The Equipment Specialist (Power Wheelchair Technician) is responsible for providing subject matter expertise in power mobility equipment, including power wheelchairs, scooters, and vehicle lifts. This will involve, but not be limited to, adjustments and repairs to mechanical and/or electric wheelchairs, scooters, vehicle lifts, program joysticks, repair advanced circuitry, etc. The delivery/pick-up of prosthetics stock inventory and Power Wheelchairs (PWC)/Scooters etc.

Duties

This position is covered by AFGE bargaining unit. Per the Master Agreement, the Area of Consideration will be: FIRST - Facility-wide (including satellites) SECOND - Administration or Staff office posting the vacancy (VHA) The Equipment Specialist works in a health care environment providing items and services to a myriad of customers, and must have knowledge of a wide variety of disabilities both physical and psychological and the impact of these disabilities on our customers. Duties include but may not be limited to:

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/19/2023. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-09 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Working as a skilled mechanic or maintenance worker, sales or service engineer, or planner or estimator in a technical group dealing with manufacture, utilization, repair, or operation of power mobility equipment; Reviewing and applying technical specifications and requirements; Analyzing equipment and forecasting spare parts requirements; Reading and interpreting engineering change orders, equipment requisitions, shop orders, and work orders; Analyzing contract specifications and examining pertinent equipment to determine if specifications are met; Analyzing or supervising maintenance, repair, or production operations to determine methods of improvement; Providing subject matter expertise in power mobility equipment, including power wheelchairs, scooters, and vehicle lifts; Driving a van equipped with power mobility equipment, repair tools, and supplies to anywhere that is requested for repairs and patient contact.. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree, or Ph.D., or equivalent doctoral degree in the related field of the position to be filled. The education portion must include courses that demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. Education must have been obtained in an accredited college, or university. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and completed graduate level education beyond the first 2 years. Example: The position to be filled is a Music Specialist, GS-1051-11. An applicant has 9 months of specialized experience equivalent to GS-9 and 2 1/2 years of creditable graduate level education in music. The applicant meets 75 percent of the required experience and 50 percent of the required education, i.e., the applicant has 1/2 year of graduate study beyond that required for GS-9. Therefore, the applicant exceeds the total requirement and is qualified for the position. (The applicant's first 2 years of graduate study are not qualifying for GS-11.) You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Electrical Equipment Technical Practices (Electrical Electronic) Troubleshooting (Electronic Equipment) Electronics Project Management 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. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Physical Requirements: This position requires the ability to lift and move heavy power mobility equipment, including power wheelchairs and scooters. The Equipment Specialist (Power Wheelchair Technician) must be able to stand, bend, kneel, and reach for extended periods of time. The incumbent must also be able to operate a van equipped with power mobility equipment repair tools and parts. Incumbent will be required to perform maintenance, repairs, and cleaning, which require bending and stooping for prolonged periods of time. Often lifts and carries items weighing more than 50 lbs. Occasionally works in cramped and awkward positions. A physical examination is required prior to being hired for this position. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Education

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

Contacts

• Address Birmingham VA Medical Center 700 South 19th Street Birmingham, AL 35233 US
• Name: VHA National Recruitment Center
• Phone: (844)456-5208
• Email: [email protected]