Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist

Veterans Health Administration; Murfreesboro (TN); On-site; USD 52,000 - 78,000; Full time

Job summary

Veterans Health Administration in Murfreesboro, TN seeks a Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist (BESS) to support lifecycle management of medical equipment across the facility. You will apply engineering and mechanical concepts to maintain diagnostic, therapeutic devices, monitoring systems, and related equipment, ensuring safety and compliance.

The role combines clinical and administrative duties, requiring knowledge of physics, electronics, and basic networking, with documentation of

Qualifications

• U.S. citizenship required.
• Associates or higher in biomedical technology or biomedical engineering.
• Associates or higher in electronics/IT/engineering with 1 year exp.
• Completion of DoD training program for biomedical equipment.
• Certification (CBET/CRES/CLES/CHTM) or grandfathering provision may apply.
• Knowledge of physics, electronics, networking; ability to document services in CMMS; willingness to learn equipment procedures.

Responsibilities

• Support lifecycle management of medical equipment across the facility.
• Provide clinical and administrative support to staff, patients, and administrators.
• Document all services in a computerized maintenance management system.
• Apply engineering concepts to maintenance/repair of diagnostic and therapeutic devices.
• Learn equipment operating and maintenance procedures.

Skills

Physics & physiology

Electronics basics

Networking concepts

Documentation in CMMS

Equipment maintenance procedures

Lifecycle management

Education

Associates or higher in biomedical technology or biomedical engineering

Associates or higher in electronics/IT/engineering + 1 year exp

DOD biomedical equipment technician training

HTM/biomedical certs (CBET/CRES/CLES/CHTM) or grandfathering

Tools

Multimeters

Electrical safety analyzers

Patient simulators

Storage oscilloscopes

Tachometers

Manometers

Job description

Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist (BESS)

The Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist (BESS) provides clinical and administrative support to staff, patients, and administrators for all matters of concern relating to the facility wide lifecycle management of medical equipment. Biomedical support requires the application of engineering and mechanical concepts and methodology to provide lifecycle management and technical support of diagnostic, therapeutic devices, monitoring, and other equipment utilized in the practice of medicine.

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. 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.
• Education, Experience, or Certification. Associates or higher degree in the biomedical technology or biomedical engineering field.
• Education, Experience, or Certification. Associates or higher degree in electronics, a field of information technology, or engineering (other than biomedical engineering) AND 1 year of creditable experience.
• Education, Experience, or Certification. Completion of the Department of Defense (DOD) biomedical equipment technician training program.
• Education, Experience, or Certification. Completion of a DOD training program in repair and maintenance of electronic systems or information technology AND 1 year of creditable experience.
• Education, Experience, or Certification. Completion of a biomedical engineering technician or Healthcare Technology Management (HTM) certificate program that included an internship or apprenticeship.
• Education, Experience, or Certification. Completion of a biomedical engineering technician or HTM certificate program that did not include an internship AND 1 year of creditable experience.
• Education, Experience, or Certification. Hold or having ever held certification as a Certified Biomedical Equipment Technician (CBET), Certified Radiology Equipment Specialist (CRES), Certified Laboratory Equipment Specialist (CLES), or Certified Healthcare Technology Manager (CHTM). Continuous maintenance of certification is not required throughout VHA employment. 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

Employees in VHA in this occupation, under a permanent, appropriate, and legal placement on the effective date of the qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade and assignment held including positive education and certification. For employees who do not meet all the basic or assignment-specific requirements in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed, the following provisions apply: Employees may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level, or be changed to a lower grade within the occupation, but they may not be promoted beyond the journey level or be newly placed in supervisory or managerial positions. Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed on a temporary or permanent basis until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard. Employees retained in this occupation under this provision who subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of re-entry to the occupation.

Grade Determinations

• Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist, GS-05. Experience or Education. None beyond the basic requirements.
• Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist, GS-07. Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade (GS-5).
• Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist, GS-09. Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade (GS-7).

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs)

• Knowledge of physics, anatomy, and physiology.
• Knowledge of electronics such as analog, digital, and microprocessor theory.
• Knowledge of the use of standard level test equipment such as multi-meters, electrical safety analyzers, patient simulators, storage oscilloscopes, manometers, and tachometers.
• Knowledge of basic networking concepts, such as computer and server hardware and software functionality, information technologies and computer virus protection software, available software patches and upgrades, and information security tools (for example, Microsoft Office, Windows operating systems, and McAfee).
• Skill in documenting all services provided in support of medical equipment and clinical systems in a computerized maintenance management system.
• Ability to learn equipment operating and maintenance procedures.
• Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist, GS-09. Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade (GS-7). Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the ca