Healthcare Engineer

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

Duties to include but not limited to:

• Provides a broad review of all disciplines of Engineering when applied to a healthcare environment to support construction document reviews and preparation.
• Demonstrates knowledge of The Joint Commission (TJC) requirements NFPA 101 the Life Safety Code and NFPA 99 Healthcare Facilities Code in addition to VA design requirements is necessary to provide direction to Architectural/Engineering firms on complex healthcare designs to ensure compliance and regulatory requirements are met for the medical facility.
• Develops initial concept documents creates and maintains project and lease applications in multiple VA database systems such as the Veterans Support Service Center (VSSC) Strategic Capital Investment Planning Tool and Capital Assets Inventory.
• Coordinates construction activities for a wide range and variety of interrelated systems and services.
• Develops specifications and plans for alterations additions to existing buildings grounds utility plants and systems as well as for preparing the site for the installation of highly complex medical equipment ranging from smaller Ultrasound type equipment to larger Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) type equipment.
• Provides direct project support or direction to large maintenance activities which take facility wide coordination and efforts to accomplish.
• Evaluates and performs scheduling and layout of operations inspection and surveillance of materials methods and equipment used in construction.
• Responsible for training the facility maintenance staff on new equipment or complex utility systems to ensure the staff have the comprehensions qualifications and understanding of the systems to maintain and operate.
• Provides technical troubleshooting techniques to evaluate and provide in-depth forensic data to why specialized medical systems utility and/or components of the facility have failed.
• Consults with contractor personnel to resolve difficult and complex unforeseen problems and latent defect conditions developing during construction.
• Responsible for a working knowledge of Infection Control and the requirements to be followed included in the Risk Assessments their application in the health care environment and methods necessary to retain separation of active construction from the healthcare environment.
• Performs scheduling and layout of construction operations and inspection and surveillance of materials methods and equipment used in construction.
• Conducts investigations to obtain factual information pertaining to a variety of issues.
• Explores background information (literature reports and discussions with others having specialized knowledge of the issue) including code reference checks (National Fire Protection Act International Building Code Americans with Disabilities Act) and multiple other related jurisdictional codes.
• Provides project management for the planning construction design reviews construction and equipment installation including but not limited to: cardiac catheterization laboratories operating rooms pharmacy compounding suites sterile processing facilities radiology suites and computer systems.

• 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 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.

• 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.

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.
• Education:
  1. 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;
  2. Evidence of passing the Fundamentals of Engineering Examination 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;
  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.
• English Language Proficiency: Healthcare Engineer candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7403(f).
• 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 Bachelors degree as outlined in paragraph 3.b. of this appendix.

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 3.b.(1); OR
3. Bachelors 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 applicants total background demonstrates the core competencies for GS-09 level assignment.

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.

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 3.b.(1); 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 3.b.(1) plus 1 full year of progressively higher- level graduate education in a related field of study provided the applicants total background demonstrates the knowledge skills and abilities for GS-11 level assignment; OR
4. Bachelors 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 applicants total background demonstrates the knowledge skills and abilities for GS-11 level assignment.

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 effective 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.

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 (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.
3. Knowledge of construction standards methods practices and 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.