The position serves as a Project Engineer at the Eastern Colorado VA Healthcare system. 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 at an assigned medical center and associated Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC)'s.
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. (1) 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, Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Architecture and Architectural Engineering. Titles may vary from educational institutions and change over time; OR (2) 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. 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: Healthcare Engineer, GS-12. Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade (GS-11). Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to meeting the experience requirements for this grade level, the candidate must fully demonstrate the following 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. Preferred Experience: Candidate should possess demonstrable experience in managing multi-discipline construction and renovation preferably in active operational/healthcare environments. Candidates should be versed in all disciplines across the master specifications index, and be capable of producing drawings and specifications for solicitation. References: VA Handbook 5005/150, Part II, Appendix G72 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. 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 position 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. Project needs are determined for the organization down to the department level based on a broad array of guidelines, standards, regulatory requirements and mission priorities. The position evaluates how to accomplish the requirements of the project and determines the associated risks necessary to complete the construction within the healthcare facility and identify ways to mitigate project risk. A unique task of a Healthcare Engineer during the construction phase of a project is to minimize the impact to patient care operations, and in many cases, to ensure patients are able to continue to be cared for in a safe and secure manner due to the inability for the medical center to stop seeing patients during the construction phase of a project. The position is responsible for determining what temporary means and methods are necessary to be executed to reduce any risk of danger to patients or staff while a standard of medical care is met for all patients. A detailed knowledge of healthcare operations is required to include how utilities and services support healthcare operations for each type of care provided. The position is responsible for evaluating programs and projects to assure compliance with all environmental, safety and security standards. The position plans and designs a phased approach for the means and methods of construction activities to be executed for complex medical construction projects in order to minimize risk and impact to patients and patient care operations and the daily patient treatment procedures that cannot be impacted without severe patient hazard. The position provides a broad review of all disciplines of Engineering when applied to a healthcare environment to support construction document reviews and preparation. Work requires a broad knowledge of all Engineering disciplines, to include Architectural, Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, Structural and Fire Protection. The position provides in-depth reviews on all design submissions to include healthcare code compliance and references within the documents for regulations and codes applied to healthcare. The position represents the healthcare system's quality assurance for project designs to be complete and meet all current applicable health care code requirements for all types of utility services, safety, security and operation. The position uses independent seasoned engineering judgment in evaluating and performing scheduling and layout of operations, inspection, and surveillance of materials, methods, and equipment used in construction. Responsible for reviewing contractor submittals, contractor change order requests, assuring project compliance with drawings and specifications, administering A/E and VA Headquarters review processes, assuring safety practices, and making sound engineering recommendations to appropriate leadership for action. Coordinating and overseeing work in a healthcare environment requires the incumbent to have knowledge of complex medical systems and is responsible to coordinate work while keeping patients safe and the medical facility operational. Total-Rewards-of-an-Allied-Health-VA-Career-Brochure.pdf Healthcare Engineer: vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-General-Engineer-Career-Flyer.pdf Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade). Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience. Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child. Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66. Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 7:00am-3:30pm Functional Statement #: 55242-A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Approved Financial Disclosure Report: Not required