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, and affiliated VA Medical Center, including outlying Community Based Outpatient Clinics.

Duties

Engineering Program Management and Administration: The Assistant Chief Engineer is responsible for strengthening and enhancing healthcare facility engineering and operations. The Assistant Chief Engineer is a key managerial advisor reporting directly to the Chief Engineer. This position acts in the full authority and capacity of the Chief in his/her absence, and is relied on for authoritative advice on all aspects of engineering matters. This position 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. This position is involved with long and short-range planning, establishing policy, and budgeting for the Medical Center, as well as for all Engineering Service programs. Budgeting/Financial Management Work: Provides for the budgeting and financial management for Engineering Service. This includes budget formulation, justification, and execution; financial management; and financial reporting. The Assistant Chief Engineer identifies functional requirements for current and future programs inclusive of life-cycle costs. Provides advice to management and program personnel on budgetary and finance issues. As top advisor to management, provides budget management for major, unstable programs. Exercises responsibility for budget formulation, presentation, and execution. Maintains awareness of and information about the overall status of financial resources for the office in order to react to changing situations with timely recommendations. Participates with management in defending the budget before senior level management. Interacts and negotiates on adjustments or reprogramming in support of major program changes or requirements. Reviews for financial impact. Research and Analysis Work: Researches and/or analyzes problems, issues, or program requirements related to all areas of the facility and all facets of Engineering Service. Provides expert analysis and advice on complex program issues. Based on operations and changing program requirements, identifies relevant issues. Collects relevant information from many varied sources, some of which are difficult to access. Devises new analytical techniques to evaluate findings. Makes authoritative recommendations. Researches and provides 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: This position serves as the Assistant Chief Engineer within a medical center/VISN/VACO hierarchy. In this capacity he meets regularly with other Engineers from across the country and VA Leadership from the Office of Capital Asset Management and Engineering Support (OCAMES). This position interfaces between VACO and the other Engineers in VISN, and the VISN Capital Asset Manager. This position assists the 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. The Assistant Chief is also required to mentor other newer engineers and help them learn the things they need to know to manage an engineering department. Performs Construction Administration Work: This position is responsible for development and implementation of the Medical Center's capital improvement program. This position works with medical activities to identify additional space needs and needed renovations. This position establishes leases as needed. Identified needs are individually transformed to engineering requirements, estimated, accomplished locally, or included as part of a comprehensive plan for agency funding. 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. Provides technical resource information to other engineering supervisors. Applicants must have engineering experience within a healthcare facility. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday / 0800 - 1630 Compressed/Flexible:Available Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: Supervisory Healthcare Engineer - GS-13 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

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. (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, OR (4) 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. 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: 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: (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. Preferred Experience: 1. Experience in application of mechanical, electrical, structural, civil, or other engineering/architectural principles, practices, and their applications in the healthcare environment. 2. Experience applying healthcare engineering related standards, codes, policies, and regulations, inclusive of, state and local codes. 3. Knowledge of management principles and techniques in the areas of regulatory compliance and safety, contracting, long and short-term fiscal and operational planning, systems analysis and metric establishment, programmatic efficiency and effectiveness, strategic capital/financial investment planning, and energy conservation. 4. Experience in conducting audits and inspections of worksites to assure compliance, prepare reports and findings, devise solutions and implement corrective actions. References: VA Handbook 5005-150, Part II, Appendix G72, Healthcare Engineer Qualification Standard. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-13. Applicants must have engineering experience within a healthcare facility. Physical Requirements: Moderate lifting, (15-44 lbs), Light carrying, (under 15 pounds), Reaching above shoulder, walking (3 hrs), standing (2 hrs), crawling (2 hrs), kneeling (2 hrs), repeated bending (2 hrs), climbing (3 hrs), both legs required, operation of motor vehicle, ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously, Near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4, Specific visual requirement DVA/20/40 correctable, both eyes required, depth perception, ability to distinguish basic colors, hearing (aid may be permitted), mental and emotional stability.

Education

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


Note: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application.

Note: 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. ABET | ABET Accreditation

Contacts

• Address Audie L Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital 7400 Merton Minter Boulevard San Antonio, TX 78229 US
• Name: VISN 17 SSU USAS Group
• Email: [email protected]