Serves as Energy Manager and resident expert for the assigned Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Healthcare Systems (HCSs) in support of VHAWPB, VISN, VA Central Office (VACO) and Executive Office of the President execution of law, executive order or VA policy in which energy management is the primary concern.

Duties

The position functions as West Palm Beach VA Medical Center Energy Manager or for at least one VAHCS comprised of one or more VA owned VA Medical Centers (VAMCs), Healthcare Centers (HCCs), Outpatient Clinics (OPCs) and smaller miscellaneous facilities as well as leased spaces including VA clinics (formerly Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs), warehouses and administrative offices operated by the VAHCS. Primary duties and responsibilities of the Energy Manager include but not limited to: Conduct condition assessments for HVAC, lighting, electrical distribution, building envelope, steam and chilled water generation systems, domestic hot water, and other energy and water utilities within the VISN using industry standard energy analysis tools to identify usage and minimize energy consumption; the energy manager must be proficient in the use of energy survey equipment (light meters, electric power meters, watt meters, hydronic flow meters and hot wire anemometers) and computerized energy survey software (FEDS, ASEAM, HAP, or equal computer applications. Leads the development, manages and supports the West Palm Beach Medical Center and VISN's Energy Savings Performance Contracts (ESPC) or Utility Energy Services Contracts (UESC). These projects have construction costs between $100,000 to $50 million in aggregate. Plan, direct, and coordinate activities of designated projects with energy savings companies to ensure that goals or objectives of the project are accomplished within prescribed time frames, contract requirements and funding parameters. Implements energy conservation initiatives and prepares project submission documents for cost effective energy conservation retrofit projects. Prepare and monitor utility budgets, advising management of potential budget shortfalls and other factors that may influence the energy budget. Works with the VAHCS's Operations and Maintenance Section to analyze and improve utility system energy performance, initiate, and provide support for the development of operational procedures and controls, including but not limited to the following: Monitor utility systems components looking for significant changes in consumption rates or replacement quantities. Evaluate date complied from the Building Automation System (BAS), looking for trends, such as under and over utilized cooling or heating hydronic steam flows, air flows and high or low system static pressures. Monitor control and alarm set points within the BAS Work with energy plant personnel to monitor/improve efficiency of boiler and chiller operations. Monitor natural gas and fuel oil prices to determine when utilizing alternate fuel such as fuel oil in facility boilers is of economic benefit to the facility. Review and monitor service contracts and contractor performance for such contracted services associated with water treatment for boilers and chillers, preventative maintenance services for HVAC controls, boilers, chillers, air handlers and other utility systems equipment for scope appropriateness, contractor performance and billing accuracy. Manage the building HVAC automation and energy management system(s) and utility metering initiatives (electrical, water, etc.) ensuring proper use, maintenance, expansion, and administration. Monitoring Commissioning (Cx) and Retro-Cx contracts to ensure optimization and high level performance of facility building service equipment/real property installed equipment (BSE/RPIE) Maintain energy consumption and utility billing related records, analyzes the records to determine energy consumption trends and prepares monthly energy reports to apprise VAHCS management and the VISN of the progress in meeting energy conservation goals. Work closely with the VAHCS Engineering Service Projects Section and Operations and Maintenance staff, the VAHCS Supply Chain Management Service, the VHHCS Equipment Committee, VAHCS Biomed/Healthcare Technology Management (HTM) staff, and other VAHCS services in the selection of the most energy efficient equipment to meet their program requirements. Coordinate energy conservation improvements with environmental, safety & occupational health (ESOH) professionals to ensure any associated ESOH-related benefits are captured, and any associated ESOH relates risks are assessed and controlled. Work Schedule: 7:00am-3:30pm, Monday through Friday Compressed/Flexible:Not authorized Telework: Available, ad-hoc basis Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 41668F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

Basic Requirements: To qualify for appointment to this position, all applicants must possess the following: Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States (U.S.). Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a). Education-Transcripts Supplied 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. 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. 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 the education requirements. To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement. Healthcare Engineer, GS-13. (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: Knowledge of current and evolving concepts and principles of general engineering to resolve novel or obscure problems; extend and modify techniques; develop new approaches that guide other engineers who solve a variety of technical problems; and/or apply new, innovative or experimental advanced engineering theories, developments or practices. Skill in construction, capital planning and multiple healthcare system portfolio management inclusive of budget development and tracking. Skill to collaborate with persons having diverse viewpoints, goals or objectives to achieve a common understanding of the problem and a satisfactory solution by justifying, defending, negotiating or settling controversial and far-reaching matters through active participation in conferences, meetings or presentations. Ability to interpret broad guidelines and exercise considerable judgment and ingenuity in interpreting and adapting existing guides, developing new and improved hypotheses, concepts or approaches to previously tested or reported and/or in developing new policies that advance the organization. Ability to coordinate and interact with regional facilities, national and corresponding staff for the implementation and coordination of policies and program plans to apply prioritization methodologies that align facilities' capital asset requests and develop infrastructure options that result in the efficacious use of regional level capital strategic plans. Ability to adapt and apply trends in healthcare delivery systems that impact long-term capital assets (such as aging equipment and physical plants) for regionally integrated healthcare systems. Ability to consult and collaborate with all organizational levels in a national healthcare organization, outside organizations and businesses regarding both strategic and financial activities of a regional healthcare organization. Ability to implement and/or sustain a capital asset and construction program that meets healthcare facility related standards, codes, policies and regulations inclusive of state and local codes. Assignment. For all assignments above the journey level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty), range of variety and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. At this level, employees are non-supervisory and are typically found at the Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISN) or national program office level, however, employees may be located at the facility level with VISN or national assignments. Healthcare Engineers are the project managers for all VISN or some national level operations, accreditation, construction (major, minor and nonrecurring maintenance) and capital planning activities. At this level, Healthcare Engineers are advanced engineers overseeing engineering and project design programs for several VA Medical Centers (VAMCs) and Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs). They implement value engineering theories and principles and assure the most economical methods of construction or construction materials are utilized and achieve cost efficiency for the Federal Government. They coordinate VISN capital investment project submissions and provide guidance on investment categories, strategies, financial planning and budgeting. Healthcare Engineers evaluate and establish VISN-wide cost estimating strategy. They assist facility management when developing strategies to address the correction of space, functional and operational deficiencies and provide guidance, direction and policy interpretation on sensitive and complex issues in support of the acquisition and administration of all construction projects and capital planning. Preferred Experience: Prefer Energy Manager and Healthcare facility utilities experience. References: VA Handbook 5005/150, Part II, Appendix G72 - Healthcare Engineer Qualification Standard. 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, boiler rooms, mechanical rooms and facility maintenance shop areas. The work area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. Must also work outdoors in all types of weather. There may be occasional exposure to moderate risks or discomforts in accessing boiler plants, chiller plants, cooling towers, roofs, mechanical rooms, basements, pipe chases and sub-basement crawl spaces. 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, drawing rolls, briefcases, test and balancing equipment, or driving, or travelling 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 West Palm Beach VA Medical Center 7305 North Military Trail West Palm Beach, FL 33410 US
• Name: Thomas Ellis
• Phone: 713-791-1414 X141007
• Email: [email protected]