Job description

Supervisory Healthcare Engineer (Deputy - Deputy Chief Engineer)

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

Veterans Health Administration

VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System (VASNHS), Engineering Service

Summary

The Supervisory Healthcare Engineer serves as the Deputy Chief, sharing responsibility with the Chief Engineer for the professional Engineering programs such as Maintenance and Repair (M&R), Utility Plant Operations (OPS), Communication and Electronics (E-Shop), Energy Management and Conservation Program, Fleet Management, Grounds Maintenance, Leased Facilities, Records Management, Capital Planning, and Construction Project Management section at a multi-faceted and affiliated VA Medical Center.

This job is open to

The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Clarification from the agency

This open, continuous announcement is open to US Citizens only. Applications submitted before 2/24/2023 will be rated for referral. Further ratings will occur every 2 weeks thereafter until position is filled. Once a selection has been made, no further candidates will be rated and referred unless further vacancies occur. This announcement may be cancelled at any time.

Duties

Major duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to the following;

• Serves as key managerial advisor reporting directly to the Chief Engineer.
• Acts in the full authority and capacity of the Chief in his or her absence, and is relied on for authoritative advice on all aspects of engineering matters.
• Provides management support and technical expert consultation to the Chief Engineer.
• Plans, organizes, directs, evaluates, and management process for the Engineering Service that includes setting qualitative and quantitative standards.
• Oversees human resources management matters for the services, including development and implementation of succession and workforce plans.
• Supports the VISN Capital and Energy Engineers in the administration of the programs.
• Serves as a member of and routinely participates on VISN and national committees and work groups.
• Supports the Strategic Capital Investment Planning (SCIP) process as part of the Medical Center planning team.
• Creates and supports programs to ensure the healthcare system manages and maintains fire safety equipment, systems, and life safety building features.
• Identifies risks associated with highly sophisticated utility systems and the general physical environment.
• Provides professional engineering direction to ensure compliance with legislative and accrediting requirements at the Medical Center.
• Maintaining effective relations with local Government agencies, Labor Unions, Professional Engineering Societies, Affiliated Universities, Research Program Leaders and other interested organizations as required.
• Maintaining the precisely controlled research laboratory environment, where advanced equipment and instrumentation is utilized in conducting VA Research Programs.
• Provides for the budgeting and financial management for Engineering Service.
• Researches and/or analyzes problems, issues, or program requirements related to all areas of the facility and all facets of Engineering Service.
• Plans and/or accomplishes special projects.
• Assists the VISN offices and other engineers by providing technical advice and input on a wide range of engineering issues, including the Strategic Capital Investment Plan, Capital Asset Inventory, Capital Asset Resource Survey, Deferred Maintenance, management of an engineering department, and a myriad of engineering related topics.
• Develops and maintains performance monitoring, tracking and reporting systems to meet program performance standards as defined at the national, VISN level, and medical center level.
• Develops and implements the Medical Center's capital improvement program.
• Develops technical data regarding materials, sizes, dimensions, quantities, and costs to be incorporated in formal specifications.
• Prepares correspondence, technical reports, estimates, fact sheets, status reports, and schedules as required to complete project assignments.

Location: Las Vegas, NV

Salary: $107,205 - $139,364 per year

Pay Scale & Grade: GS-13

Work Schedule: Monday to Friday, 7:30 am - 4:00 pm.
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 593-00391
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: AUTHORIZED
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.

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.
• 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 as outlined in paragraph 3.b. of this appendix.
• Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements.
• 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:

GS-13
Experience
One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade.

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 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). In summary, they apply engineering concepts and methodologies to enhance the delivery of healthcare by providing a technologically advanced, safe and reliable healthcare environment. They coordinate the operational planning, organizing, directing, evaluating and management process for service line programs, which may include setting qualitative and quantitative standards. They may develop and provide the Executive Leadership Team and the clinical staff information on the methods, techniques and procedures necessary to integrate engineering, maintenance, biomedical, capital management and other engineering programs into the mission of the medical center. They assist the Supervisory Healthcare Engineer, GS-14, with oversight of the TJC, Environment of Care Programs for Utility Systems Management, Safety, Life Safety and Medical Equipment Management for both their assigned medical center and all CBOCs.

References: VA Handbook 5005/150, Part II, Appendix G72. Healthcare Engineer Qualification Standard, GS-0801, Veterans Health Administration, March 18, 2022.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-13.

Physical Requirements: Project inspections require a great deal of walking, climbing, standing and bending. Inspections may also require carrying of moderate loads such as tools and measuring equipment common to the position.

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.

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $107,205.00 - $139,364.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Experience level:

• 1 year

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Monday to Friday

Ability to commute/relocate:

• North Las Vegas, NV 89086: Reliably commute or planning to relocate before starting work (Required)

Application Question(s):

• Must be a U.S. Citizen

Willingness to travel:

• 25% (Preferred)

Work Location: In person

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