Healthcare Engineer

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Charleston (SC); On-site; USD 85,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid Time Off

Traditional federal pension

Federal health/vision/dental

Job summary

The Charleston VA Healthcare System is seeking a full-time Healthcare Engineer to lead design, sustainment and improvement of medical care environments, hospital building features, building management and critical utility systems.

This role requires a Bachelor's in Engineering or Architecture and professional licensure or equivalent credentials, with experience in healthcare facility projects and regulatory compliance to support safe, reliable veteran care.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or Architecture or higher.
• Knowledge of healthcare engineering principles and hospital facility systems.
• Experience with project management and construction coordination.
• Familiarity with regulatory standards (TJC, OSHA, NFPA) and design guides.

Responsibilities

• Lead capital asset and infrastructure planning for medical facilities.
• Manage healthcare engineering projects from design through construction.
• Ensure compliance with VA policies, codes, and standards.
• Coordinate with clinicians, contractors, and acquisition staff.
• Provide ongoing facilities planning and post-project support.

Skills

Healthcare engineering knowledge

Project management

Contract management

Facility design standards

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering or Architecture

Tools

VA Design Guides

Job description

Summary

The Charleston VA Healthcare System is seeking a full time Healthcare Engineer. Healthcare Engineers serve as experts in the design - sustainment - and improvement of the medical care environment - including all hospital building features - automated building management and environmental control systems - and critical utility systems.

Summary

The Charleston VA Healthcare System is seeking a full time Healthcare Engineer. Healthcare Engineers serve as experts in the design - sustainment - and improvement of the medical care environment - including all hospital building features - automated building management and environmental control systems - and critical utility systems.

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
• English Language Proficiency: You must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d) - and 7407(d)
• Education: Bachelor's degree or higher in Engineering or Architecture
• To be acceptable - the curriculum must be from a school with at least one 3 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
• 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)
• 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
• For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements of this standard - but met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to the position - the following provisions apply: (1) Employees may be reassigned - promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level or changed to lower grade within the occupation - but may not be promoted beyond the journeyman level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions
• (2) Employees in an occupation that requires a licensure/certification/registration only at higher grade levels must meet the licensure/certification/registration requirement before they can be promoted to those higher grade levels
• (3) 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
• (4) Employees who are converted to title 38 hybrid status under this provision and subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation
• (5) Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation - who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/registration that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation
• Grade Determinations: GS-12 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 mechanical - electrical - structural - civil and other engineering/architectural principles - practices and their applications in the healthcare environment
• Knowledge of healthcare industry standards and related regulatory agency and organization (including - but not limited to The Joint Commission (TJC) - Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) - National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) - etc.) regulations - requirements - guides - policies - procedures - directives - standards and general medical program requirements as they relate to healthcare engineering
• Knowledge of construction standards - methods - practices and techniques - materials and equipment to determine compliance with engineering regulations and standards
• Skill in researching and analyzing information - conditions - human factors and projections to make sound engineering and business recommendations and decisions to proactively identify problems and develop innovative solutions within the context of applicable rules - regulations and procedures
• Ability to plan and execute complex - multi-faceted projects and inspections while prioritizing resources against approved scopes of work - contract documents and budgets
• Ability to organize and lead multi-disciplinary task forces with members from different departments and divisions - as well as design and construction firms
• Assignment
• Employees at this level serve as Healthcare Engineers at the full performance level
• They work independently - under general supervision with wide latitude to exercise independent judgment
• Healthcare Engineers demonstrate intimate grasp of high order healthcare engineering and capital subject matter
• They serve as institutional resources for healthcare delivery processes and systems - working extensively with clinical stakeholders - acquisition staff - contractors and executive leadership by leading healthcare engineering programs - technology assessments - integration planning and implementation of both current and emerging technologies
• Healthcare Engineers support the delivery of healthcare to Veterans by contributing to the education of clinical staff - planners and leadership to ensure safe and efficient healthcare delivery
• Healthcare Engineers plan - execute and document highly complex - multi-faceted healthcare facility construction projects and inspections while prioritizing resources against approved scopes of work - contract documents and budgets
• They identify problems and develop innovative solutions within the context of applicable rules - regulations and procedures - as it relates to the healthcare environment
• Reference: FORMER VA HANDBOOK REFERENCE: Part II Appendix G72
• For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12
• Physical Requirements: Work is performed under a variety of conditions at construction sites (indoor - outdoor - dirty - dusty - greasy - hot - damp - etc.) and in an office or shop setting
• Normal safety precautions apply with use of safety shoes and hard hats regularly - and special equipment occasionally
• Incumbent will be required to visit a variety of hospital environments - including general medical and surgical - neuropsychiatry - nursing home care - and research
• There is occasional exposure to high voltage - high noise levels - and the possibility of electrical shock - bums - cuts - and bruises
• The work is primarily sedentary - although some physical effort may be required e.g. - walking - standing - climbing ladders - stooping - kneeling - and carrying light items - or driving or traveling by motor vehicles.

Duties

• Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Healthcare Engineers provide overarching professional services focusing on engineering and/or architecture involved in all aspects of the healthcare delivery processes and systems
• They ensure the appropriate infrastructure - facilities and equipment are available for the medical mission
• Healthcare Engineers are a specialized subset of more broadly defined professional engineering or architect occupations with general or specialty area degrees (e.g. - general engineering - mechanical engineering - electrical engineering - civil engineering - architecture - architectural engineering - etc.).They possess an advanced understanding of healthcare engineering and are familiar with subject matter terminology and concerns
• Typical duties may include - but are not limited to: Supports and advances patient care by applying engineering and managerial skills to healthcare engineering as demonstrated by the following major responsibilities
• Conducts capital asset and infrastructure planning and design for the medical facility spanning initial strategic planning - concept development - design - construction - and effective implementation of complex buildings - utilities - and medical support systems
• Manages healthcare engineering project design and administers construction in accordance with VA policies and procedures
• VA Design Guides - VA Design Manuals - VA Master Specifications and related industry codes and standards
• Performs healthcare engineering project construction management and post project activities while ensuring continuity of building and utility services for medical facility operations
• Assists in the provision of a continuing education program for clinical staff and maintenance personnel addressing the principles and application of building and utility systems in the delivery of health care
• Performs healthcare planning/design management - manages healthcare design and construction administration - performs healthcare construction management and post project activities - and medical infrastructure planning
• Work Schedule: Monday - Friday - 7:30am - 4:00pm Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases
• When setting pay - a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade)
• Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave - 13 days of sick leave - 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment - up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth - adoption - or foster care placement of a child
• Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment - full time employees with a total family income below $144 -000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66
• Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: FS 58009 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized