, commissioning, functional testing, and closeout to deliver safe, fully operational systems.
• Maintain and apply a technical reference library of codes, standards, and guidance (OSHA, NFPA, ANSI, ASHRAE, FGI, Joint Commission, FDA, CAP) to healthcare engineering design and construction decisions.
• Develop and deliver continuing education for clinical and maintenance staff on the safe and effective use of healthcare infrastructure (e.g., medical gases, emergency power, ventilation/pressurization, infection control).
• Support Environment of Care (EOC) and Infection Control Risk Assessment (ICRA) programs, integrating construction safety and infection control requirements into project planning and execution.
• Prepare and review technical documentation, including scopes of work, specifications, cost estimates, schedules, risk registers, commissioning plans, as-builts, O&M manuals, warranties, and turnover packages.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary stakeholders (clinical services, safety/infection prevention, facilities, IT/biomed, logistics, leadership, A/E and contractors) to align technical solutions with operational and regulatory needs.
• Monitor project scope, schedule, budget, and risk, track performance metrics, and implement corrective actions to meet government requirements for VA-owned and leased facilities.
• Maintain COR certification and provide technical guidance and training to service staff on engineering, contract administration, and infrastructure-related operations of the medical facility.
• Conduct field investigations and condition assessments of building systems (medical gases, emergency power, HVAC/ventilation, fire protection, water/steam, life safety) to inform design, compliance, and project decisions.

Note: Duties may be tailored to facility needs and are not all-inclusive.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:00am - 3:30pm
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)Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience.
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)

Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized
Telework: Not Authorized
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
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.
• 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.
• 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

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

Healthcare Engineer 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 - You must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d).

Education (must meet one of the following):

• 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.

NOTE: Direct health care experience is not required to qualify for a GS-801 Healthcare Engineer. Candidates with Engineering experience in a hospital or healthcare system should be able to address the knowledge skills and abilities as it applies to the position. Engineers that may not have worked in a hospital or healthcare system should ensure it is clear in their application how their non-healthcare related knowledge, skill or ability can be applied to the assignment and to the healthcare engineering occupation.

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).

Grandfather Provision: A Healthcare Engineer employed in VHA on the effective date of the qualification standard (3/18/2022) who did not meet all the basic requirements in this standard may not be promoted beyond the full performance level (GS-0801-12) or be newly placed in supervisory or managerial positions until meeting the full qualification requirements.

GS-12 Healthcare Engineer (Full Performance Level) Experience Requirement: In addition to meeting the basic requirements, to qualify for the GS-12 you must possess at least 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-11).Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:

1. Knowledge of mechanical, electrical, structural, civil and other engineering/architectural principles, practices and their applications in the healthcare environment.
2. 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.
3. Knowledge of construction standards, methods, practices and techniques, materials and equipment to determine compliance with engineering regulations and standards.
4. 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.
5. Ability to plan and execute complex, multi-faceted projects and inspections while prioritizing resources against approved scopes of work, contract documents and budgets.
6. Ability to organize and lead multi-disciplinary task forces with members from different departments and divisions, as well as design and construction firms.

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

The full performance level of this vacancy is 12.

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.