Clarification from the agency

OPEN TO ALL U.S. CITIZENS - NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position.

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Engineering Program Management and Administration:

Responsible for strengthening and enhancing healthcare facility engineering and operations.

Provides management support and technical expert consultation to the Chief Engineer for all issues relative to the areas listed above.

Facilitates stakeholder understanding of clinic program desires and engineering, technical, facility, and infrastructure requirements and capabilities.

Responsible for the planning, organizing, directing, evaluating, and management process for the Engineering Service that includes setting qualitative and quantitative standards.

Oversees human resources management matters for the services, including the development and implementation of succession and workforce plans and manages human resource functions such as performance, training and development, hiring, and firing.

Delegates to each section supervisor the authority and responsibility to carry out assigned tasks; follows the progress of each and recommends improvement to be made where warranted; ensures labor/management relations are maintained in accordance with Medical Center policy; and procedures and that other requirement such as effective use of performance standards, EEO policies, and other personnel-related rules and regulations are effectively enforced.

Directs subordinate staff to make corrections, makes decisions to contract out corrective actions that cannot be corrected by subordinate staff, and make decisions to replace equipment that can no longer be corrected or maintained.

Budgeting/Financial Management Work:

Provides for the budgeting and financial management for Engineering Service to include budget formulation, justification, and execution; financial management; and financial reporting.

Identifies functional requirements for current and future programs inclusive of life-cycle costs and provides advice to management and program personnel on budgetary and finance issues.

Exercises responsibility for budget formulation, presentation, and execution; Maintains awareness of and information about the overall status of financial resources for the office in order to react to changing situations with timely recommendations.

Professional Engineering/Architectural Analysis and Advice:

Assists the VISN offices and other engineers by providing technical advice and input on a wide range of engineering issues, including the Strategic Capital Investment Plan, Capital Asset Inventory, Capital Asset Resource Survey, Deferred Maintenance, and management of an engineering department, and a myriad of engineering-related topics.

Reviews subordinates' activity plans, specifications, and cost estimates for technical adequacy and feasibility.

Performs other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 7:30am to 4:00pm
Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized
Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases. When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade).
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)
Telework: AD-HOC ONLY
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #:
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 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

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. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED)

OR,

Evidence of passing the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam 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. (SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED)

OR,

Evidence of current professional registration or licensure as a Professional Engineer or Architect from any State, the District of Columbia, Guam or Puerto Rico. (SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED)

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).

In addition to meeting the Basic Requirements listed above, you must meet the following:

Grade Determinations: GS-13 Supervisory Healthcare Engineer (Deputy)

Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade (GS-12). Experience such as: budget formulation, justification, and execution; financial management; and financial reporting; planning, organizing, directing, evaluating, and management process; oversees The Joint Commission (TJC) Environment of Care Programs for Utility Systems Management, Safety, Life Safety, and Medical Equipment Management; long and short-range planning, establishing policy, and budgeting for the Medical Center, as well as for all Engineering Service programs; provides professional and technical guidance and direction and review of assigned programs; manages human resource functions such as performance, training and development, hiring, and firing; provides technical advice on Strategic Capital Investment Plan, Capital Asset Inventory, Capital Asset Resource (CAPRES) Survey, Deferred Maintenance, management of an engineering department; spot checks work orders and preventative maintenance orders in the field to ensure timely and accurate completion etc.

AND,

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

DEMONSTRATED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (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, (i.e., 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 in the section, recommend appointments, advancements, or when appropriate, disciplinary actions; evaluate performance and identify continuing education and training needs.

Assignment: 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.

Preferred Experience: Licensed Architect/Professional Engineer (PE) Preferred. NOTE: You must submit a copy of your current license or registration with your application package.

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-13. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-13.

Physical Requirements: The work environment involves everyday risks or discomforts that require normal safety precautions typical of such places as offices, training rooms, and libraries. The work area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. The Associate Chief Engineer must also work outdoors in all types of weather. There may be occasional exposure to moderate risks or discomforts in storage areas or hazardous waste sites.
The work is primarily sedentary, although some physical effort may be required, e.g., walking, standing, climbing ladders, stooping, kneeling, and carrying light items such as manuals or briefcases, or driving or traveling by motor vehicle.

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 applicants will be reviewed and referred in the following order:

1. Current permanent Jesse Brown VA Medical Center and its outreach facilities to include CBOCs and VCS Employees.

2. Agency Employee

3. Other Federal Employees

4. All other applicants