Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist-Information Systems

Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks; Fayetteville (AR); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

The Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks is seeking a Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist (BESS-Information Systems) to provide leadership and supervision within the Clinical Engineering Section, managing imaging, life support, dialysis, and monitoring network support. The role focuses on lifecycle management, safety, and compliance with regulatory standards.

Ideal candidates will oversee installation and upgrade projects, mentor peers, and ensure recalls and safety alerts are addressed

Responsibilities

• Identifies, troubleshoots, and completes routine and complex assignments across biomedical systems and networks.
• Maintains and updates computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS) with workflow items and recalls.
• Leads lifecycle management of biomedical devices, including imaging and life-support equipment.
• Provides training and mentoring to peers and end users on biomedical technology and information systems.

Job description

Summary

The Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist (BESS-Information Systems) works in support of the Clinical Engineering Section/Biomedical Shop by providing leadership, guidance, and supervision among assigned employees. Manages all medical systems such as imaging, life support, dialysis, and monitoring network support.

Major Duties

Duties include, but are not limited to: Completes both routine and complex assignments involved identifying and troubleshooting issues. Manages, troubleshoots and maintains complete systems of computerized networks, databases and servers including but not limited to biomedical information systems that store or facilitate patient information. Implements and plans for new and emerging technologies including but not limited to diagnostic modalities, network management and storage, and virtual data centers. Designs, implements and manages network incident response due to infection, loss of service or regional and local policy changes according to VA guidelines. As assigned, employee is responsible for lifecycle management of any and all medical devices and systems such as imaging, life support, dialysis, and monitoring to include physical and network support. Maintains functional knowledge of relevant safety codes and standards of regulatory bodies including but not limited to The Joint Commission (TJC), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI), American College of Radiology (ACR), Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS). Documents all work performed in the computerized maintenance management system (CMMS). As assigned, functions as a Contracting Officer Representative (COR) and keeps appropriate certification levels. Investigates, remediates and documents recalls and safety alerts within established timeframes. Maintains knowledge of the state of the art in medical technology, including scientific advances, network protocols, and vendor changes. Focuses on professional development in all areas of medical technology lifecycle management, including technical skills. Knowledge and training is obtained from formal (conference, classes) or informal (magazines, articles, peer training) means. Provides training and education as appropriate to medical technology end users and clinical staff. Provides mentoring and technical training to peers and development graded BESS. May be tasked with leading and managing installation or upgrade projects for biomedical information systems, backup servers, other communication systems and other medical devices and systems. Additional duties are performed as assigned by supervisor related to maintenance, remediation, and tracking of medical systems (action items, special projects, etc.) to meet mission critical requirements. Represents biomedical/clinical engineering department on committees and in meetings as delegated by supervisor.

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/.

Requirements

You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. 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). Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. Must provide clean driving record report from the DMV during the pre-employment process. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Evaluations

Area of consideration - Eligible applications will be reviewed and referred in the following order: 1st Area of Consideration - current permanent Veterans Health Care Systems of the Ozarks employees; 2nd Area of Consideration - current permanent Veterans Healthcare Administration employees; 3rd Area of Consideration - current permanent VA Nationwide employees; 4th Area of Consideration - current permanent Federal employees of other Agencies; 5th Area of Consideration - all other applicants IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position. It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment. Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

Other Information

Receiving Service Credit for 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. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. 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 an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.