Healthcare Engineer

Summary

The position is located at the Audie L. Murphy VA in San Antonio, TX and serves the South Texas Veterans Healthcare System (STVHCS). The Healthcare Engineer performs project planning, manages designs, construction, and construction administration for Major/ Minor Construction Projects, Non-Recurring/Station Level Projects, Leases, including all areas and aspects (architectural, electrical, life safety, mechanical, civil, structural, etc.) at the medical center and Outpatient Clinics.

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Duties

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The position serves as resident and program engineer consisting of the planning, design, and overseeing of major healthcare system projects; oversees Professional Architecture/Engineering (A/E) and Construction contracts to ensure the contractor is in compliance with all contractual requirements, healthcare regulations and codes, specifications and schedules are met in accordance with the government's requirements for VA owned and leased facilities.

• Provides engineering support to the assigned healthcare system and is responsible for maintaining construction specifications and drawings, maintaining technical reference library of codes, standards, and other regulations which are applicable to the engineering construction industries Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), American National Standards Institute (ANSI), and others.
• Serves as a healthcare engineering advisor, engineer consultant, engineer designer, contract administrator, project manager, construction coordinator, and instructor during the design and construction of all projects assigned. The position is responsible for providing healthcare engineering support to all assigned projects.
• Responsible for performing the duties of a Contracting Officer Representative (COR) on professional design and construction projects, training service staff on technical issues and assisting the service staff on the completion of technical and administrative issues regarding infrastructure related operations of the medical facility.

The position supports and advances patient care by applying engineering and managerial skills to healthcare engineering as demonstrated by the following major responsibilities:

1. Conducts capital asset and infrastructure planning and design for the medical facility spanning initial strategic planning, concept development, design, construction, effective implementation of complex buildings, utilities, and medical support systems.
2. Manages healthcare engineering project design and administers construction in accordance with VA policies and procedures, VA Design Guides, VA Design Manuals, VA Master Specifications and related industry codes and standards.
3. Performs healthcare engineering project construction management and post project activities while ensuring continuity of building and utility services for medical facility operations.
4. Assists in the provision of a continuing education program for clinical staff and maintenance personnel addressing the principles and application of building and utility systems in the delivery of health care. This includes a curriculum that addresses the safe and effective use of medical gases, emergency power, ventilation, and other healthcare infrastructure related technology. This requires skill to effectively communicate, both orally and in writing, with a wide variety of individuals, including technical and professional clinical staff, to communicate technical information.
5. Assists in development and implementation of the environment of care program that meets current Joint Commission, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), College of American Pathologists (CAP), NFPA, and VA requirements, particularly as it relates to construction safety and infection control.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30 - 4pm

Telework: Ad-hoc and as determined by agency policy.

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 55558-F; 55623-5F

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

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.
• May need to 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:

• Citizenship - You of the United States (U.S.). Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7407(a).
• English Language Proficiency - You must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d)
• Education (must meet one of the following):
• 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.

Grade Determinations:

For the GS-07: Healthcare Engineer (Entry Level Developmental) - None beyond the basic requirements.

For the GS-09: Healthcare Engineer (Developmental):

1. Experience/Education Requirement: In addition to meeting the basic requirements, to qualify for the GS-09 you must meet one of the following:

• You must have at least 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-7) OR
• Master of Engineering degree or Master of Architecture degree or Master of Science degree in Engineering or a related field of study as outlined in basic requirements; OR
• Bachelor's degree as outlined in paragraph basic requirements plus two full years of progressively higher-level graduate education in a related field of study, provided the applicant's total background demonstrates the core competencies for GS-09 level assignment.

1. And you must meet all of the Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate all the following KSAs in their resume:

• Knowledge of the principles, theories, concepts and practices of the engineering profession.
• Ability to interpret relevant codes, regulations, guidelines and standards to make recommendations to assure compliance with healthcare facility programs.
• Ability to understand the operational professional engineering needs of clinical services in the healthcare system.
• Ability to prepare material on current technical topics and trends for presentation to other technical staff and mid-level hospital management and to keep abreast of changes in engineering technology related to a healthcare facility.

For the GS-11: Healthcare Engineer (Developmental)

1. Experience Requirement: In addition to meeting the basic requirements, to qualify for the GS-11 you must meet one of the following:

• You must have at least 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-9) OR Ph.D. OR
• Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in Engineering or a related field of engineering as outlined in basic requirements; OR
• Master of Engineering degree, Master of Architecture degree, Master of Science degree in Engineering or a related field of study as outlined in basic requirements, plus 1 full year of progressively higher-level graduate education in a related field of study, provided the applicant's total background demonstrates the knowledge, skills and abilities for GS-11 level assignment; OR
• Bachelor's degree as outlined in basic requirements plus 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education in a related field of study, provided the applicant's total background demonstrates the knowledge, skills and abilities for GS-11 level assignment.

1. And you must meet all of the Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate all the following KSAs in their resume:

• Knowledge of either mechanical, electrical, structural, civil or other engineering/architectural principles, practices and their applications in the healthcare environment.
• Knowledge of basic project management principles as applied to the healthcare setting.
• Ability to apply healthcare engineering related standards, codes, policies and regulations, inclusive of, state and local codes.
• Ability to communicate effective orally and in writing with internal and external customers with tact and diplomacy.
• Ability to develop material for clinical or administrative staff that addresses the principles and application of engineering technology and/or theory used in healthcare.
• Ability to advise staff on emerging engineering technology related to a healthcare facility, while keeping abreast of changes in such technology and utilizing the information to solve healthcare facility engineering challenges.

For the GS-12 Healthcare Engineer (Full Performance Level)