Serves as the Assistant Chief (Deputy), at ECHS, with responsibility for the 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, Capital Planning, and Construction Project Management section at a multi- faceted and affiliated VA Medical Center, including outlying Community Based Outpatient Clinics.

Duties

The Assistant Chief must be competent in many aspects of managing VHA Healthcare Facility Engineering Programs including Interdisciplinary Engineering Coordination and Integration; Facility Maintenance and Operations Management; Construction Development, Management, and Oversight; Healthcare Facility Engineering Program Administration; Healthcare Regulatory, Safety, and Accreditation Compliance; Strategic Planning; Technical Personnel Supervision; and VA Inter- Administration Stakeholder Collaboration. This position 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 Utility Systems Management, Safety, Life Safety, and Medical Equipment Management for both this Medical Center and all Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs). In the absence of the Chief Engineer, the Assistant Chief has the full authority to act on behalf of the Chief Engineer. The VA Medical Center manages an active Medical Research program. The research program is operated in a precisely controlled laboratory environment, utilizing advanced equipment and instrumentation that the Assistant Chief Engineer is responsible to reliably maintain. The VA Medical Center has numerous affiliation agreements with academic institutions across the region. Active medical school affiliations, with the influx of medical students and residents along with consulting and attending physicians who supervise them, create additional problems in personnel and resource management. The rapid turnover of the medical school affiliates, and their unfamiliarity with government hospital operations, make it especially critical for the Assistant Chief engineer to support management's efforts to establish stable and effective management systems to integrate these affiliates into the healthcare organization and its patient care program. 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. The Assistant Chief, Engineering Service provides management support and technical expert consultation to the Chief Engineer for all issues relative to the areas listed above. 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. Work Schedule: Monday- Friday 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM Telework: Ad-Hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 554-55127-0 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized

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. 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 Exam 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 from any State, the District of Columbia, Guam or Puerto Rico. 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. Language: Healthcare Engineer candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403 (f). Grade Determinations: Supervisory Healthcare Engineer (Deputy), 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: Knowledge of the management of overall healthcare system resources, (i.e., finances, space, equipment, supplies, schedules and staffing). Knowledge of mechanical, electrical, structural, civil and other engineering/architectural principles, practices and their applications as related to healthcare facilities. Skill in using effective communication in managing interpersonal relationships with internal and external customers, stakeholders, executive leadership, labor representatives and managers. Skill in balancing priorities, delegating tasks and meeting multiple competing deadlines. Skill in interpreting broad or general national policies and guidelines and adapting/applying them to specific compliant programs at the local healthcare system. Skill in recognizing and assessing evolving scenarios, utilizing initiative, self-direction and assigned resources to affect resolutions. Ability to analyze complex organizational problems and develop and implement effective solutions that result in efficient operations. 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. 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. Ability to interview candidates for positions, recommend appointments, advancements, or when appropriate, disciplinary actions; evaluate performance and identify continuing education and training needs. Requires a Valid and Unrestricted Drivers License Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for 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 Chief Engineer 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Contacts

• Address VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System 1700 N Wheeling St Aurora, CO 80045 US
• Name: VISN 19 HR Contact Center
• Phone: 719-227-4600
• Email: [email protected]