Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist
What you'd do
The Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist (BESS) provides clinical and administrative support to staff, patients, and administrators for all matters relating to lifecycle management of medical equipment. Biomedical support requires the application of engineering and mechanical concepts and methodology to provide lifecycle management and technical support of diagnostic, therapeutic, monitoring, and other equipment utilized in the practice of medicine and to improve clinical care.
Major duties
The duties listed are GS-11 Full Performance Level. Medical equipment supported by the BESS is maintained to the standards required by multiple accrediting agencies (e.g. Food and Drug Administration, The Joint Commission, the National Fire Protection Association, etc.). Lifecycle management encompasses the following: technology assessment including defining requirements and analyzing alternatives with clinical users; technology acquisition including technical evaluation and best value determination of proposed equipment and systems; technology implementation including site preparation, incoming inspections, device/system integration, network device security implementation and clinical/technical training; technology sustainment including regular and unscheduled maintenance, upgrades and enhancements, continuing education; end of useful life tasks including decommissioning, data sanitization, and technical evaluation for condition prior to disposal; and strategic planning for end of life replacement in conjunction with clinical services. FUNCTIONS: Lifecycle management of all medical systems such as imaging, life support, dialysis, and monitoring to include physical and network support. Coordinate and work effectively with other facility support departments including but not limited to Facilities Management Service (FMS), Office of Information Technology (OIT), Patient Safety, Sterile Processing Service (SPS), Logistics, Contracting, Informatics, and Environmental Management Service (EMS). Specific tasks include incoming inspections, regular and unscheduled maintenance, and planning for end-of-life replacement in conjunction with clinical services. Utilize common test equipment including patient simulators, pulse generators, network analyzers, test phantoms, electrical safety analyzers, oscilloscopes, and multimeters. Maintain functional knowledge of relevant safety codes and standards of regulatory bodies including The Joint Commission (TJC), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI). Document all work performed in the computerized maintenance management system (CMMS). This documentation is completed in accordance with regulatory body requirements, the Office of Healthcare Technology Management (HTM) Documentation of Services policies and guidelines, and other VA requirements. Apply basic networking principles to resolve medical system communication issues including node to server failures. Adhere to VA Medical Device Cyber Security policies and procedures in pre-procurement, during system implementation, and throughout the life of the system. Load operating system (OS) and clinical application software as needed. Execute VA policy when responding to network incident response (due to infection, loss of services due to policy changes). Function as a Contracting Officer Representative (COR) and keep appropriate certification levels. Use knowledge of government contract procedures and documentation requirements to develop statements of work, sole source justifications, other applicable documentation (VA Form 6550, Independent Government Cost Estimate (IGCE), etc.) and to oversee vendor work. Collaborate with Logistics and Contracting to procure parts and services; function as a purchase card holder, as required. Investigate, remediate, and document Repairable Medical Device (RMD) recalls and safety alerts issued through the VA Alerts and Recall Management System (ARMS) within established timeframes. Participate in local safety improvement processes such as Root Cause Analysis (RCA), safety work groups, and Environment of Care Rounds. Identify hazards during routine job performance and take action to ensure they are addressed and corrected. Maintain knowledge of the state of the art in medical technology, including scientific advances, network protocols, and vendor changes. Focus on professional development in all areas of medical technology lifecycle management including technical skills. Knowledge and training is obtained from formal (conference, vendor-provided classes) or informal (magazines, articles, peer training) means. Provide training and education as appropriate to medical technology end users and clinical staff. Provide mentoring and technical training to peers and BESS at developmental levels. Work Schedule: Mon - Fri, 7:30am to 4:00pm. Telework: Not available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized.
What you need to qualify
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement. Experience. (1) Creditable Experience. To be creditable, the experience must have required the use of knowledge, skills, and abilities associated with current health care industry and required using knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) directly applicable to the assignment and associated within the scope of the BESS profession. Experience is only creditable if it was acquired in the health care industry and is either directly related to the position to be filled or a related field (for example, Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist, Biomedical Equipment Technician, Field Service Engineer, Medical Equipment Repairer, or Information Technology (IT) Specialist). Experience satisfying this requirement may be paid or non-paid employment as a BESS. (2) Part-Time Experience. Part-time experience is creditable according to its relationship to the full-time work week. For example, a BESS employed 20 hours per week, or on a half-time basis, would receive 1 full-time work week of credit for each 2 weeks of service. (3) Quality of Experience. Qualifying experience must be at a level comparable to BESS experience at the next lower level and have been in the health care industry. For all assignments above the full performance level (FPL), the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity, and range of variety as described in this standard at the specified grade level and performed be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. 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, Experience, or Certification. (1) Associates or higher degree in the biomedical technology or biomedical engineering field; OR (2) Associates or higher degree in electronics, a field of information technology, or engineering (other than biomedical engineering) AND 1 year of creditable experience; OR (3) Completion of the Department of Defense (DOD) biomedical equipment technician training program; OR (4) Completion of a DOD training program in repair and maintenance of electronic systems or information technology AND 1 year of creditable experience; OR (5) Completion of a biomedical engineering technician or Healthcare Technology Management (HTM) certificate program that included an internship or apprenticeship; OR (6) Completion of biomedical engineering technician or HTM certificate program that did not include an internship AND 1 year of creditable experience; OR (7) Hold or having ever held certification as a Certified Biomedical Equipment Technician (CBET), Certified Radiology Equipment Specialist (CRES), Certified Laboratory Equipment Specialist (CLES), or Certified Healthcare Technology Manager (CHTM). Continuous maintenance of certification is not required throughout VHA employment. Foreign Education. To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must be deemed at least equivalent to that gained in a conventional U.S. program by a private organization specializing in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials. English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). GRADE DETERMINATIONS. Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist, GS-05. Experience or Education. None beyond the basic requirements. Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist, GS-07. (1) Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade. (2) Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: (a) Knowledge of physics, anatomy, and physiology. (b) Knowledge of electronics such as analog, digital, and microprocessor theory. (c) Knowledge of the use of standard level test equipment such as multi- meters, electrical safety analyzers, patient simulators, storage oscilloscopes, manometers, and tachometers. (d) Knowledge of basic networking concepts, such as computer and server hardware and software functionality, information technologies and computer virus protection software, available software patches and upgrades, and information security tools (for example, Microsoft Office, Windows operating systems, and McAfee). (e) Skill in documenting all services provided in support of medical equipment and clinical systems in a computerized maintenance management system. (f) Ability to learn equipment operating and maintenance procedures. Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist, GS-09. (1) Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade. (2) Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: (a) Knowledge of basic networking concepts including Access Control List (ACL), Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), and Virtual Local Area Networks (VLAN). (b) Knowledge of computer and server hardware and software functionality including virus protection, operating system patches and upgrades, and information security tools. (c) Ability to interpret a variety of technical data such as schematic drawings, wiring diagrams, table charts, mathematical expressions, and formulas. (d) Ability to use standard level test equipment including multi-meters, electrical safety analyzers, patient simulators, storage oscilloscopes, manometers, and tachometers. (e) Ability to perform equipment maintenance and operating procedures. Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist, GS-11. (1) Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade. (2) Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: (a) Knowledge of standards including National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Joint Commission (TJC), and the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) for safe operation of medical equipment and clinical systems. (b) Skill in using test and calibration equipment including digital multi- meters, electrical safety analyzers, defibrillator analyzers, patient simulators, manometers, tachometers, and Local Area Network (LAN) analyzers. (c) Skill in interpreting a variety of technical data including schematic drawings and wiring diagrams. (d) Skill in applying networking principles, such as Access Control List (ACL), Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), and Virtual Local Area Networks (VLAN). (e) Ability to perform advanced testing to troubleshoot medical equipment and clinical system interfaces. (f) Ability to maintain medical computers and software.(g) Ability to manage projects involving medical equipment and clinical systems. Preferred Experience: Certifications: Preferred credentials like CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+, or a Certified Biomedical Equipment Technician (CBET) Test Equipment: Proficiency using digital multimeters, electrical safety analyzers, and patient simulators Management Software: Experience using Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS) Specialized Systems: Background in supporting equipment within the Operating Room, Laboratory, Sterile Processing or Patient Monitoring 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-11. Physical Requirements: There are no physical requirements for this occupation per OCHCO Communications email to VA Handbook 5019, updated on 4/17/2026.
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