Supervisory Healthcare Engineer (Deputy)

Summary

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, 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.

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Overview

• Accepting applications

• Open & closing dates

10/27/2023 to 05/31/2024

• Salary

$115,118 - $149,651 per year

Salary will be determined in accordance with salary scales in the successful applicants area.

• Pay scale & grade

GS 13

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Locations

1 vacancy in the following locations:

• Bronx, NY

• New York, NY

• Northport, NY

• Remote job

No

• Telework eligible

No

• Travel Required

Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.

• Relocation expenses reimbursed

No

• Appointment type

Permanent -

• Work schedule

Full-time -

• Service

Excepted

• Promotion potential

None

• Job family (Series)

0801 General Engineering

• Supervisory status

Yes

• Security clearance

Other

• Drug test

No

• Position sensitivity and risk

Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

• Trust determination process

Suitability/Fitness

• Announcement number

CBTE-12185304-24-GT

• Control number

757622700

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This job is open to

• The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

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Duties

This position is responsible for providing professional engineering direction to ensure compliance with legislative and accrediting requirements at the Medical Center. These requirements include Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These requirements also include state, and local authorities having specific jurisdiction concerning protection and quality of life and environment, as well as accrediting bodies such as the Joint Commission (TJC), College of American Pathologists (CAP), and others. The Assistant Chief Engineer develops policies and procedures to comply with these frequently conflicting requirements, while minimizing adverse impact to patient care.

The Assistant Chief must be competent 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

• VA Inter-Administration Stakeholder Collaboration.

General Duties

• Plan, organize, direct, evaluate, and manage processes for Service Line programs, which include setting qualitative and quantitative standards.

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

• Oversee the Joint Commission (TJC) Environment of Care Programs for Utility Systems Management, Safety, Life Safety, and Water Management for both medical center campuses and all CBOCs.

Engineering Program Management and Administration

• Strengthen and enhance healthcare facility engineering and operations.

• A 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.

• Establish policy and budget for the Medical Center and all Engineering Service programs for long and short-term planning.

• Collaborate with operations and program managers to ensure integrated goals and priorities for Engineering Service are met.

• Facilitate stakeholder understanding of clinic program desires and engineering, technical, facility, and infrastructure requirements and capabilities.

Budgeting and Financial Management Work

• Provide budget and financial management for Engineering Service including budget formulation, justification, execution, and financial reporting.

• Identify functional requirements for current and future programs inclusive of life-cycle costs.

• Provide advice to management and program personnel on budgetary and finance issues.

• As top advisor to management, provide budget management for major, unstable programs.

Research and Analysis Work

• Research and analyze problems, issues, or program requirements related to all areas of the facility and all facets of Engineering Service.

• Provide expert analysis and advice on complex program issues.

• Identify relevant issues based on operations and changing program requirements.

• Devise new analytical techniques to evaluate findings.

• Research and provide 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).

Professional Engineering/Architectural Analysis and Advice

• Regularly meet with Engineers from across the country and VA Leadership from the Office of Capital Asset Management and Engineering Support (OCAMES).

• Assist 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.

• Mentor newer personnel and help them learn to manage an engineering department.

Performs Construction Administration Work

• Responsible for the development and implementation of the Medical Center's capital improvement program.

• Works with medical activities to identify additional space needs and needed renovations.

• Coordinates and oversees scheduling and layout of operations, inspection and surveillance of materials, methods, and equipment used in construction and renovation managed by subordinate engineers and engineering technicians.

Work Schedule: 8AM-4:30PM, M-F

Telework: Not Available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

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Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.

• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.

• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.

• You may be required to serve a probationary period.

• Subject to background/security investigation.

• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.

• Must 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).

• Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.

Qualifications

• This is an Open Continuous vacancy announcement.

Applicants will be referred periodically throughout the announcement period at any time a vacancy becomes available and selections may be made at any point during the announcement open period.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS: To qualify for appointment to this position, all applicants must possess the following:

Citizenship: Be a citizen 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).

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

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 DETERMINATION. In addition to the basic requirements outlined above, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.

Supervisory Healthcare Engineer (Deputy), GS-13.

Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to meeting the experience requirements for this grade level, the candidate must fully demonstrate the following KSAs:

• 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.

Assignment: This Supervisory Healthcare Engineer, GS-13, position is the deputy to the Supervisory Healthcare Engineer, GS-14, who supervises professional engineers and other support. They supervise the engineering service to accomplish the operations of the service. The deputy, as an assistant chief, in this position exercises the full range of supervisory responsibility to include but not limited to development of performance standards and performance evaluations, recommendations for appointment, awards, advancements, and when appropriate, disciplinary actions and identification of continuing training needs. Assistant Chiefs provide a safe, reliable and precisely controlled operating environment for direct patient care.

Physical Requirements. You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13 .

References: VA Handbook 5005/150 Part II, Appendix G72

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: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. 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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit or 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.

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.

Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process.

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.

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• 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 window

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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.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

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 Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.