The Healthcare Engineer serves as a Project Engineer within Facilities Management at the Western North Carolina VA Healthcare System in Asheville, NC. 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 at the Charles George VA Medical Center and associated Community Based Outpatient Clinics.

Duties

The duties and responsibilities of the Healthcare Engineer includes, but is not limited to the following: A. 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 Western North Carolina Healthcare System whether VA owned or leased. Evaluates how to accomplish the requirements of the project and determines the associated risks necessary to complete the construction within the healthcare facility and identify ways to mitigate project risk. Responsible for determining what temporary means and methods are necessary to be execute to reduce any risk of danger to patients or staff while a standard of medical care is met for all patients. A detailed knowledge of healthcare operations is required to include how utilities and services support healthcare operations for each type of care provided. Responsible for evaluating programs and projects to assure compliance with all environmental, safety and security standards. Plans and designs a phased approach for the means and methods of construction activities to be executed for complex medical construction projects in order to minimize risk and impact to patients and patient care operations and the daily patient treatment procedures that cannot be impacted without severe patient hazard. Performs other duties as assigned as it relates to Healthcare Planning/Design Management B. Manages Healthcare Design and Construction Administration The Healthcare Engineer uses independent seasoned engineering judgment in evaluating and performing scheduling and layout of operations, inspection, and surveillance of materials, methods, and equipment used in construction. Responsible for reviewing contractor submittals, contractor change order requests, assuring project compliance with drawings and specifications, administering A/E and VA Headquarters review processes, assuring safety practices, and making sound engineering recommendations to appropriate leadership for action. Responsible for managing and dealing with constantly changing priorities and deadlines based on engineering workload. Responsible for prioritizing frequent request and demands while still maintaining continuity of operations of the medical facility. Responsible for training the facility maintenance staff on new equipment or complex utility systems to ensure the staff have the comprehensions, qualifications and understanding of the systems to maintain and operate. Provides technical troubleshooting techniques to evaluate and provide in-depth forensic data to why specialized medical systems, utility and/or components of the facility have failed. Performs other duties as assigned as it relates to managing healthcare design and construction administration. C. Performs Healthcare Construction Management and Post Project Activities The Healthcare Engineer provides direction and guidance to the contractor for construction within the facility. Provides approvals on means and methods performance of work and how it is conducted within a medical environment to ensure impacts of the construction does not impact patient care operation or provides a risk to patients or staff. Responsible for a working knowledge of Infection Control and the requirements to be followed included in the Risk Assessments, their application in the healthcare environment, and methods necessary to retain separation of active construction from the healthcare environment. Performs Scheduling and layout of construction operations and inspection and surveillance of materials, methods, and equipment used in construction. Prepares sketches or changes to construction drawings and specifications providing solutions to problems and incorporates these change documents into the contract performance documents. Performs other duties as assigned as it relates to performing healthcare construction management and post project activities. Other Areas of Focus assigned to the Healthcare Engineer include the following: Medical Infrastructure Planning Regulatory Agencies Network Security Work Schedule:M-F 0800 - 4:30PM Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): A Recruitment/Relocation Incentive has been authorized for this position. Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of existing pay, higher or unique qualifications, or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade). Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year)

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: 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. 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. May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (referenced below). 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 in (1) above (DOCUMENTATION OF EQUIVALENCY REQUIRED). Grade Determinations: GS-12: (1) Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade. (2) 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 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 - Healthcare Engineer Qualification Standard. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. Physical Requirements: Work is performed under a variety of-conditions at construction sites (indoor, outdoor, dirty, dusty, greasy, hot, damp, etc.) and in an office or shop setting. Normal safety precautions apply with use of safety shoes and hard hats regularly, and special equipment occasionally. Incumbent will be required to visit a variety of hospital environments, including general medical and surgical, neuropsychiatry, nursing home care, and research. There is occasional exposure to high voltage, high noise levels, and the possibility of electrical shock, bums, cuts, and bruises.

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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Contacts

• Address Charles George VA Medical Center 1100 Tunnel Road Asheville, NC 28805 US
• Name: John Westling
• Phone: 828-333-3451
• Email: [email protected]