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Summary This Healthcare Engineer position is in the FMS Dept at the VA Maine Healthcare System located at the Togus location. This position is full time at 40 hours per week. THIS OPEN & CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT (OCA) ESTABLISHES A STANDING REGISTER OF ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS, which closes on 5/15/2024. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be 11/22/2023 with subsequent reviews every other week as additional vacancies occur, or on an as-needed basis, until positions are filled. Responsibilities Healthcare Engineers provide overarching professional services focusing on engineering and/or architecture involved in all aspects of the healthcare delivery processes and systems. Duties include, but are not limited to: Serves as resident and program engineer consisting of the planning, design, and overseeing of 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 government's requirements for VA owned and leased facilities. 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. 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. 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. Determines the requirements for healthcare projects in relation to the needs of the Healthcare System, inclusive of the parent site, as well as off-site locations under the auspice of the Healthcare System, whether VA owned or leased. Requires a broad knowledge of all Engineering disciplines, to include Architectural, Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, Structural and Fire Protection. Performs evaluations on medical care programs and services to ensure assigned projects are aligned and support the healthcare organization's needs and requirements for expansion of service and/or efficient flow of operation. Provides information to the Chief of the service regarding various Capital Planning needs for the facility to include information on the status of all assigned ongoing project activities. Coordinates construction activities for a wide range and variety of interrelated systems and services. Performs planning and analysis activities that includes conducting or directly overseeing surveys and site investigations to establish baseline data necessary to initiate design for renovations, alterations, and additions to the existing hospital, patient care facilities, administrative buildings, grounds, utility plants and systems, and historic buildings listed on the national registry. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7am-3:30pm Compressed/Flexible: Not authorized Telework: Authorized Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement# F04774 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Notifications: This position is an AFGE Bargaining Unit position. This position is in the Excepted Service. This position is covered by a special rate. Veterans' preference does not apply for internal or other current permanent Federal agency employees. The incumbent may be required to travel to other VA campuses and CBOC's. Current and former Federal employees must submit copies of their most recent SF-50, (Notice of Personnel Action). The SF-50 must identify the position title, series, grade, step, tenure and type of service (Competitive or Excepted). In some cases, more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held. No award SF50's will be accepted, because they do not contain the sufficient information. Requirements 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. You may be required to serve a probationary period. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. Qualifications Basic Requirements: To qualify for appointment to this position, all applicants must possess the following: Citizenship: Be a citizen of the United States (U.S.). Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a). English Language Proficiency: Healthcare Engineer candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). 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; Transcripts Required OR 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 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 the basic qualification section of this appendix. 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 (3/18/2022) 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 for appointment, the following criteria must be used when determining the appropriate grade assignment of candidates: GS 7: You must meet the following criteria to qualify at the GS 7 level. Experience: None beyond the basic requirements. GS 9: You must meet one of the following criteria to qualify at the GS 9 level. Experience: One full year of experience as a Healthcare Engineer at the next lowest grade level (GS 7). At the entry level, Healthcare Engineers serve in a career development position, performing under close supervision of a supervisor or qualified individual who reviews and ensures the employee meets competency requirements. At the entry level, they perform general healthcare engineering assignments to gain knowledge and experience necessary to support engineering operations, project management and compliance. Developmental assignments include, but are not limited to, assessing healthcare facility programs and making recommendations to assure compliance with relevant regulations, guidelines and standards; applying engineering and code related knowledge to support the operational engineering requirements of the healthcare system; and preparing material on current technical topics and trends for presentation to the supervisor. 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 the basic qualification section. OR (c) Bachelor's degree as outlined in the basic qualification section, 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. In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs; (a) Knowledge of the principles, theories, concepts and practices of the engineering profession. (b) Ability to interpret relevant codes, regulations, guidelines and 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 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. GS 11: You must meet one of the following criteria to qualify at the GS 11 level. Experience: One full year of experience as a Healthcare Engineer at the next lowest grade level (GS 9). At the developmental level 1, Healthcare Engineers receive guidance from more experienced staff members and require frequent and direct supervision. Employees complete technical assignments in the engineering field as assigned by senior Healthcare Engineers and may be required to rotate through, and participate in, the operations of other hospital services. At the GS-9 grade level, employees function in a developmental capacity with oversight by a supervisor for more complex assignments. OR (b) Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in Engineering or a related field of engineering as outlined in the basic qualification section. 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 the basic qualification section, 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 and abilities for GS-11 level assignment; OR (d) Bachelor's degree as outlined in the basic qualification section, 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 and abilities for GS-11 level assignment. 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 and 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 and regulations, inclusive of, state and local codes. (d) Ability to communicate effective orally and in writing with internal and external customers with tact and diplomacy. (e) Ability to develop material for clinical or administrative staff that addresses the principles and application of engineering technology and/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 and utilizing the information to solve healthcare facility engineering challenges. Continuation of qualifications please see the Education Section of this announcement: Education IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html. Continuation of Qualifications: GS 12: You must meet the following criteria to qualify at the GS 12 level. Experience: One full year of experience as a Healthcare Engineer at the next lowest grade level (GS 11). At developmental level 2, Healthcare Engineers function on a semi-independent basis with limited oversight by senior Healthcare Engineers. They conduct audits and inspections of worksites to assure compliance, prepare reports and findings, devise solutions and implement corrective actions with limited oversight. They perform project management related to the healthcare setting with limited oversight. In addition to meeting the experience requirements for the GS 12 grade level, the candidate must fully 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. Preferred Experience: Bachelor's Degree or higher in Engineering or Architecture Fields such as: Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Architecture and Architectural Engineering. References: VA Handbook 5005 Part II Appendix G72 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, and libraries. The work area is adequately lighted, heated, and 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, and carrying light items such as manuals or briefcases, or traveling by motor vehicle. Additional Information Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.