Clarification from the agency

All US Citizens NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position.

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• Determines requirements, conducts reconnaissance, identifies locations, 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, permits, regulations, 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 adapting or modifying precedents typical of the work environment.
• Conducts investigations to obtain factual information about the issue.
• Explores background information (literature, reports, permits, regulations, and discussions with others with specialized knowledge of the issue) and consults with the supervisor to evaluate and effectively present the information.
• 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, discern new patterns of phenomena, and correlate and substantiate 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 construction problems requiring modifications to 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.
• Provides guidance, development, and coordination for the planning, design, and oversight of maintenance projects.
  Develops competitive bidding cost estimates for a variety of maintenance projects of multiple-use nature, or projects in different geographic locations, thus presenting different physical or cultural considerations.
  Investigates a variety of problems relating to performance of maintenance requiring modification in the original maintenance design.
• Coordinates with the designer and contractor in making design changes. Assures quality control and adequacy of the contractor's operations and confers with the contractor to obtain corrective action.
• Reviews contractor's progress charts and conducts field surveys to verify fulfillment of obligations.

Work Schedule: M-F 8:00am-4:30pm
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: May Be Available on an ad-hoc basis as determined by the agency policy
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 60821A; 60822A; 60823A; 60824A
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.
• Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation/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

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 & written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).
• Education:
  • (1) Bachelor's degree or higher in Engineering or Architecture. To be acceptable, the curriculum must be from a school with at least one 3 curriculum accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering & Technology, Engineering Accreditation Commission (excludes engineering technology) or National Council of Architectural Registration Boards curriculum. Examples of acceptable engineering & architectural degrees include, but are not limited to: Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Architecture & Architectural Engineering. Titles may vary from educational institutions & 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 & 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.

Grade Determinations:

GS-07 Healthcare Engineer.

(1) Experience. None beyond the basic requirements.

GS-09 Healthcare Engineer.

(1) Experience or Education. Candidates at this level must meet one of the following:

(a) One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade;

OR

(b) 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 3.b.(1);

OR

(c) Bachelor's degree as outlined in paragraph 3.b.(1) 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 for GS-09 level assignment.

(2) Knowledge, Skills & Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:

(a) Knowledge of the principles, theories, concepts & practices of the engineering profession.
(b) Ability to interpret relevant codes, regulations, guidelines & standards to make recommendations to assure compliance with healthcare facility programs.
(c) Ability to understand the operational professional engineering needs of clinical services in the healthcare system.
(d) Ability to prepare material on current technical topics & trends for presentation to other technical staff & mid-level hospital management & to keep abreast of changes in engineering technology related to a healthcare facility.

GS-11 Healthcare Engineer.

(1) Experience or Education. Candidates at this level must meet one of the following:

(a) One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade;

OR

(b) Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in Engineering or a related field of engineering as outlined in paragraph 3.b.(1);

OR

(c) Master of Engineering degree, Master of Architecture degree, Master of Science degree in Engineering or a related field of study as outlined in paragraph 3.b.(1), plus 1 full year of progressively higher- level graduate education in a related field of study, provided the applicant's total background demonstrates the knowledge, skills & abilities for GS-11 level assignment;

OR

(d) Bachelor's degree as outlined in paragraph 3.b.(1) plus 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education in a related field of study, provided the applicant's total background demonstrates the knowledge, skills & abilities for GS-11 level assignment.

(2) Knowledge, Skills & Abilities (KSA). In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:

(a) Knowledge of either mechanical, electrical, structural, civil or other engineering/architectural principles, practices & their applications in the healthcare environment.
(b) Knowledge of basic project management principles as applied to the healthcare setting.
(c) Ability to apply healthcare engineering related standards, codes, policies & regulations, inclusive of, state & local codes.
(d) Ability to communicate effective orally & in writing with internal & external customers with tact & diplomacy.
(e) Ability to develop material for clinical or administrative staff that addresses the principles & application of engineering technology &/or theory used in healthcare.
(f) Ability to advise staff on emerging engineering technology related to a healthcare facility, while keeping abreast of changes in such technology & utilizing the information to solve healthcare facility engineering challenges.

GS-12 Healthcare Engineer.

(1) Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade.

(2) Knowledge, Skills & Abilities (KSAs). In addition to meeting the experience requirements for this grade level, the candidate must fully demonstrate the following KSAs:

(a) Knowledge of mechanical, electrical, structural, civil & other engineering/architectural principles, practices & their applications in the healthcare environment.
(b) Knowledge of healthcare industry standards & related regulatory agency & organization (including, but not limited to The Joint Commission (TJC), Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA), etc.) regulations, requirements, guides, policies, procedures, directives, standards & general medical program requirements as they relate to healthcare engineering.
(c) Knowledge of construction standards, methods, practices & techniques, materials & equipment to determine compliance with engineering regulations & standards.
(d) Skill in researching & analyzing information, conditions, human factors & projections to make sound engineering & business recommendations & decisions to proactively identify problems & develop innovative solutions within the context of applicable rules, regulations & procedures.
(e) Ability to plan & execute complex, multi-faceted projects & inspections while prioritizing resources against approved scopes of work, contract documents & budgets.
(f) Ability to organize & lead multi-disciplinary task forces with members from different departments & divisions, as well as design & construction firms.

Preferred Experience: Experience reviewing & interpreting Federal, State, & local laws & ordinances to determine applicability & environmental compliance requirements, communicating technical information to a nontechnical audience, & writing & presenting data while articulating concepts in a clear & logical manner.

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

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: The work environment involves everyday risks or discomforts that require normal safety precautions typical of
such places as offices, training rooms, & libraries. The work area is adequately lighted, heated, & ventilated. The incumbent 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, & 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.