Supervisory Healthcare Engineer - Chief Engineer
What you'd do
The Healthcare Engineer provides for a safe, reliable, and precisely controlled operating environment for direct patient care. Healthcare Engineers serve as experts in the design, sustainment, and improvement of the medical care environment, including all hospital building features, automated building management and environmental control systems, and critical utility systems.
Major duties
Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional This position serves as the Chief, Engineering Service with responsibility for the professional Engineering programs such as Maintenance and Repair, Utility Plant Operations, Energy Management and Conservation Program, Safety, Fire Prevention, Industrial Hygiene, Disaster Preparedness, Green Environmental Management, Vehicle Fleet, Grounds, Capital Planning, and Construction Project Management section at the Hershel "Woody" Williams VA Medical Center, a multi-faceted and affiliated VA Medical Center, including outlying Community Based Outpatient Clinics. Major duties include, but are not limited to: Responsible for the planning, organizing, directing, evaluating, and management process for Service Line programs, which include setting qualitative and quantitative standards. Develops and provides the Executive Leadership Team and the clinical staff information on the methods, techniques, and procedures necessary to integrate the Engineering, Maintenance, Capital Management, and other Engineering programs into the mission of the Medical Center. Oversees the Joint Commission (JC) Environment of Care Programs for Utility Systems Management, Safety, Life Safety, and Medical Equipment Management for both this Medical Center and all Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs). Supports the VISN Capital Assets Manager and VISN Energy Engineers with implementation of the programs. Acts as the Cultural Resource Management Officer responsible for compliance with historical preservation regulations. Full administrative and managerial responsibilities for planning, staffing, budgeting, developing, and effectively managing the total Engineering Program. All planning, design, and supervision of project renovation, modernization, and construction work; safety, industrial hygiene, disaster management, and green environmental management services; fleet, energy conservations services; and all maintenance and repair of building, grounds, building service equipment, utility systems. Is a fully participating technical advisor in all or almost all significant management planning, policy, and decision-making actions of the Medical Center except those of a primarily medical nature. Leads the Strategic Capital Investment Planning (SCIP) process. This position participates in discussion of proposed capital projects for the station and makes preliminary designs of major alterations, improvements, and additions to implement the Medical Center programs. Responsible for establishing and maintaining effective relations with local Government agencies, Labor Unions, Professional Engineering Societies, Affiliated Universities, Research Program Leaders and other interested organizations as required. All other duties as assigned, pertaining to this occupation, to meet the needs of the Agency, Department, Facility, and/or Service. Work Schedule: Full-Time, Monday -Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm. Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Not authorized. Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not authorized. 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) Telework: Available. May be approved per Agency policy. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 00000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized.
What you need to qualify
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: 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 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-0801-14 Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade (GS-13). Examples of experience would include, but is not limited to: supervise staff for at least 25% of the time, administratively and technically at the full performance grade level or below. Exercise the full range of supervisory responsibility to include development of performance standards and performance evaluations; recommendations for appointment, awards, advancements, and when appropriate, disciplinary actions; and identification of continuing training needs, etc.. Provide complex professional engineering advice to peers, subordinates and/or non-professional administrators/managers. Review, or direct the review of, technical plans, specifications and analyses of design as submitted by subordinates. Advise subordinate personnel on methods and procedures to be used in special studies on highly complex projects. Serve as the technical authority, providing expert advice pertaining to the maintenance of facilities, structures or landscapes that may involve large geographic regions. Provide for the budgeting and financial management for engineering. Supervise staff to accomplish the construction work and maintenance of the organization. Knowledge Skills and Abilities: 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 as related to healthcare facilities. (b) Knowledge related to the management of overall healthcare system resources, (i.e., finances, space, equipment, supplies, schedules and staffing). (c) Skill in using effective communication in managing interpersonal relationships with internal and external customers, stakeholders, executive leadership, labor representatives and managers. (d) Skill in balancing multiple responsibilities, setting priorities, delegating tasks and projects, meeting multiple deadlines, analyzing complex organizational problems and developing and implementing effective solutions that result in efficient operations. (e) Skill in applying considerable independent judgment to interpret broad or general national policies and guidelines and adapt/apply them to specific compliant programs at the local healthcare system. (f) Skill in recognizing and assessing evolving scenarios, utilizing initiative, and self-directing and assigning resources to affect resolutions. (g) Skill in complying with national internal and outside regulatory agency and organization (including, but not limited to TJC, OSHA, NFPA, etc.) regulations, requirements, guides, policies, procedures, directives, standards and general medical program requirements as they relate to healthcare engineering. (h) 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. (i) 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 https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-14. 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. 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, and driving or traveling by motor vehicle. Physical activity in response to emergency situations and call backs is expected.
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