Healthcare Engineer

The position provides engineering support to the Northport VAMC and is responsible for maintaining construction specifications and drawings maintaining technical reference library of codes standards and other regulations which are applicable to the engineering construction industries Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and others.

The position serves as a healthcare engineering advisor engineer consultant engineer designer contract administrator project manager construction coordinator and instructor during the design and construction of all projects assigned.

The position is responsible for performing the duties of a Contracting Officer Representative (COR) on professional design and construction projects training service staff on technical issues and assisting the service staff on the completion of technical and administrative issues regarding infrastructure related operations of the medical facility.

The position serves as the Integrated Project Team (IPT) Chairperson comprised of diverse and multi-discipline professional team members consisting of internal and external stakeholders and is a recognized expert in project management.

The position participates in planning deliberations and contributes significantly to the management decision-making process through teamwork innovation coordination and collaboration with other senior members and stakeholders to ensure objectives are met toward meeting the healthcare systems overall strategic plan goals. Major duties include but are not limited to:

• Work in electrical design across low medium and high voltage systems specifically within healthcare facilities and commercial buildings
• Make recommendations relating to energy conservation for feasibility and cost effectiveness and supports the facilities energy goals.
• Implement sound stewardship practices that are protective of the air water land and other natural and cultural resources in accordance with the goals of the VA GEMS program plans designs and oversees major healthcare system projects.
• Conducts capital asset and infrastructure planning and design for the medical facility spanning initial strategic planning concept development design construction and effective implementation of complex buildings utilities and medical support systems.
• Manages healthcare engineering project design and administers construction in accordance with VA policies and procedures VA Design Guides VA Design Manuals VA Master Specifications and related industry codes and standards.
• Performs healthcare engineering project construction management and post project activities while ensuring continuity of building and utility services for medical facility operations.
• Assists in the provision of a continuing education program for clinical staff and maintenance personnel addressing the principles and application of building and utility systems in the delivery of health care. This includes a curriculum that addresses the safe and effective use of medical gases emergency power ventilation and other healthcare infrastructure related technology. This requires skill to effectively communicate both orally and in writing with a wide variety of individuals including technical and professional clinical staff to communicate technical information.
• Assists in development and implementation of the environment of care program that meets current Joint Commission Food and Drug Administration (FDA) College of American Pathologists (CAP) NFPA and VA requirements particularly as it relates to construction safety and infection control.

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 ( Effective May 7 2025 drivers licenses or state-issued dentification 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.

• 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.

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:

• Citizenship: Be a citizen of the United States (U.S.). Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• Education: Successfully completed a bachelors 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; OR;
• Evidence of passing the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam with a bachelors 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;
• 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.

• Experience: Candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Healthcare Engineering field. Qualifying GS-11 grade level experience includes but is not limited to: experience in electrical design across low medium and high voltage systems specifically within healthcare facilities and commercial buildings makes recommendations relating to energy conservation for feasibility and cost effectiveness and supports the facilities energy goals. Some of these methods may be new to the site or the geographic area of consideration and may require substantial research and analysis implement sound stewardship practices that are protective of the air water land and other natural and cultural resources in accordance with the goals of the VA GEMS program plans designs and oversees major healthcare system projects; oversees Professional Architecture/Engineering (A/E) and Construction contracts to ensure the contractor is in compliance with all contractual requirements healthcare regulations and codes specifications and schedules are met in accordance with the governments requirements for VA owned and leased facilities. Provides a broad review of all disciplines of Engineering when applied to a healthcare environment to support construction document reviews and preparation. Work requires a broad knowledge of all Engineering disciplines to include Architectural Civil Mechanical Electrical Structural and Fire Protection. AND;
• Demonstrated Knowledge Skills and Abilities. In addition to the experience above the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
  • (a) Knowledge of mechanical electrical structural civil and other engineering/architectural principles practices and their applications in the healthcare environment.
  • (b) Knowledge of healthcare industry standards and related regulatory agency and organization (including but not limited to The Joint Commission (TJC) Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) etc.) regulations requirements guides policies procedures directives standards and general medical program requirements as they relate to healthcare engineering.
  • (c) Knowledge of construction standards methods practices and techniques materials and equipment to determine compliance with engineering regulations and standards.
  • (d) 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.
  • (e) Ability to plan and execute complex multi-faceted projects and inspections while prioritizing resources against approved scopes of work contract documents and budgets.
  • (f) Ability to organize and lead multi-disciplinary task forces with members from different departments and divisions as well as design and construction firms.