Clarification from the agency

This position is ONLY open to current and permanent employees of the VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System. This does NOT include temporary, term, or intermittent employees. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

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Major duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Provide guidance and mentorship for professional and technical development.
• Facilitate training of HTM staff to develop knowledge of medical equipment and clinical systems.
• Establish and revise workload distribution to address daily priorities.
• Monitor metrics, analyzes data, and supports performance improvement activities.
• Serve as a subject matter expert on assigned committees, projects, and workgroups.
• Apprise management of performance and conduct of HTM staff.
• Identify opportunities to improve customer service and satisfaction, and addresses customer feedback effectively and in a timely manner.
• Serve as a Contracting Officer's Representative (COR).
• Serve as a Government Purchase Card (GPC) holder, approving official, or alternate approving official.
• Maintain and enhance knowledge in technological advancements through professional development and technical training.
• Manage the lifecycle of medical equipment and clinical systems.
• Troubleshoot medical equipment and clinical systems using a variety of technical data and complete corrective action.
• Perform incoming inspections and planned maintenance on medical equipment and clinical systems.
• Documents all work in the Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS).
• Respond to and remediate hazard alerts, recall notifications, and incidents concerning medical equipment and clinical systems. Document all actions in the appropriate system.
• Monitor system backups, ensure network connectivity, mitigate cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and maintain clinical systems.
• Utilize test equipment in accordance with manufacturer instructions.
• Manage projects involving medical equipment and clinical systems.
• Provide customer support to staff, evaluate issues and needs, respond with solutions, and keep customers abreast of status.
• Educate staff on the safe operation and user-level maintenance of medical equipment and clinical systems.
• Develop documentation to purchase commodities and/or vendor services. Manage, monitor, and evaluate contractor performance and addresses issues or deficiencies.
• Maintain knowledge of and comply with applicable standards, policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Telework: Ad-hoc telework may be available at supervisory discretion.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 613520
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: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• English Language Proficiency:Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).
• Education, Experience, or Certification. To qualify for appointment to this position, all applicants must possess the following:
  • 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.

Grade Determinations:

Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist, GS-12

Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade (GS-11).

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:

• Skill in managing projects involving medical equipment and clinical systems.
• Skill in resolving customer concerns.
• Ability to comply with standards for safe operation of medical equipment and clinical systems including National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the Joint Commission (TJC), and the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI).
• Ability to lead staff in managing daily work assignments and priorities.
• Ability to mentor staff in professional and technical development.
• Ability to analyze data to monitor overall program effectiveness.

Assignment. For all Lead assignments BESS must spend at least 25% or more of their time performing lead duties. In addition to the duties of an FPL BESS, they support the biomedical engineering management team. They work with the supervisor to distribute and prioritize work among employees, monitor progress of work assignments, and revise schedules to meet workload demands. Lead BESSs assist technicians with repairs and resolutions. They analyze data and prepare reports and plan, implement, and provide technical and project oversight for medical equipment and clinical systems. Lead BESSs instruct employees on work- related activities, and monitor compliance to policies, procedures, and goals. They provide information to management concerning performance, assignment changes, and task completion. Lead BESSs facilitate employee training to develop working knowledge of medical equipment and clinical systems. They provide mentorship and guidance to staff. Lead BESSs serve as a SME on assigned committees, projects, and workgroups. They resolve customer service concerns.

Preferred Experience:

• 2-5 Years at Eastern Colorado VA HTM Department.
• Certified Biomedical Equipment Technician (CBET)
• 10 years in the Biomedical Field
• 3-5 Years in house hospital setting healthcare environment

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

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

Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required.
Must possess and maintain a valid state driver's license to provide coverage and/or repair and/or transport biomedical equipment for the Eastern Colorado Health Care System facility and its associated Community Based Outpatient Clinics, CBOCs, up to 25% of the time as needed.

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.