Clarification from the agency

Open to current permanent Eastern Oklahoma Health Care System employees, Department of Veteran Affairs employees and Other Federal Agencies. Current/past/upcoming VHA Health Professions Trainee (HPT) Graduates may be selected non-competitively. US Public Citizens, please apply on announcement CBSU-12988350-26-OYM. 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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Healthcare Engineers provide overarching professional services focusing on engineering and/or architecture involved in all aspects of the healthcare delivery processes and systems. They ensure the appropriate infrastructure, facilities and equipment are available for the medical mission. Healthcare Engineers are a specialized subset of more broadly defined professional engineering or architect occupations with general or specialty area degrees (e.g., general engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, civil engineering, architecture, architectural engineering, etc.). Healthcare Engineers collaborate with biomedical engineers to provide seamless integration of medical technology into the patient care environment. Healthcare Engineers specify the spatial layouts, infrastructure and environmental requirements to enable medical equipment integration into the healthcare facility.

Major Duties and Responsibilities

• Determines requirements, reconnaissance, location, and prepares designs, specifications and estimates. Applies a broad knowledge of the conventional methods, precedents, and standards. Complex situations occur requiring adaptation or modification of precedents typical of the work environment. Conducts investigations to develop improved design of materials and methods. Explores background information (literature, reports, and discussions with others having specialized knowledge of the issue) and consults with supervisor in evaluating information and selecting approaches to study the issue. Prepares designs characterized by a variety of conditions. Prepares original designs and preliminary and final layouts. Coordinates assignments with other agency engineers and architects responsible for related features. Reviews architect-engineer plans and specifications for adequacy and feasibility.
• Provides professional advice to peers, subordinates or non-professional administrators or managers. Provides professional advisory services to managers and administrators. Advice covers complex situations that require adaptation or modification of precedents typical of the work environment. Conducts investigations to obtain factual information pertaining to the issue. Explores background information (literature, reports, and discussions with others having specialized knowledge of the issue) and consults with supervisor in evaluating information and in presenting the information in an effective manner.
• Provides professional oversight and/or project management for construction or maintenance efforts. Performs scheduling and layout of operations, and inspection and surveillance of materials, methods, and equipment used in construction. Uses originality to develop and modify methods, techniques, and procedures, in discerning new patterns of phenomena, and in correlating and substantiating already developed hypotheses. Develops competitive bidding cost estimates for a variety of projects of multiple-use nature, or projects in different geographic locations thus presenting different physical or cultural considerations. Investigates a variety of problems experienced in construction requiring modification in the original design. Coordinates with the designer and contractor in making design changes. Assures quality control and adequacy of contractor's operations and confers with contractor to obtain corrective action. Reviews contractor's progress charts and conducts field surveys to verify fulfillment of obligations. Administers payments to the contractor.
• Other Duties As Assigned

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Compressed/Flexible:Not available
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: May be available on a situational ad-hoc basis according to agency policy
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 55172-A, 55173-A, 55174-A, 55175-A
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 identification 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

Basic Requirements

Citizenship: Must be a citizen of the United States. Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens.

Education

1. Bachelor's degree or higher in Engineering or Architecture: The curriculum must be from a school with at least one curriculum accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), Engineering Accreditation Commission (excludes engineering technology) or National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) 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: 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 b of this appendix.

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

Grandfathering Provision All individuals employed in VHA in this occupational series or in another occupational series performing the duties as described in the qualification standard on the effective date of this qualification standard, are considered to have met all the qualification requirements for the grade held including positive education that is part of the basic requirements of the occupation.

Grade Determinations
In addition to the basic requirements, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates:

Healthcare Engineer, GS-07

1. Experience: None beyond the basic requirements.

Healthcare Engineer, GS-09

1. Experience or Education: Candidates at this level must meet one of the following:
   1. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade; OR
   2. Master of Engineering degree or Master of Architecture degree or Master of Science degree in Engineering or a related field of study as outlined in paragraph b; OR
   3. Bachelor's degree as outlined in paragraph b, plus two full years of progressively higher-level graduate education in a related field of study, provided the applicant's total background demonstrates the core competencies of a GS-09 level assignment.
2. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
   1. Knowledge of the principles, theories, concepts, and practices of the engineering profession.
   2. Ability to interpret relevant codes, regulations, guidelines, and standards to make recommendations to assure compliance with healthcare facility programs.
   3. Ability to understand the operational professional engineering needs of clinical services in the healthcare system.
   4. Ability to prepare material on current technical topics and trends for presentation to other technical staff and mid-level hospital management, and to keep abreast of changes in engineering technology related to a healthcare facility.

Healthcare Engineer, GS-11

1. Experience or Education: Candidates at this level must meet one of the following:
   1. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade; OR
   2. Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in Engineering or a related field of engineering as outlined in paragraph b; OR
   3. Master of Engineering degree, Master of Architecture degree, Master of Science degree in Engineering or a related field of study as outlined in paragraph b, plus one full year of progressively higher-level graduate education in a related field of study, provided the applicant's total background demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities for a GS-11 level assignment; OR
   4. Bachelor's degree as outlined in paragraph b, plus three full years of progressively higher-level graduate education in a related field of study, provided the applicant's total background demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities for a GS-11 level assignment.
2. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
   1. Knowledge of either mechanical, electrical, structural, civil, or other engineering/architectural principles, practices, and their applications in the healthcare environment.
   2. Knowledge of basic project management principles as applied to the healthcare setting.
   3. Ability to apply healthcare engineering-related standards, codes, policies, and regulations, inclusive of state and local codes.
   4. Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with internal and external customers with tact and diplomacy.
   5. Ability to develop material for clinical or administrative staff that addresses the principles and application of engineering technology and/or theory used in healthcare.
   6. Ability to advise staff on emerging engineering technology related to a healthcare facility, while keeping abreast of changes in such technology and utilizing the information to solve healthcare facility engineering challenges.

Healthcare Engineer, GS-12

1. Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade.
2. 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 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 regulations, requirements, guides, policies, procedures, directives, standards, and general medical program requirements as they relate to healthcare engineering, including, but not limited to, The Joint Commission (TJC), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).
   3. Knowledge of construction standards, methods, practices, 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 GS-12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-7 to GS-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.

Area of Consideration - Eligible applications will be reviewed and referred in the following order:

1. Current permanent VA employees of the facility.
2. All other VA employees
3. Other Federal Agency Employees