The Technical Career Field (TCF) is a national workforce development program within VHA that was designed to replenish technical staff in critically identified positions. This Healthcare Engineer Trainee position is located in the Engineering Service at the VA Boston Healthcare System (West Roxbury campus). This position is full-time at 40 hours per week.

Duties

The Technical Career Field (TCF) is a national workforce development program within VHA that was designed to replenish technical staff in critically identified positions. The TCF career fields represent those technical fields where VA-specific knowledge and experience is desirable for success in the field. Individuals selected follow a formal training plan for two years during which they are trained, coached, and supervised by a preceptor. Preceptors are selected annually, through an extensive application process, for their technical expertise, their commitment to training and the suitability of their facility as a training location. *Selectees will be required to sign Mobility, Training, and Continued Service Agreements. This is a developmental position leading to a GS-12, performing assignments intended to broaden skills and provide practical experience leading to progressively more complex assignments performed under progressively less supervision. You will ultimately acquire the background necessary to perform at the full performance level of GS-12. Promotion is at the discretion of the supervisor and is contingent upon satisfactory performance, availability of higher level work, and availability of funds. Promotion Progression: This position is being hired at the GS-07/09 grade levels. During this program, when trainees meet administrative and qualification requirements and have been in their hiring grade for a minimum of one year, they can be promoted to the next higher grade level. NOTE: Trainees cannot be promoted beyond the established promotion potential of the position (GS-12). At the GS-7 entry level, this is a 2-year long program, the incumbent performs general healthcare engineering assignments to gain knowledge and experience necessary to support engineering operations, project management and compliance. At the GS-9 grade level, this is a 1-year long program, the incumbent functions in a developmental capacity with oversight by a supervisor for more complex assignments. Job duties include using basic engineering principles to provide limited professional services for the institution; performing general healthcare engineering assignments to gain knowledge and experience necessary to support engineering operations, project management and compliance; assessing healthcare facility programs and making recommendations to assure compliance with relevant regulations, guidelines and standards; applying engineering and code related knowledge to support the operational engineering requirements of the healthcare system; and preparing material on current technical topics and trends for presentation to the supervisor. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required

Requirements

Qualifications

Coverage. The above listed qualification requirements are for appointment as a Healthcare Engineer in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). These requirements apply to all VHA general engineers employed in the General Schedule (GS) 0801 series. BASIC REQUIREMENTS. To qualify for appointment to this position, all applicants must possess the following: a. Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States. b. Education. (1) 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 (2) 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 (3) 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. c. English Language Proficiency. Healthcare Engineer candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7403(f). GRADE DETERMINATIONS. In addition to the basic requirements above, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. a. Healthcare Engineer, GS-07 (1) Experience. None beyond the basic requirements. (2) Assignment. At the entry level, Healthcare Engineers serve in a career development position, performing under close supervision of a supervisor or qualified individual who reviews and ensures the employee meets competency requirements. At the entry level, they perform general healthcare engineering assignments to gain knowledge and experience necessary to support engineering operations, project management and compliance. Developmental assignments include, but are not limited to, assessing healthcare facility programs and making recommendations to assure compliance with relevant regulations, guidelines and standards; applying engineering and code related knowledge to support the operational engineering requirements of the healthcare system; and preparing material on current technical topics and trends for presentation to the supervisor. NOTE: A two-year formal training program is required. b. Healthcare Engineer, GS-09 (1) Experience or Education. Candidates at this level must meet one of the following:(a) One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade; OR (b) Master of Engineering degree or Master of Architecture degree or Master of Science degree in Engineering or a related field of study as outlined above; OR (c) Bachelor's degree as outlined above 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. (2) Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: (a) Knowledge of the principles, theories, concepts and practices of the engineering profession. (b) Ability to interpret relevant codes, regulations, guidelines and standards to make recommendations to assure compliance with healthcare facility programs. (c) Ability to understand the operational professional engineering needs of clinical services in the healthcare system. (d) 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. (3) Assignment. At the developmental level 1, Healthcare Engineers receive guidance from more experienced staff members and require frequent and direct supervision. Employees complete technical assignments in the engineering field as assigned by senior Healthcare Engineers and may be required to rotate through, and participate in, the operations of other hospital services. At the GS-9 grade level, employees function in a developmental capacity with oversight by a supervisor for more complex assignments. NOTE: A one-year formal training program is required. Definitions. a. Creditable Experience. To be creditable, the experience must have been accomplished after satisfying the basic education requirement as outlined in this appendix, required the use of knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) directly applicable to the assignment and be associated within the scope of the healthcare engineering profession. b. Quality of Experience. Qualifying experience must be at a level comparable to healthcare engineering experience at the next lower grade level of the position being filled. For all assignments above the full performance level, 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 be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. c. Part-Time Experience. Part-time experience is creditable according to its relationship to a full-time workweek. For example, an individual employed 20 hours per week, or on a half time basis, would receive one full-time work week of credit for each two weeks of service. Physical Requirements: Work will involve office work (50%) and some physical exertion such as walking, bending, stooping, climbing in utility rooms crawlspaces, attics, boiler and chiller plant (50%). Such work will require an average amount of agility and dexterity. Reference: VA Handbook 5005/150, Part II, Appendix G72 dated March 18, 2022

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Foreign Education. To be creditable, engineering, architecture or related education completed outside the U.S. must be submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education must have been deemed at least equivalent to a Bachelor's degree as outlined this appendix.

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.

Contacts

• Address VA Boston Healthcare System 940 Belmont Street Brockton, MA 02301 US
• Name: Jonathan Montgomery
• Phone: 734-905-2529
• Email: [email protected]