Summary
This vacancy will remain open until filled. First cut-off date is 8/21/2023. Additional applications will be referred as needed.
Supports/advances patient care by applying engineering & managerial skills to healthcare technology. Directs a medical equipment management program meeting requirements. Supervises Biomedical Engineers & Biomedical Equipment Support Specialists. Instructs physicians, clinicians & others in correct equipment application/operator-level maintenance of medical equipment.
Clarification from the agency
This is an external job announcement. Current permanent VA employees are encouraged to apply under the internal announcement (CAZM-12084027-23-LGJ) to receive consideration based on current employment status. Although hybrid title 38 occupations follow title 5 Veterans' preference rules, 38 U.S.C. ? 7412 waives the requirement to apply Veterans' preference to external applicants applying for this position as identified by VHA until 09/30/2023 as outlined in OCHCO Bulletin dated 09/30/2022.
Duties
Duties include, but are not limited to:
- Responsible for the hospital-wide Biomedical Engineering Program serving all Services throughout the multi-campus VCB VA Healthcare System and outpatient clinics.
- Serving as Chief Biomedical Engineer and is administratively under the Associate Director
- Directly consulting with the Medical and Administrative staff on principles and practices which relate to Biomedical Engineering
- Directing HTM Service in engineering principles and good manufacturing practices
- Providing the Medical Center and its medical and engineering school affiliations with professional level of Biomedical Engineering support
- Directing HTM interactions with the Department of Veteran's Affairs Centralized Biomedical Engineering programs
- May represent the Medical Centers in meetings and conferences
- Providing highly technical and professional services that directly impact the delivery of healthcare affecting large complex services that encompass the Harlingen, south Texas area as well as Medical Centers throughout the VISN.
- Initiating, planning, organizing and implementing new networked medical device programs and projects that affect the department
- Extensively involved in Quality Assurance and Continuous Quality Management
- Facilitating CQI proposals from the staff level to the clinical staff level
- Often required to justify the purchase of highly complex medical systems
- Overseeing development of technical data estimates, statistics and other information used by upper management to determine goals and objectives emphasizing the management of technology and the delivery of health care services
- Providing a wide range of technical input and oversight when analyzing benefits and costs of accomplishing work in-house vs. contracts
- Recommending whether to contract, providing technical requirements and descriptions of work to be accomplished
- Planning and establishing work schedules, deadlines and standards of acceptable work
- Coordinating and integrating contractor work with others
- Tracking quality and performance and arranging required inspections
- Deciding on the acceptability, rejection or correction of work products or services that effect payment of the contractor
- Organizing projects of broad scope and objectives that affect many levels of medical and administrative staff
- Responsible for developing and constantly improving complex medical equipment systems by developing performance specifications, technically administering contracts and establishing installation, maintenance and functional elements. Through constant failure analysis he/she obtains the most efficient and effective system needed.
- Making recommendations in the creation of internal and external program policy issues affecting the overall organization that involve technological factors
- Involved in determining the optimum mix of reduced operating costs and assurance of program effectiveness
- Involved in the introduction of labor- saving devices, automated processes and methods of improvements
- Significantly involved in policy formation and long-range planning regarding prospective changes in function and programs
Work Schedule: Fulltime, Monday thru Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Telework: Not available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000
Recruitment Incentive: Not authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required
Not a Bargaining Unit position
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.
- 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:
- United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
- Education and/or Experience: The individual must meet either item (1) or (2) below to meet this requirement:
- Bachelor's Degree or Higher in Engineering. To be creditable, the curriculum must be from a school of engineering with at least one curriculum accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), as a professional engineering curriculum. Examples of acceptable engineering degrees include: Biomedical Engineering, Clinical Engineering, Bioengineering, Biomechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Biochemical Engineering. Titles may vary from educational institutions and change over time. OR
- Certification as a Certified Clinical Engineer (CCE) and a bachelor's degree not listed above.
- Grandfathering Provision: All persons employed in VHA in this occupation, on the effective date of this qualification standard, are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including positive education, and/or certification/registration that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply:
- Such employees in an occupation that does not require a certification/registration, may be reassigned, promoted, or demoted within the occupation.
- Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis, prior to the effective date of the qualification standard, may not have their temporary appointment extended, or be reappointed on a temporary, or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.
- Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or certification/registration, that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard, must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation.
- If an employee, who was retained in an occupation listed in 38 U.S.C. ? 7401(3) under this provision, leaves that occupation, the employee loses protected status, and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation.
- Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service.
- English Language Proficiency: Biomedical Engineers must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a, this part.
Grade Determinations:
Supervisory Biomedical Engineer (Clinical), GS-13
Experience. Completion of at least one year of experience equivalent to the next lower level, and must fully meet the KSAs at that level.
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
- Knowledge of the management of overall department resources, i.e., finances, space, equipment, supplies, and staffing at the local level.
- Ability to draft and/or recommend local policies and/or directives related to healthcare technology management.
- Ability to balance multiple responsibilities, set priorities, delegate tasks, meet multiple deadlines, analyze organizational problems, and develop and implement effective solutions.
- Ability to analyze organizational and operational problems to develop and implement solutions that result in efficient operations, and use data effectively to manage workload, quality, performance, and productivity within the area of responsibility.
- Skill in interpersonal relationships in leading and dealing with employees, team leaders, and managers, both within and outside the biomedical engineering program, to include conflict management, dispute resolution, mediation, or reasonable accommodations.
Assignment. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty), range of variety, and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. At this level, employees are supervisors and are at the facility level. The supervisory biomedical engineer (clinical) is responsible for the professional and administrative management of a facility biomedical engineering program. Such individuals have responsibility supervising technical staff, including lower level engineers, biomedical engineering technicians, and other staff. The range of supervisory responsibility includes development of performance standards and performance evaluations; recommendations for appointments, awards, advancements, and when appropriate, disciplinary actions; and identification of continuing training needs etc. The supervisory biomedical engineer (clinical) is responsible for financial management of budget resources allocated to support quality assurance and maintenance activities necessary to assure the facility's medical equipment is available for patient care activities. The supervisory biomedical engineer (clinical) is responsible for compliance and reporting of medical device cyber security and isolation for facilities under their management oversight.
Preferred Experience:
- Three to ten years demonstrated ability, experience and subject matter expertise managing a 2 complexity or similar hospital biomedical engineering department, to include development and sustainment of a medical equipment management plan, encompassing technology assessment, strategic planning, acquisition support, implementation, coordination, equipment management, and ongoing maintenance support.
- Demonstrated superior administrative skills, including a thorough understanding of the current HT38 staff requirements for 1601 and 0858 job series, HR processes and procedures (to include MSS/HR Smart, disciplinary actions, EEO procedures, performance appraisals, etc.).
- Subject matter expert knowledge of current The Joint Commission (TJC), National Fire Protection Agency, OSHA, MDPP, MDIA (cyber security compliance) and other applicable industry and VA regulatory requirements.
- Knowledge of the recall and safety alert program for medical devices, including medical device incident investigations to assure compliance with patient safety goals, Safe Medical Device Act, TJC and all other applicable regulatory standards.
- Excellent leadership acumen, demonstrated by exceptional communication skills with all levels of hospital staff, from Executive Leadership and Service Chief levels to frontline personnel.
- Ability to lead many HTM professionals and direct their related skills to enhance the Biomedical Engineering Department.
- Participation, membership and leadership in professional HTM organizations such as: AAMI, ACCE, HIMSS, AMIA, Universities, etc.
References: VA Handbook 5005/104 Part II Appendix G38 Biomedical Engineering Qualification Standard GS-0848 Veterans Health Administration March 25, 2019.
The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13.
Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary. Some work may require movement between offices, hospitals, warehouses, and similar areas for meetings and to conduct work. Work may also require walking/standing, in conjunctions with travel to and attendance at meetings and/or conferences away from the work site. Incumbent may carry and lift light items weighing less than 15 pounds.
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.
Accreditation Information: 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.
NOTE: If your school was accredited by one of the agencies listed above at the time of graduation but is no longer listed on the respective agency's website, you must provide documentation of accreditation with your application packet.
NOTE: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application.
Benefits
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Review our benefits
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
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.
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
- VA Application 10-2850c (Current within 90 days)
- Resume
- Transcript
VA Form 10-2850c Application for Associated Health Occupations can be found at: About VA Form 10-2850C | Veterans Affairs.
Required at time of application.
The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please use this checklist to ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), etc.
- Cover Letter
- DD-214/ Statement of Service
- Diploma/ GED
- Disability Letter (Schedule A)
- Disability Letter (VA)
- License
- OF-306
- Other (1)
- VA Application 10-2850c (Current within 90 days)
- Other (3)
- Other (4)
- Other (5)
- PCS Orders
- Performance Appraisal
- Professional Certification
- Proof of Enrollment
- Proof of Marriage Status
- Resume
- Separation Notice (RIF)
- SF-15
- SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
- Transcript
Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit Feds Hire Vets - Veterans - Job Seekers - Veterans' Preference.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from
schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the full questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 08/08/2024 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12084028.
- To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
- Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.
NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.
To verify your application is complete, log into your USA JOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. To return to an incomplete application, log into your USA JOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USA JOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
For this open continuous job announcement, after 90 days of application submission, your application will expire. If you continue to be interested in this position, please update your application thru your USAJobs.gov account.
Next steps
Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. After we receive application packages (including all required documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we will review applications to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email. Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made.
You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USA Jobs account and clicking on Applications. Information regarding your application status can be found in the USAJobs Help Center.
NOTE: Participation in the seasonal influenza program is a condition of employment and a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). It is a requirement that all HCP to receive annual seasonal influenza vaccination or obtain an exemption for medical or religious reasons. Wearing a face mask is required when an exemption to the influenza vaccination has been granted. HCP in violation of this directive may face disciplinary action up to and including removal from federal service. HCP are individuals who, during the influenza season, work in VHA locations or who come into contact with VA patients or other HCP as part of their duties. VHA locations include, but are not limited to, VA hospitals and associated clinics, community living centers (CLCs), community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs), domiciliary units, Vet centers and VA-leased medical facilities. HCP include all VA licensed and unlicensed, clinical and administrative, remote and onsite, paid and without compensation, full- and part-time employees, intermittent employees, fee basis employees, VA contractors, researchers, volunteers and health professions trainees (HPTs) who are expected to perform any or all of their work at these facilities. HPTs may be paid or unpaid and include residents, interns, fellows and students. HCP also includes VHA personnel providing home-based care to Veterans and drivers and other personnel whose duties put them in contact with patients outside VA medical facilities.
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