This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application.

Duties

The position serves as a Project Engineer at the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System. This position performs project planning, produces designs, manages designs, manages construction, and provides construction administration for Minor Construction Projects, Non-Recurring Maintenance (NRM) Projects, Station Level Projects, and Leases, including all areas and aspects (architectural, electrical, life safety, mechanical, civil, structural, etc.) Performs Healthcare Planning/Design Management The position determines the requirements for healthcare projects in relation to the needs of the Healthcare System, inclusive of the parent site, as well as off-site locations under the auspice of the Healthcare System, whether VA owned or leased. The position provides a broad review of all disciplines of Engineering when applied to a healthcare environment to support construction document reviews and preparation. Working knowledge of The Joint Commission (TJC) requirements, NFPA 101 the Life Safety Code and NFPA 99 Healthcare Facilities Code, in addition to VA design requirements. Develops initial concept documents, creates and maintains project and lease applications in multiple VA database system. Performs an array of pre-planning activities that include coordinating cross-departmental planning meetings, developing Scopes of Work, conceptual project designs, and government cost estimates. Develops specifications and plans for alterations, additions to existing buildings, grounds, utility plants and systems, as well as for preparing the site for the installation of highly complex medical equipment ranging from smaller Ultrasound type equipment to larger Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) type equipment, inclusive of building infrastructure systems; mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems. Reviews A/E documents as the technical authority and quality assurance for the medical center. Oversees all phases of assigned projects to ensure integration and coordination within established time frames. B. Manages Healthcare and Associated Building Infrastructure Systems Design and Construction Administration Responsible for reviewing contractor submittals, contractor change order requests. Responsible for training the facility maintenance staff on new equipment or complex utility systems. Lead on most construction projects at the facility and leads inspectors in the oversight of the construction activities along with coordination with the contracted architect and engineering firm of record for the project. Develops and reviews competitive bidding cost estimates for a variety of projects of multiple-use nature. Investigates a variety of problems experienced in construction requiring modification to the original design of the project. Participates in the negotiation and pre-selection, and actively manages design Architect/Engineers (A/E's) contracts. Participates in the development of the independent government estimate (IGE) and negotiations with A/Es to develop professional engineer design products. Position requires frequent interdependent modifications, adaptations, or compromises for successful integration with the existing architectural, structural, mechanical, and electrical systems and environmental conditions, diverse special equipment or functional requirements, and future long-range plans. C. Performs Healthcare Construction Management and Post Project Activities Provides training and guidance to the contractor to improve the contractor's ability to work within the medical facility requirements and confinements to better perform the scope of work. Performs scheduling and layout of construction operations, and inspection and surveillance of materials, methods, and equipment used in construction. Conducts investigations to obtain factual information pertaining to a variety of issues. Responsible for inspecting and coordinating the work of contractors and vendors. Responsible for the project oversight of multi-million-dollar, complex healthcare projects, the position reviews work performed by inspectors, internal and contracted, to ensure project requirements are being met. Oversees the administration of architect-engineer and construction contracts in their role as the Project Manager. Constantly changing priorities and deadlines. Utility and equipment failures must be addressed immediately. D. Medical Infrastructure Planning Provides oversight on the construction projects, space functional changes, and associated planning with respect to medical technologies, medical-related technologies, and building infrastructure systems. Provides project management for the planning, construction design reviews, construction and equipment installation. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:00am - 3:30pm Telework: Not Available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: May be Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required.

Requirements

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. Basic Requirements: Citizenship. Citizen of the United States. 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. 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. 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: Healthcare Engineer, GS-07 Experience. Basic education requirement. Healthcare Engineer, GS-09 Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade (GS-07). Examples of experience include, performing under close supervision of a supervisor or qualified individual who reviews and ensures the employee meets competency requirements. Performing general healthcare engineering assignments to gain knowledge and experience necessary to support engineering operations, project management and compliance. KSAs In addition to meeting the experience requirements for this grade level, the candidate must fully 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. Healthcare Engineer, GS-11 Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade (GS-09). Experience includes completing 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. KSAs In addition to meeting the experience requirements for this grade level, the candidate must fully demonstrate the following KSAs: (a) Knowledge of either mechanical, electrical, structural, civil or other engineering/architectural principles, practices and their applications in the healthcare environment. (b) Knowledge of basic project management principles as applied to the healthcare setting. (c) Ability to apply healthcare engineering related standards, codes, policies and regulations, inclusive of, state and local codes. (d) Ability to communicate effective orally and in writing with internal and external customers with tact and diplomacy. (e) Ability to develop material for clinical or administrative staff that addresses the principles and application of engineering technology and/or theory used in healthcare. (f) Ability to advise staff on emerging engineering technology related to a healthcare facility, while keeping abreast of changes in such technology and utilizing the information to solve healthcare facility engineering challenges. Healthcare Engineer, GS-12 (Full Performance Level) Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade (GS-11). Examples of experience include, but are not limited to functioning on a semi-independent basis with limited oversight by senior Healthcare Engineers. Conducting audits and inspections of worksites to assure compliance, prepare reports and findings, devise solutions and implement corrective actions with limited oversight. Performing project management related to the healthcare setting with limited oversight. KSAs In addition to meeting the experience requirements for this grade level, the candidate must fully demonstrate the following KSAs: (a) Knowledge of mechanical, electrical, structural, civil and other engineering/architectural principles, practices and their applications in the healthcare environment. (b) 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. (c) Knowledge of construction standards, methods, practices and techniques, materials and equipment to determine compliance with engineering regulations and standards. (d) 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. (e) Ability to plan and execute complex, multi-faceted projects and inspections while prioritizing resources against approved scopes of work, contract documents and budgets. (f) Ability to organize and lead multi-disciplinary task forces with members from different departments and divisions, as well as design and construction firms. References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G72 (VHA Healthcare Engineer Qualification Standard) The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-7 to GS-12. Physical Requirements: The work environment involves everyday risks or discomforts that require normal safety precautions typical of such places as offices, training rooms, and libraries. The work area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. The incumbent must also work outdoors in all types of weather. There may be occasional exposure to moderate risks or discomforts in storage areas or hazardous waste sites. The work is primarily sedentary, although some physical effort may be required, e.g., walking, standing, climbing ladders, stooping, kneeling, and carrying light items such as manuals or briefcases, or driving or traveling by motor vehicle.

Education

IMPORTANT: 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 Pittsburgh VA Medical Center 1010 Delafield Road Pittsburgh, PA 15215 US
• Name: Chase Wilkins
• Phone: (412) 395-6108
• Email: [email protected]