Healthcare Engineer Job in Washington, DC

Vacancy No. CBTF-12767898-25-SR Department Veterans Health Administration
Salary $68,073.00 to $153,637.00 Grade 7 to 12
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 8/28/2025 Close Date 9/8/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Status Candidates
Locations:
Washington, DC


Summary

The position serves as a Project Engineer at the Washington DC VA Medical Center. This position performs project planning, produces designs, manages designs, manages construction, and provides construction administration for Minor Construction Projects, Non-Recurring Maintenance (NRM) Projects, Station Level Projects, and Leases, including all areas and aspects (architectural, electrical, life safety, mechanical, civil, structural, etc.).

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to current permanent Department of Veterans Affairs employees.

Duties

Duties include but are not limited to:

  • 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.
  • Provides a broad review of all disciplines of Engineering when applied to a healthcare environment to support construction document reviews and preparation.
  • Contains a working 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.
  • 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.
  • Develops initial concept documents, creates and maintains project and lease applications in multiple VA database systems, including the Veterans Support Service Center (VSSC), Strategic Capital Investment Planning Tool, and Capital Assets Inventory.
  • Makes recommendations relating to energy conservation for feasibility and cost effectiveness and supports the facilities energy goals
  • Coordinates construction activities for a wide range and variety of interrelated systems and services.
  • Utilizes skillsets encompassing a wide range of engineering fields, including, but not limited to, identifying and defining assigned problems dealing with structures, mechanical, HVAC, sprinkler, fire and life safety, architectural, and electrical systems.
  • Performs an array of pre-planning activities that include coordinating cross-departmental planning meetings, developing Scopes of Work, conceptual project designs, and government cost estimates, and ensures project documents are produced in accordance with VA Contracting and Information Security requirements.
  • 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.
  • Reviews A/E documentations as the technical authority and quality assurance for the medical center for various Minor, Non-Recurring Maintenance (NRM), Leased projects and other construction projects related to submissions of reports, drawings, specifications and literature consisting of adequacy of content, correctness, consistency with VA standards and goals, design principles and guidelines, cost effectiveness, compliance to healthcare codes and VA standards, and professional appearance
  • As the leader of the IPT the position oversees all phases (planning, design, construction and activation) of assigned projects to ensure integration and coordination within established time frames, maintains agency goals and objectives consistent with commitments and policy, as well as measurable performance criteria.
  • Responsible for training the facility maintenance staff on new equipment or complex utility systems to ensure the staff have the comprehension, 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.
  • Responsible for providing guidance, development and coordination for the planning, design, and oversight of maintenance projects.
  • Prepares correspondence, technical reports, estimates, fact sheets, progress reports, schedules, progress payments, and close-out documents as required to complete project assignments.
  • Provides guidance and insight to other engineering staff in revising as-built drawings or project plans after contraction completion of their project and will research information on existing building and utility systems as needed.
  • Maintains a library file of current documents, codes and publications used in the development of bid documents and reports.
  • Operates as the lead COR on most construction projects at the facility and leads inspectors in the oversight of the construction activities along with coordination with the contracted architect and engineering firm of record for the project
  • Develops and reviews competitive bidding cost estimates for a variety of projects of multiple-use nature.
Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00am -4:30pm
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

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 trial period.
  • 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 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).
  • 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 driving or traveling by motor vehicle.

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. Healthcare Engineer candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U. S. C. 7403(f).
  • Education.
    • Bachelor's degree or higher in Engineering or Architecture. T 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, Structural Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Architectural Engineering, and Architecture. Titles may vary from educational institutions and change over time; 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 f current professional registration or licensure can be from any State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico.
    • *Grandfathering Provision. May qualify based n 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).
    • Foreign Education. T 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 under education.
  • Physical Requirements. May be required to undergo and pass a pre-employment physical and Occupational Health Service requirements.
Grade Determination GS-07Experience. Basic education requirements.

GS-09 Experience or Education. Candidates at this level must meet on of the following:
  • One (1) or more years of experience equivalent to the next lower level. This experience must demonstrate the knowledge, kills, and abilities listed below; OR
  • Master of Engineering degree, Master of Architecture degree, or Master of Science degree in Engineering or related field of study; OR
  • Bachelor's degree outlined in the basic requirements, plus two (2) 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 knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs):
  1. Knowledge of the principles, theories, concepts, and practices of the Engineering profession.
  2. Ability to interpret relevant codes, regulations, guidelines, and standards, and make recommendations to ensure compliance with medical center programs.
  3. Ability to understand the operational needs of clinical services in the health care system.
  4. 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 Experience or Education. Candidates at this level must meet on of the following:
  • One (1) or more years of experience equivalent to the next lower level. This experience must demonstrate the knowledge, kills, and abilities listed below; OR
  • Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in Engineering, or a related field of engineering, as outlined in the basic requirements; OR
  • Bachelor's degree, plus three (3) full years of progressively higher-level graduate education in a related field of study, as outlined in the basic requirements.
In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs):
  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 program and project management principles, as applied to the healthcare setting and effective implementation of complex buildings, utilities, and medical support systems. medical equipment, and information system implementation.
  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.
GS-12 Experience or Education. Candidates at this level must meet on of the following:
  • One (1) or more years of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower level; OR
  • Completion of a post-doctoral research fellowship in the field of engineering and must fully meet the KSAs at the next lower level.
In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following knowledge, skills, and abilities (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.
Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

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.

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

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 all persons to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

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.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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.

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.

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; 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.

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

  • Resume
  • SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action


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 (VA)
  • National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying testing results identifying a passing score
  • Engineering in Training certificate issued from any State, the District of Columbia, Guam or Puerto Rico
  • Current Valid professional registration or licensure as a professional Engineer or Architect from any State, the District of Columbia, Guam or Puerto Rico
  • Professional Certification
  • Resume
  • Separation Notice (RIF)
  • SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
  • Transcript

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.

How to Apply

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 09/08/2025 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12767898.

  1. 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.
  2. 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.

Agency contact information

Samantha Robaina
Address
Washington VA Medical Center
50 Irving Street, Northwest
Washington, DC 20422
US

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 acceptable 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.


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.


© 2006-2025, exclusive of U. S. government job opportunity announcements