Supervisory Biomedical Engineer (Clinical) Job in Seattle, WA

Vacancy No. CBSV-12813823-26-GEJ Department Veterans Health Administration
Salary $118,446.00 to $153,982.00 Grade 13 to 13
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 10/17/2025 Close Date 10/31/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Status Candidates
Locations:
Seattle, WA


Summary

This position is aligned under the Office of the Deputy Director, receiving supervision from the Director of Product Development of X_Labs. The Incumbent plays a critical role in planning, developing, influencing, and implementing medical device development projects that support the success of X_Labs.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this occupational series. For more information, refer to Required Documents below. The area of consideration is limited to Current Permanent Puget Sound VA HCS Employees only.

Duties

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this occupational series. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

Duties include, but are not limited to:

  • Identifies new staffing, facility, and equipment needs, and facilitates fulfilling those needs.
  • Strategic planning for development; monitors emerging technologies, anticipates future demands and how to meet them.
  • Staff development, optimization of development workflow.
  • Assists other sites in setting up manufacturing facilities including documentation, training, and site visits.
  • Develops VHA enterprise-level criteria and procedures for medical device development, testing, manufacturing, and deployment, ensuring that Veterans receive treatments with the highest levels of safety and efficacy.
  • Responsible for full compliance with VHA national policies and directives, VHA Quality Management System, and FDA regulations regarding product development procedures.
  • Collaborates with clinical staff members in the design and development of medical devices, and must be capable of comprehending clinical approach, patient anatomy, and potential complications that might impact the safety and efficacy of the device. Likewise, must be able to communicate engineering and regulatory principles in a manner understandable by clinical staff.
  • Serves as a technical expert, advisor and thought leader/influencer for the development of additively manufactured components in accordance with new and changing technical requirements; understands and complies with medical device manufacturing guidelines and regulations per FDA, ISO and AAMI standards. He/she must be able to influence VHA staff to comply with and accept new and changing policies, given the rapidly changing regulatory landscape of hospital-based advanced manufacturing.
  • Provides engineering expertise and advice to X_Labs strategic planning teams, both within VAPSHCS and to additional VA hospitals across the enterprise and is a key member of the planning team for short, medium, and long-term goals.
  • Innovates, plans, directs, and coordinates the timely execution and attainment of project goals and milestones associated with the X_Labs program.
  • Uses expertise in advanced manufacturing and engineering to solve unique problems by applying experimental theories, researching possible solutions from fields outside of engineering, and collaborating with stakeholders in different disciplines to accomplish assignments.
  • Must be able to learn new technology and identify trends in advanced manufacturing and can communicate this information in the capacity of both an advisor and influencer to administrative, clinical, and technical staff both within and outside of VHA.
  • Contributes to the advancement of X_Labs technology both within the Federal sector and in the private sector through independent research and written and oral presentations, including preparation of technical, informational, analytical, and graphical documentation and scientific manuscripts.
  • Supervises a team of engineers.
  • Trains and mentors X_Labs employees.
  • Assists with the determination of organizational changes in key positions within the program; ensures internal personnel-related programs are dealt with in a timely and efficient manner; communicates agency and local policies and priorities to all employees within the program; follows progress of each and recommends improvement to be made where warranted; and ensures labor/management relations are maintained in accordance with Medical Center policy and procedures and that other requirements such as effective use of performance standards, EEO policies, and other personnel-related rules and regulations are effectively enforced.
  • Develops performance standards and evaluates the work of subordinates, ensuring reasonable equity among units, groups, teams or projects of performance standards and rating techniques developed by subordinate supervisors.
  • Responsible for supervising technical staff, including lower-level engineers , biomedical engineering technicians, and other staff.
  • Supervisory responsibilities include, but are not limited to development of performance standards and performance evaluations; recommendations for appointment, awards, advancements, and when appropriate, disciplinary actions; and identification of continuing training needs etc.
Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, Day tour, between 7AM - 5PM, hours negotiable.
Telework: Ad-hoc
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 00000
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

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.
  • 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).
  • 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

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

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 (1) above.

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:
i. Knowledge of the management of overall department resources, i.e., finances, space, equipment, supplies, and staffing at the local level.
ii. Ability to draft and/or recommend local policies and/or directives related to healthcare technology management.
iii. Ability to balance multiple responsibilities, set priorities, delegate tasks, meet multiple deadlines, analyze organizational problems, and develop and implement effective solutions.
iv. 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.
v. 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.

Preferred Experience: Experience working under a quality management system.

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-13.

Physical Requirements: Moderate lifting and carrying (15-44 lbs.), use of fingers, both hands, walking, standing, repeated bending, ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously, near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4, ability to distinguish basic colors, ability to distinguish shades of colors, hearing (aid permitted), and mental and emotional stability. Environmental factors include constant noise, dust working closely with others, and working alone.

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 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.

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; 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.

Required Documents

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 (VA)
  • Resume/CV
  • Professional Certification
  • Resume
  • 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.

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

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 10/31/2025 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12813823.

  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

Gabriel Johnson
Address
VA Puget Sound Health Care System
1660 South Columbian Way
Seattle, WA 98108
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 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.


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


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