Biomedical Engineer

Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted from current permanent Department of Veterans Affairs employees only. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

Major Duties Include but are not limited to:

• Assists with the Medical Equipment Management Program that meets current Joint Commission, NFPA, and relevant VHA requirements.
• Assists with a recall and safety alert program for medical devices, including medical device hazard investigations, to ensure compliance with patient safety goals, Safe Medical Device Act, and Joint Commission requirements.
• Advises clinical and administrative staff on medical equipment technology including existing and emerging technology which addresses viability, long-term suitability, compatibility, and/or safety.
• Analyzes organizational and operational problems and recommends timely and economical solutions spanning initial concept, installation, and effective implementation of complex patient care/medical equipment and systems.
• Applies a working knowledge of the capabilities, limitations, operations, design features, and use of a variety of test equipment and measurement instruments such as digital meters, oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, waveform generators, electrical safety analyzers, MAS meters, and radiation output meters. Incumbent must have knowledge and experience in electronic troubleshooting techniques and use of common hand tools and soldering equipment. This knowledge is related to, and in some instances equivalent to, a full professional engineering knowledge which enables the incumbent to analyze how and why a specific device or system functions while referencing manuals and training guides, if needed.
• Reads, interprets, and applies technical data such as schematic drawings, wiring diagrams, tables, charts, and formulas to effect repairs.
• Effectively communicates, both orally and in writing. This skill enables the incumbent to work with VA and vendor personnel to effectively document maintenance activities as well as writing effective, clear, and concise technical and user instructions, policy memoranda, reports, project documentation, and position papers.
• Applies some knowledge of basic networking skills including modification of Access Control Lists, Virtual Local Area Network and IP principles.
• Applies some knowledge of project management to manage multiple concurrent projects effectively and efficiently. Demonstrates excellent communication skills for interactions with multi-disciplinary staff and high-level management.
• Assist Chief Biomedical Engineer with identifying developmental training needs of employees.
• Serves as a technical resource to all Biomedical Engineering staff and provides advice or instruction to section members in the repair and maintenance of all types of complex patient care/medical equipment and electronic systems, computer and office equipment, electrical safety, biomedical theory, and administrative matters. Provides various levels of technical assistance to all Biomedical Engineering staff as determined by their position.
• Assists Biomedical Equipment Support Specialists (BESS) with maintenance and repair and serves in a back-up capacity when necessary. Supports the design, maintenance, and programming of all networked medical equipment and systems. Development and expansion of these highly technical networked medical equipment and systems involves interdisciplinary coordination and planning.
• Assists the Chief Biomedical Engineer with pre-purchase assessments for patient care equipment and systems in compliance with VHA Direction 6550.
• Performs other related duties as assigned by the Chief Biomedical Engineer or designee.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:3-am-4pm
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the 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.
• 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.
• 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

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.
• English Language Proficiency: Biomedical Engineers must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a, this part.
• Education and/or Experience: The individual must meet either item (1) or (2) below to meet this requirement:

(1) 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,
(2) Certification as a Certified Clinical Engineer (CCE) and a bachelor's degree not listed in item 3.b.(1) above.

May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).

Grade Determinations: In addition to the Basic Requirements, applicants must meet the following Grade Requirements for the GS-7 to GS-12 grade level:

GS-7 (Entry Level)
Experience- None beyond the basic requirements.
Education- Bachelor's degree as outlined in paragraph, above, or CCE certification with at least a bachelor's degree.
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities-None beyond the basic requirements.

GS-9 (Developmental (Level 1)
Experience-At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower level.
~OR~
Education- Master's degree in Biomedical Engineering, or a related field of study. ~OR~Bachelor's degree, plus two full years of progressively higher level graduate education in a related field of study, that demonstrates the KSAs for the GS-9 level assignment.
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities-In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:

• Knowledge of the principles, theories, concepts, and practices of the Biomedical Engineering profession.
• Ability to interpret relevant codes, regulations, guidelines, and standards, and make recommendations to ensure compliance with medical center programs.
• Ability to understand the operational needs of clinical services in the healthcare system.
• Ability to prepare material on current technical topics and trends, for presentation to other technical staff and mid-level hospital management, and the ability to keep abreast of changes in technology.

GS-11 (Developmental (Level 2)
Experience-At least one year of experience equivalent to the next lower level, and must fully meet the KSAs at that level.
~OR~
Education- Ph.D., or equivalent doctoral degree in Biomedical Engineering, or a related field of engineering.
~OR~
Bachelor's degree, plus three full years of progressively higher level graduate education in a related field of study, a related field of engineering.
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities- In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:

• Ability to implement and/or sustain an equipment management or biomedical research program that meets The Joint Commission (TJC), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), or other applicable regulatory requirements.]
• Ability to develop material for a continuing education program for clinical or research staff, that address the principles and application of medical technology, and/or biomedical theory used in healthcare.
• Ability to advise [ ] staff on emerging medical [ ] technology[, or research procedures], while keeping abreast of changes in such technology, and utilizing the information to solve biomedical engineering problems.
• Knowledge of basic project management principles, as applied to the healthcare setting and medical equipment, and information system implementation.

GS-12 (Full Performance Level)
Experience-Completion of at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower level; or completion of a post-doctoral research fellowship in the field of biomedical engineering, 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:

• Ability to conduct a medical equipment management or biomedical research program that is compliant with applicable healthcare standards and regulatory agencies..
• Ability to develop a curriculum for a continuing education program, that address the safe and effective use of medical technology, and/or research devices.
• Ability to manage a recall and safety alert program for medical devices, including medical device hazard investigations, to assure compliance with patient safety goals, SMDA, and [TJC] requirements.
• Ability to conduct capital asset and infrastructure planning for medical equipment spanning initial concept, installation, and effective implementation of complex medical equipment.
• Ability to function as the subject matter expert in the field of biomedical engineering, directly supporting specialized clinical technology, including service, system administration, training, quality assurance, and life-cycle management.
• Ability to effectively advise clinical and administrative staff on medical technology, including existing and emerging technology, which addresses viability, long-term suitability, compatibility, and/or safety.
• Knowledge of concepts related to computer based medical systems, networking protocols, and information security as it applies to medical technology within VHA.
• Skill in communicating and working collaboratively with key stakeholders, including technical and professional staff at various levels of the organization.
• Ability to apply project management principles to deployment of medical equipment and health information technologies.

Preferred Experience: At Least 3 years of experience as a Biomedical Engineer in an HTM program of VHA.

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

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-07 to GS-12.

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.

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following Competencies for this position:

• Attention to Detail
• Customer Service
• Decision Making
• Flexibility
• Integrity/Honesty
• Interpersonal Skills
• Learning
• Reading Comprehension
• Reasoning
• Self-Management
• Stress Tolerance
• Teamwork

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:

• Resume
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

Special Note for Applications: To complete your application, please use the following link https://vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Resume.docx to download the standard Clinical Resume Document. This one-page document does not need to be modified and must be uploaded into the two-page restricted 'Resume' document upload field.

Your full resume/CV may be uploaded without page limitation into the 'Other' document upload field.

The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please 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
• Disability Letter (Schedule A)
• Disability Letter (VA)
• License
• Resume/CV
• PCS Orders
• Performance Appraisal
• Professional Certification
• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-15
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

Veterans' preference does not apply for internal or other current permanent Federal agency employees.

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