Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to THE PUBLIC. If you are a current permanent VHA employee and Salem VA Medical Center employee, please apply to announcement CBTA-12968595-26-KM NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

Videos

• Manages and maintains medical servers and networks, diagnostic software, virtual platforms, clinical applications software, and other facility information systems and equipment not managed by OIT.
• Manages projects involving medical equipment and clinical systems, to include procurement, installation, and maintenance. Assists with projects involving facility IT equipment and systems not managed by OIT
• Manages hardware components of virtual servers, physical servers, and medical workstations.
• Identifies, troubleshoots, and completes corrective action for issues related to networked medical equipment, clinical systems and other facility information systems and equipment not managed by OIT.
• Reviews, coordinates, and implements available software patches, updates, and system/data backups with staff and manufacturers
• Coordinates, implements, and manages cybersecurity measures and disaster recovery plans.
• Responds to and remediates hazard alerts, recall notifications, and incidents concerning medical equipment and clinical systems. Documents all actions in the appropriate system
• Provides guidance and mentorship to expand professional knowledge and enhance technical skillset
• Maintains and enhances knowledge in technological advancements through professional development and technical training

Work Schedule: 7:45am-4:30pm Monday-Friday
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• 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 identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• 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.

Basic Requirements:

• United States Citizenship: Be a citizen of the United States (U.S.). Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens according to 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a).
• Education, Experience, or Certification: Associates or higher degree in the biomedical technology or biomedical engineering field; OR
• Associates or higher degree in electronics, a field of information technology, or engineering (other than biomedical engineering) AND 1 year of creditable experience; OR
• Completion of the Department of Defense (DOD) biomedical equipment technician training program; OR
• Completion of a DOD training program in repair and maintenance of electronic systems or information technology AND 1 year of creditable experience; OR
• Completion of a biomedical engineering technician or Healthcare Technology Management (HTM) certificate program that included an internship or apprenticeship; OR
• Completion of biomedical engineering technician or HTM certificate program that did not include an internship AND 1 year of creditable experience; OR
• Hold or having ever held certification as a Certified Biomedical Equipment Technician (CBET), Certified Radiology Equipment Specialist (CRES), Certified Laboratory Equipment Specialist (CLES), or Certified Healthcare Technology Manager (CHTM). Continuous maintenance of certification is not required throughout VHA employment

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:

GS12: Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:

(a) Knowledge of Health Level 7 (HL7) and Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) standards.
(b) Knowledge of advanced testing methods to troubleshoot networked medical equipment and clinical system interfaces
(c) Skill in maintaining computer and server based medical equipment, databases, and software.
(d) Skill in managing medical equipment and clinical system projects that interface with an electronic health record or other information systems
(e) Skill in applying cybersecurity standards to medical devices and clinical systems such as Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA), and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) guidelines.
(f) Ability to apply information security tools including virus protection, software updates, and operating system patches.
(g) Ability to establish a medical network including VLAN configuration, Internet Protocol addressing, and network security


Assignment.

For all assignments above the FPL, the higher-level duties must be of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity, and range of variety, as described in this standard at the specific grade level and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. At the advanced level, the BESS, in addition to the duties at the FPL, manage medical servers and networks, diagnostic software, virtual platforms, and clinical applications software. They manage projects for medical equipment and clinical systems that interface with the electronic health record or other information systems. BESSs (Information Systems) manage virtual and physical hardware components including storage, memory, processing, graphical, and network interfaces. They facilitate operating system updates, upgrades, and virus protection. BESSs (Information Systems) perform maintenance for networked systems. They leverage resources and knowledge to minimize the need for unit and intermediate-level service contracts and manufacturer or vendor expenditures for tasks that can be completed in-house. BESSs (Information Systems) identify and troubleshoot issues related to networked medical equipment and clinical systems. They evaluate compatibility and adaptability of biomedical devices for integration to the electronic health record. BESSs (Information Systems) regularly review, coordinate, and implement available software patches, updates, and system or data backups with other BESSs, manufacturers, informatics, and IT staff. They are responsible for compliance with physical security, privacy, and information standards and infrastructure standards. BESSs (Information Systems) ensure compliance of networked clinical systems to all Medical Device Protection Program (MDPP) requirements. They design, implement, and manage appropriate security measures and disaster recovery plans critical to ensure system uptime and prevent loss of patient data from critical medical equipment and clinical systems.

Preferred Experience:
Knowledge in information systems within a Healthcare Technology Management. Knowledge in support of the medical equipment management programs. Ability to Manages and maintain medical servers and networks, diagnostic software, virtual platforms, clinical applications software, and other facility information systems and equipment not managed by OIT. Manages projects involving medical equipment and clinical systems, to include procurement, installation, and maintenance. Assists with projects involving facility IT equipment and systems not managed by OIT. Identifies, troubleshoots, and completes corrective action for issues related to networked medical equipment, clinical systems and other facility information systems and equipment

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

The full performance level of this vacancy is 11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of 12

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements.

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.