Clarification from the agency

OPEN TO CURRENT PERMANENT JESSE BROWN VA MEDICAL CENTER AND CBOC EMPLOYEES ONLY.

LEADERSHIP:

Distributes and balances the workload among employees in accordance with established workflow or job specialization, assure timely accomplishment of the assigned workload, and assure that each employee has enough work to keep engaged.

Keeps in touch with the status and progress of work and makes day- to- day adjustments in accordance with established priorities, obtaining assistance from the supervisor on problems that may arise, such as backlogs which cannot be disposed of promptly.

Estimates and reports on expected time of completion of work and maintain records of work accomplishments and time expended and prepare production reports as requested.

Instructs employees in specific tasks and job techniques and make available written instructions, reference materials and supplies.

Monitors working conditions such as seating, ventilation, lighting, safety, etc.

Technology Planning, Assessment, Evaluation, and Implementation:

Keeps abreast of technology to participate in and recommend new and replacement equipment.

Serves as a technical advisor and consultant to physicians, engineers, and medical personnel in the purchase of new instrumentation to meet specific needs, and in the implementation of that technology.

Serves as a Contracting Officer's Representatives (COR).Participates in market research and vendor product evaluations for various types of medical devices and systems, conducts security risk assessments, and helps prepare equipment procurement packages.

Coordinates equipment installation, verifies that contract specifications are met, performs initial tests of operability and integration, and deems equipment safe and ready for use.

Provides or coordinates training and assistance in adapting equipment to changing environmental conditions, including those related to space, utilities, network integration, staffing, and policy and procedures.

Project Management:

Responsible for the site prep and installation of this equipment either as the installer or as the VA's technical representative overseeing a contracted or vendor installation according to contractual requirements.

Performs operational and verification tests or is responsible for the certification of these tests by a contractor on direct patient care systems prior to initial use by the electronics equipment operator.

Technology Sustainment:

Responsible for overall implementation and management of electronics technology in his/her assigned areas.

Serves as the primary resource on all electronics technology issues in those areas.

Provides technical support for a wide variety of highly sophisticated and complex electronics equipment and systems including advanced analog, digital, microprocessor and computer based electronics with many interrelated subassemblies, system servers and sophisticated digital equipment connected to the Medical Center IT network and other systems.

Analyzes and evaluates equipment problems, determining whether the problem is caused by use error, hardware or software component failure, physical damage, environmental factors, and connectivity/compatibility or communication/networking issues.

Safety:

Ensures that electronics equipment continuously meets TJC, VA, CAP, radiation, and other standards for patient and user safety and standards of care.

Researches the applicability of published hazard notices and recalls and coordinates actions with medical center staff to minimize impact on patient care.

Investigates local incidents involving electronics equipment and systems and participates on root cause analysis (RCA) and failure mode effects analysis (FMEA) teams as necessary.

Administration:

Responsible for establishing a stock level of repair parts and supplies and ensuring the availability of items needed for the daily tasks associated with the equipment within the assigned areas of responsibility.

Identifies test equipment, tools, and software needed to support and sustain technology.

Performs other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday - 7:00am - 3:30pm
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Lead Electronics Technician/PD230640
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved

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
• 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)

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period 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 probationary period or trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 11/28/2025.

Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-10. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.

You must meet the IOR requirement and Position Requirements below to Qualify for the position.

INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENT (IOR) :

SPECILIZED EXPERIENCE:

1. Work as a technician, instructor, inspector, or mechanic (civilian or military) that showed progression in theoretical and practical knowledge of electronic theory, and of the characteristics, function, operation, and capabilities of a variety of types of electronic equipment. This experience must have included the use of schematic diagrams, a variety of test equipment, and the application of appropriate electronic formulas involved in such duties as testing, troubleshooting, modifying, designing, calibrating, installing, maintaining, repairing, constructing, developing, and instructing on electronic equipment, or similar functions.

2. Experience in developing policies, standards, and procedures for maintenance, installation, or similar functions, provided the work clearly shows that the applicant applied a specialized knowledge of the theories and principles of a variety of electronic systems or equipment.

OR,

EDUCATION: Successful completion of (a) all the requirements for a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, electronics engineering, or electronics technology, or (b) 3 years of study in an accredited (by the Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology, Inc. (ABET) curriculum in electronics, or (c) a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree that included major study or at least 24 semester hours in any combination of courses such as those shown above for GS-4 or equivalent. At least 12 of the 24 semester hours must have been in electronics courses.

AND,

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

GS-11 Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-10 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Distributes and balances the workload among employees and established workflow or job specialization, maintain records of work and prepare production, Gives on the job training to new employees, analyzes maintenance trends, operating environment, Analyzes and evaluates equipment problems, Investigates, troubleshoots, and diagnoses root cause, respond to other customer service requests, serves as a technical advisor in the purchase of new instrumentation to meet specific needs, and in the implementation of that technology, Serves as a Contracting Officer's Representatives (COR), Coordinates equipment installation, verifies that contract specifications are met, performs initial tests of operability and integration, and deems equipment safe and ready for use, conducts or arranges training, suggesting improvements, updates, upgrades, replacements, and/or interfaces based on specific needs, serves as consultant and advisor on construction projects, responsible for the site prep and installation of this equipment, Ensures that electronics equipment continuously meets TJC, VA, CAP, radiation, and other standards, identifies test equipment, tools, and software needed, order parts, supplies, and services, maintaining documented equipment histories in AMES/MERS, documenting all equipment maintenance.

OR,

Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have Successful completion of a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, or 3 academic years of progressively higher-level graduate education, that is directly related to the work of the Electronics Technician position, such as electrical engineering, electronics engineering, or electronics technology.
NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation.

OR,

Combination: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have Successful completion of a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, or 3 academic years of progressively higher-level graduate education, that is directly related to the work of the Electronics Technician position, such as electrical engineering, electronics engineering, or electronics technology.
NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

• Attention to Detail
• Customer Service
• 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.

Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

Physical Requirements: Works under conditions of extreme stress caused by the nature of the mission which often involves the life and well-being of patients. He/she must be able to interact effectively with all levels of medical center staff and must remain calm and analytical even under stress. The incumbent must have thorough knowledge of different department's operational and infection control procedures to enable him/her to function effectively while responding to equipment or facility related issues actively affecting patient care.

Performance of the incumbent's duties can be physically demanding involving walking, sitting, some standing, and long periods of intense concentration. Lifting of objects between 10 and 40 pounds is common, and on occasion lifting of heavier objects is necessary. Trips to satellite outpatient clinics are sometimes necessary and will involve transportation via station vehicle or privately owned vehicle.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

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 WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

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.

For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.

Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the 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

The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please make sure you have included other documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), documentation to support Veterans Preference claims, or ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees). You will not be contacted for additional information.

• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action (if applicable for Time in Grade and/or Eligibility):

• Most recent SF-50 if you are a current or former Federal employee
• An SF-50 showing your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade
• Award 50's do not provide sufficient information and will not be accepted for the purpose of verifying time-in-grade.
• Examples of appropriate SF-50's include:
  • Within grade increases at the highest grade held; or
  • Promotions with an effective date more than one year old; or
  • SF-50's at the highest grade held with an effective date more than one year old.

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

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