Job opening: Supervisory Healthcare Engineer (Assistant Chief)
Salary: $149 599 - 194 484 per year
Published at: Aug 13 2024
Employment Type: Full-time
The San Diego VA Medical Center is seeking a Supervisory Healthcare Engineer. This position serves as the Assistant Chief, Engineering Service with responsibility for the professional Engineering programs such as Maintenance and Repair, Utility Plant Operations, and Projects Management section at a multi-faceted and affiliated VA Medical Center, including outlying Community Based Outpatient Clinics.
Duties
VA Careers - Healthcare Engineer: vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-General-Engineer-Career-Flyer.pdf
The Supervisory Healthcare Engineer (Assistant Chief) GS-13 is responsible for the planning, organizing, directing, evaluating, and management process for Service Line programs, which include setting qualitative and quantitative standards. This position develops and provides the Executive Leadership Team and the clinical staff information on the methods, techniques, and procedures necessary to integrate the Engineering, Maintenance, Biomedical, Capital Management, and other Engineering programs into the mission of the Medical Center. This position oversees the Joint Commission (TJC) Environment of Care Programs for as related to the section for Utility Systems Management, Safety, Life Safety, and Medical Equipment Management for both this Medical Center and all Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs).
Major Duties include but is not limited to:
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, Engineering Service. 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.
This position has significant decision-making authority, responsibility, and accountability on issues affecting all of Engineering Service. This position collaborates with operations and program managers to ensure integrated goals and priorities for Engineering Service are met. This position also works closely with peers in other service lines to meet their needs as internal customers and the needs of external customers as well. The Assistant Chief Engineer facilitates stakeholder understanding of clinic program desires and engineering, technical, facility, and infrastructure requirements and capabilities. The Assistant Chief is knowledgeable of, and plays in integral role in the accomplishment of, overall VISN and Medical Center goals, missions, and priorities to assure a positive impact on other programs and resources.
This position oversees human resources management matters for the services, including development and implementation of succession and workforce plans. The This position manages human resource functions such as performance, training and development, hiring, and firing. This position determines organizational changes in key positions within the Service; ensures internal personnel-related programs are dealt with in a timely and efficient manner; communicates agency and local policies and priorities to all employees within the Service; delegates to each section supervisor the authority and responsibility to carry out assigned tasks; follows progress of each and recommends improvement to be made where warranted; ensures labor/management relations are maintained in accordance with Medical Center policy; and procedures and that other requirements such as effective use of performance standards, EEO policies, and other personnel-related rules and regulations are effectively enforced.
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.
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). Provides for the overall administrative management for M&O Section. Complies with policies concerning asbestos containing environments.
Work Schedule: Monday-Friday: 8:00am-4:30pm (TBD)
Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
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:
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
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
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 (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).
Grandfathering Provision.:
All individuals employed in VHA in this occupational series or in another occupational series performing the duties as described in the qualification standard on the effective date of this qualification standard, are considered to have met all the qualification requirements for the grade held including positive education that is part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements of this standard, but met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to the position.
Grade Determinations: Supervisory Healthcare Engineer, GS-13
Experience: In addition to meeting the basic requirements listed above, applicants must meet 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-12.
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 11 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.
Assignment: For all supervisory assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity, difficulty, range of variety and be performed by the incumbent as a major duty at least 25% of the time. The incumbent must supervise staff for at least 25% of the time, administratively and technically at the full performance grade level or below. This Supervisory Healthcare Engineer, GS-13, position is the deputy to the Supervisory Healthcare Engineer, GS- 14, who supervises professional engineers and other support staff. They supervise the engineering service to accomplish the operations of the service. The deputy, as an assistant chief, in this position exercises the full range of supervisory responsibility to include but not limited to development of performance standards and performance evaluations, recommendations for appointment, awards, advancements, and when appropriate, disciplinary actions and identification of continuing training needs. The deputy provides a safe, reliable and precisely controlled operating environment for direct patient care. They are experts in the design, sustainment and improvement of the medical care environment, including all hospital building features, automated building management and environmental control systems, critical utility systems and medical equipment technology. They work under the authority and direction of the Supervisory Healthcare Engineer, GS-14, and may collaborate directly with executive leadership, medical staff, nursing staff and other clinical personnel regarding the design and operation of the environment for medical care. They manage the healthcare system's capital assets program and construction projects. They educate and advise clinical staff on the safe use of critical building features, utility systems and fire prevention systems as they relate to the environment of care. They educate and advise clinical staff on medical equipment technology including selection, operation, safety and security. Deputies/Assistant Chiefs ensure the healthcare system complies with a multitude of VA established or adopted standards, codes, accreditation and regulatory requirements including, but not limited to, those issued by TJC, OSHA and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
References: VA Handbook 5005/150, Part II, Appendix G72. Healthcare Engineer Qualification Standard, GS-0801.
https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.
The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13
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 position 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 including asbestos containing environment. The work is oversight in various areas throughout the medical center and clinics and physical effort will 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
- Education:
- 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
- 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
- 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.
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 San Diego VA Medical Center
3350 La Jolla Village Drive
San Diego, CA 92161
US
- Name: Mark Pick
- Phone: 602-277-5551 X3300
- Email: [email protected]
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