Supervisory Healthcare Engineer (Deputy Chief Engineer)

Full Job Description

OUR MISSION: To fulfill President Lincoln's promise "To care for those who have served in our nation's military and for their families, caregivers, and survivors" - by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's Veterans.

How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate whole health care to Veterans? *A Recruitment or Relocation Incentive is authorized for a highly qualified candidate.

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: Possess a 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; (Transcripts required) 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; (Examination documentation & transcripts required) 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.

(PE or license documentation required) In addition to meeting a Basic Requirement, you must also meet the GS-13 Grade Requirements: GS-13 SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: One full year of specialized experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled.

(To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, a GS-12, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the Federal government.) Specialized experience includes, but is not limited to: Knowledge of mechanical, electrical, structural, civil and other engineering/architectural principles, practices and their applications in the healthcare environment; 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; Knowledge of construction standards, methods, practices and techniques, materials and equipment to determine compliance with engineering regulations and standards; 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; Ability to plan and execute complex, multi-faceted projects and inspections while prioritizing resources against approved scopes of work, contract documents and budgets; & Ability to organize and lead multi-disciplinary task forces with members from different departments and divisions, as well as design and construction firms.

In addition, you must be able to fully demonstrate the following Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs): (a) Knowledge of the management of overall healthcare system resources, (i.e., finances, space, equipment, supplies, schedules and staffing).

(b) Knowledge of mechanical, electrical, structural, civil and other engineering/architectural principles, practices and their applications as related to healthcare facilities.

(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 priorities, delegating tasks and meeting multiple competing deadlines.

(e) Skill in interpreting broad or general national policies and guidelines and adapting/applying them to specific compliant programs at the local healthcare system.

(f) Skill in recognizing and assessing evolving scenarios, utilizing initiative, self-direction and assigned resources to affect resolutions.

(g) Ability to analyze complex organizational problems and develop and implement effective solutions that result in efficient operations.

(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 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.

(j) Ability to interview candidates for positions, recommend appointments, advancements, or when appropriate, disciplinary actions; evaluate performance and identify continuing education and training needs.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social).

Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment.

You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. The full-performance level of this position is a GS-13.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Major Duties:

This position serves as the Deputy (Assistant Chief), Engineering Service as the full alter ego of the Chief 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, Emergency Preparedness, Green Environmental Management, Vehicle Fleet, Grounds, Capital Planning, and Construction Project Management section at a multi-faceted and affiliated VA Medical Center, including outlying Community Based Outpatient Clinics.

The Assistant Chief must be competent in many aspects of managing VHA Healthcare Facility Engineering Programs including Interdisciplinary Engineering Coordination and Integration; Facility Maintenance and Operations Management; Construction Development, Management, and Oversight; Healthcare Facility Engineering Program Administration; Healthcare Regulatory, Safety, and Accreditation Compliance; Strategic Planning; Technical Personnel Supervision; and VA Inter-Administration Stakeholder Collaboration.

This position is responsible for the planning, organizing, directing, evaluating, and management process for Service Line programs, which include setting qualitative and quantitative standards.

This position develops and provides the Executive Leadership Team and the clinical staff information on the methods, techniques, and procedures necessary to integrate the Engineering, Maintenance, Biomedical, Capital Management, and other Engineering programs into the mission of the Medical Center.

This position oversees the Joint Commission (TJC) 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).In the absence of the Chief Engineer, the Assistant Chief has the full authority to act on behalf of the Chief Engineer.

The VA Medical Center manages an active Medical Research program.

The research program is operated in a precisely controlled laboratory environment, utilizing advanced equipment and instrumentation that the Assistant Chief Engineer is responsible to reliably maintain.

The VA Medical Center has numerous affiliation agreements with academic institutions across the region.

Active medical school affiliations, with the influx of medical students and residents along with consulting and attending physicians who supervise them, create additional problems in personnel and resource management.

The rapid turnover of the medical school affiliates, and their unfamiliarity with government hospital operations, make it especially critical for the Assistant Chief engineer to support management's efforts to establish stable and effective management systems to integrate these affiliates into the healthcare organization and its patient care program.

Work Schedule: Full-time, Monday-Friday, 7 AM-3:30 PM, and may be required to periodically work off hours to support construction and maintenance projects.

Alternate work schedules are not applicable for this position. This is not a remote or telework eligible position. *A Recruitment or Relocation Incentive is authorized for a highly qualified candidate.

Financial Disclosure: Required.

Physical Requirements: Work will involve mostly office work, and some physical exertion such as walking, bending, stooping, climbing, in utility rooms, crawlspaces, attics, boiler and chiller plant.

Such work will require an average amount of agility and dexterity.