Supervisory Healthcare Engineer (Deputy)

Summary

The Deputy (Assistant Chief) of the Engineering Service serves as the full alter ego of the Chief with responsibility for professional Engineering programs such as Maintenance and Repair, Utility Plant Operations, Energy Management and Conservation Program, Safety, Fire Prevention, Industrial Hygiene, Emergency Preparedness, Green Environmental Management, Vehicle Fleet, Grounds, Capital Planning, and Construction Project Management section at the Martinsburg WV VA Medical Center.

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Duties

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Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

Engineering Program Management and Administration

• Responsible for the planning, organizing, directing, evaluating, and management process for the Engineering Service that includes setting qualitative and quantitative standards.
• Develops and provides the Medical Center executive leadership and the clinical staff information on the methods, techniques, and procedures necessary to integrate these programs into the mission of the Medical Center.
• Provides professional and technical guidance and direction and review of assigned programs, including professional engineering work in several disciplines such as; civil engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, structural engineer, environmental engineering, and fire safety and safety engineering.
• Develops Medical Center policies, procedures and resource allocations for assigned programs.

Budgeting/Financial Management Work

• Provides for the budgeting and financial management for Engineering Service. This includes budget formulation, justification, and execution; financial management; and financial reporting.
• Identifies functional requirements for current and future programs inclusive of life-cycle costs.
• Provides advice to management and program personnel on budgetary and finance issues.
• As top advisor to management, provides budget management for major, unstable programs.
• Exercises responsibility for budget formulation, presentation, and execution.

Research and Analysis Work

• Researches and/or analyzes problems, issues, or program requirements related to all areas of the facility and all facets of Engineering Service.
• Provides expert analysis and advice on complex program issues. Based on operations and changing program requirements, identifies relevant issues.
• Collects relevant information from many varied sources, some of which are difficult to access.
• Devises new analytical techniques to evaluate findings.
• Researches and provides technical recommendations pertaining to a wide-range of national codes and standards including but not limited to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), OSHA, TJC, EPA, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Provides for the overall administrative management for Engineering Service.

Professional Engineering/Architectural Analysis and Advice

• Serves as the Assistant Chief Engineer within a medical center hierarchy.
• Meets regularly with other Engineers from across the country and VA Leadership from the Office of Capital Asset Management and Engineering Support (OCAMES).
• Interfaces between VACO and the other Engineers in VISN, and the VISN Capital Asset Manager.
• Assists the VISN offices and other engineers by providing technical advice and input on a wide range of engineering issues, including the Strategic Capital Investment Plan, Capital Asset Inventory, Capital Asset Resource Survey, Deferred Maintenance, management of an engineering department, and a myriad of engineering related topics.

Performs Construction Administration Work

• Responsible for development and implementation of the Medical Center's capital improvement program.
• Works with medical activities to identify additional space needs and needed renovations.
• Establishes leases as needed.
• Identified needs are individually transformed to engineering requirements, estimated, accomplished locally, or included as part of a comprehensive plan for agency funding.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 7:30am - 4:00pm

Recruitment/Relocation Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): May be authorized

Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not authorized

Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases.

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)

Telework: Not available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 26486F

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• 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 ( 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.
• 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.
• 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 2 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

(3) 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)

Grandfathering Provision. All individuals employed in VHA in this occupational series or in another occupational series performing the duties as described in the qualification standard on the effective date of this qualification standard, 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 standard, 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 standard 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 standard.

(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 standard 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.

• English Language Proficiency. Healthcare Engineer candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7403(f

Grade Determinations:

GS-13 Supervisory Healthcare Engineer (Deputy)

Experience Requirement: In addition to meeting the basic requirements, you must possess at least 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-12). Examples of this experience include but are not limited to; working independently, under general supervision with wide latitude to exercise independent judgment., Demonstration of an intimate grasp of high order healthcare engineering and capital subject matter, serving as institutional resources for healthcare delivery processes and systems, working extensively with clinical stakeholders, acquisition staff, contractors and executive leadership by leading healthcare engineering programs, technology assessments, integration planning and 7 implementation of both current and emerging technologies.

-AND-

In addition to meeting the experience for the GS-12 level, do you possess the following Knowledge, Skills and Abilities?

• 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.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit ;br>
The full performance level of this vacancy is GS 12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS 13.

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 Chief Engineer 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.

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: 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: ;br>
Additional information

Receiving Service Credit for 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.

"Whole Health is an approach to health care that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their life to the fullest. The VA is committed to Whole Health and values Veteran and Employee health and wellbeing. As a VA employee, you will practice Whole Health in an environment that supports personalized and proactive care."

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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

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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.

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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.