Supervisory Healthcare Engineer (Deputy)

Clarification from the agency

This position is open only to current permanent employees of the West Palm Beach facility. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position.

This Supervisory Healthcare Engineer (Deputy), Assistant Chief Engineer is responsible for overseeing professional engineering programs, including Maintenance and Repair, Utility Plant Operations, Energy Management, Safety, Fire Prevention, Industrial Hygiene, Emergency Preparedness, Green Environmental Management, Vehicle Fleet, Grounds, Capital Planning, and Construction Project Management. The position covers both the main medical center and outlying Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs).

Major Duties and Responsibilities

• Engineering Program Management & Administration

  • Acts as the key managerial advisor and full authority in the absence of the Chief Engineer.
  • Participates in management planning, policy, and decision-making for the Medical Center.
  • Provides technical guidance and direction across multiple engineering disciplines (civil, electrical, mechanical, structural, environmental, fire safety).
  • Develops policies, procedures, and resource allocations for assigned programs.

• Human Resources Management

  • Oversees personnel management, including recruitment, training, performance evaluation, and disciplinary actions.
  • Implements succession and workforce plans, ensures compliance with EEO policies, and maintains labor/management relations.

• Capital & Energy Program Administration

  • Supports VISN Capital and Energy Engineers, interfaces with facility, VISN, and VA Central Office.
  • Provides technical advice on capital investment planning, asset inventory, deferred maintenance, and project management.

• Safety & Life Safety Management

  • Implements and monitors comprehensive safety programs, ensuring compliance with VA and Joint Commission standards.
  • Identifies and manages risks associated with utility systems, medical equipment, and physical environment.

• Budgeting & Financial Management

  • Formulates, justifies, and executes budgets for Engineering Service.
  • Advises management on financial issues, manages budget for major programs, and participates in defending budgets before senior leadership.

• Research & Analysis

  • Provides expert analysis and advice on complex program issues.
  • Researches and recommends solutions for compliance with national codes and standards (NFPA, OSHA, EPA, CDC, NIOSH).

• Construction Administration

  • Develops and implements capital improvement programs, coordinates renovations and leases.
  • Oversees scheduling, inspection, and surveillance of construction projects, ensures compliance with VA and industry standards.

• Professional Engineering/Architectural Advice

  • Mentors newer engineers, provides technical advice to peers and subordinates.
  • Reviews plans, specifications, and analyses, directs necessary changes, and establishes maintenance standards.

• Compliance & Regulatory Oversight

  • Ensures compliance with federal, state, and local regulations, accrediting bodies, and VA requirements.
  • Develops policies to minimize adverse impact to patient care while meeting conflicting requirements.

• Special Projects & Training

  • Plans and manages special projects, conducts analyses, and develops training programs.
  • Provides classroom or group-setting instruction as needed.

• Customer Service & Patient Needs

  • Consistently communicates and treats customers with respect, prioritizes patient care, and considers age, development, and cultural needs in project planning.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30am-4:00pm (Ad-hoc availability)
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 42069F
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

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 identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• 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.
• 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. 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. Examples of acceptable engineering and architectural degrees include, but are not limited to: Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineer, Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Architecture and Architectural Engineering. Titles may vary from educational institutions & 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 of current professional registration or licensure can be from any State, the District of Columbia, Guam or Puerto Rico.

Grandfathering Provision. All individuals employed in VHA in this occupational series or in another occupational series performing the duties as described in the qualification standards on the effective date of this qualification standards, are considered to have met all the qualification requirements for the grade held including positive education that is part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements of this standards, but met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to the position, the following provisions apply:

• (1) Employees may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journeyman level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions.
• (2) Employees in an occupation that requires a licensure/certification/registration only at higher grade levels must meet the licensure/certification/registration requirement before they can be promoted to those higher grade levels.
• (3) Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standards 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 standards.
• (4) Employees who are converted to title 38 hybrid status under this provision and subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standards requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation.
• (5) Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/registration that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation.

Foreign Education. To 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 in paragraph 3.b. of this appendix.

GRADE DETERMINATIONS. In addition to the basic requirements outlined above, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates

Healthcare Engineer, GS-13.

Experience. One year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade (GS-12) .

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities (KSAs). In addition to meeting the specialized experience requirement for the GS-12 grade level, the candidate must fully demonstrate the following KSAs:

• Knowledge of the management of overall healthcare system resources, (i.e., finances, space, equipment, supplies, schedules and staffing).
• Knowledge of mechanical, electrical, structural, civil and other engineering/architectural principles, practices and their applications as related to healthcare facilities.
• Skill in using effective communication in managing interpersonal relationships with internal and external customers, stakeholders, executive leadership, labor representatives and managers.
• Skill in balancing priorities, delegating tasks and meeting multiple competing deadlines.
• Skill in interpreting broad or general national policies and guidelines and adapting/applying them to specific compliant programs at the local healthcare system.
• Skill in recognizing and assessing evolving scenarios, utilizing initiative, self-direction and assigned resources to affect resolutions.
• Ability to analyze complex organizational problems and develop and implement effective solutions that result in efficient operations.
• Ability to anticipate, develop and implement strategies in meeting the healthcare system's short term and long-term strategic goals in a highly fluid environment.
• Ability to ensure compliance with healthcare industry standards and regulatory agency and organization (including but not limited to TJC, OSHA, NFPA, etc.), regulations, requirements, guides, policies, procedures, directives and general medical program requirements as they relate to healthcare engineering.
• Ability to interview candidates for positions, recommend appointments, advancements, or when appropriate, disciplinary actions; evaluate performance and identify continuing education and training needs.

Preferred Experience: Bachelor's degree or higher in Engineering or Architecture (such as Mechanical, Electrical, Civil, Biomedical, or Architectural Engineering). Professional Engineer (PE), Registered Architect, or passing the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam is also preferred.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/OHRM/QualificationStandards/HT38/0801-HealthcareEngineer.pdf
The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13.
The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-13.

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements.

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.

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
• Long-form resume/Curriculum vitae (CV)
• Performance Appraisal
• Professional Certification
• Resume
• 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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