Healthcare Engineer

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Durham (NC); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs - Durham VA Healthcare System seeks a Project Engineer to lead design, planning, and construction for Minor Construction and NRMs across the medical center and CBOCs.

The role requires knowledge of healthcare engineering practices, ability to manage multi-disciplinary projects, and coordination with clinical staff and vendors to ensure compliance with VA standards.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of engineering principles in healthcare facilities.
• Ability to interpret codes, regulations and standards for healthcare programs.
• Experience or education at GS-11 level or higher may be required.

Responsibilities

• Conduct design for medical facility design and construction.
• Manage healthcare engineering project design and construction per VA standards.
• Coordinate with architectural/engineering firms and hospital staff.

Skills

Engineering principles

Healthcare facility design

Project management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Tools

VA Design Guides

Job description

Summary

The position serves as a Project Engineer at the Durham Veterans Affairs (VA) Healthcare System. This position performs project planning - produces designs - manages designs - manages construction - and provides construction administration for Minor Construction Projects - Non-Recurring Maintenance (NRM) Projects - Station Level Projects - including all areas at an assigned medical center and associated Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC)'s.

Summary

The position serves as a Project Engineer at the Durham Veterans Affairs (VA) Healthcare System. This position performs project planning - produces designs - manages designs - manages construction - and provides construction administration for Minor Construction Projects - Non-Recurring Maintenance (NRM) Projects - Station Level Projects - including all areas at an assigned medical center and associated Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC)'s.

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
• Healthcare Engineer - GS-07
• (1) Experience
• None beyond the basic requirements
• Healthcare Engineer - GS-09
• (1) Experience or Education
• Candidates at this level must meet one of the following: (a) One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade
• (b) Master of Engineering degree or Master of Architecture degree or Master of Science degree in Engineering or a related field of study as outlined in paragraph 3.b.(1)
• OR Bachelor's degree as outlined in paragraph 3.b.(1) plus two full years of progressively higher-level graduate education in a related field of study - provided the applicant's total background demonstrates the core competencies for GS-09 level assignment
• Knowledge - Skills and Abilities (KSAs)
• In addition to the experience or education above - the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Knowledge of the principles - theories - concepts and practices of the engineering profession
• Ability to interpret relevant codes - regulations - guidelines and standards to make recommendations to assure compliance with healthcare facility programs
• Ability to understand the operational professional engineering needs of clinical services in the healthcare system
• Ability to prepare material on current technical topics and trends for presentation to other technical staff and mid-level hospital management and to keep abreast of changes in engineering technology related to a healthcare facility
• GS-11 Experience or Education
• Candidates at this level must meet one of the following: (a) One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade
• (b) Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in Engineering or a related field of engineering as outlined in paragraph 3.b.(1)
• (c) Master of Engineering degree - Master of Architecture degree - Master of Science degree in Engineering or a related field of study as outlined in paragraph 3.b.(1) - plus 1 full year of progressively higher- level graduate education in a related field of study - provided the applicant's total background demonstrates the knowledge - skills and abilities for GS-11 level assignment
• (d) Bachelor's degree as outlined in paragraph 3.b.(1) plus 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education in a related field of study - provided the applicant's total background demonstrates the knowledge - skills and abilities for GS-11 level assignment
• Knowledge - Skills and Abilities (KSA)
• In addition to the experience or education above - the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Knowledge of either mechanical - electrical - structural - civil or other engineering/architectural principles - practices and their applications in the healthcare environment
• Knowledge of basic project management principles as applied to the healthcare setting
• Ability to apply healthcare engineering related standards - codes - policies and regulations - inclusive of - state and local codes
• Ability to communicate effective orally and in writing with internal and external customers with tact and diplomacy
• Ability to develop material for clinical or administrative staff that addresses the principles and application of engineering technology and/or theory used in healthcare
• Ability to advise staff on emerging engineering technology related to a healthcare facility - while keeping abreast of changes in such technology and utilizing the information to solve healthcare facility engineering challenges Healthcare Engineer - 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
• 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)
• Preferred Experience: Healthcare Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• Physical Requirements: See VA Directive 5019

Duties

• Duties included but not limited too: GS-07 Conducts design for the medical facility in design - construction - and effective implementation of 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 GS-09 Performs planning and analysis activities that includes conducting or directly overseeing surveys and site investigations to establish baseline data necessary to initiate design for renovations - alterations - and additions to the existing hospital - patient care facilities - administrative buildings - grounds - utility plants and systems - and historic buildings listed on the national registry
• Develops specifications and plans for alterations - additions to existing buildings - grounds - utility plants and systems - as well as for preparing the site for the installation of highly complex medical equipment ranging from smaller Ultrasound type equipment to larger Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) type equipment
• Provides direct project support or direction to large maintenance activities which take facility wide coordination and efforts to accomplish
• The position will be the lead in these activities to assist with customers' requests and questions along with providing guidance and options to services impacted
• Reviews A/E documentations as the technical authority and quality assurance for the medical center for various Minor - Non-Recurring Maintenance (NRM) - Leased projects and other construction projects related to submissions of reports - drawings - specifications - and literature consisting of adequacy of content - correctness - consistency with VA standards and goals - design principles and guidelines - cost effectiveness - compliance to healthcare codes and VA standards - and professional appearance
• Recommends sound advice and presents alternatives that will enable management to accomplish the desired results or objectives within the framework of sound engineering practices and standards of project execution
• GS-11 A working knowledge of The Joint Commission (TJC) requirements - NFPA 101 the Life Safety Code and NFPA 99 Healthcare Facilities Code - in addition to VA design requirements is necessary to provide direction to Architectural/Engineering firms on complex healthcare designs to ensure compliance and regulatory requirements are met for the medical facility
• The position performs evaluations on medical care programs and services to ensure assigned projects are aligned and support the healthcare organization's needs and requirements for expansion of service and/or efficient flow of operation
• GS-12 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
• The position determines the requirements for healthcare projects in relation to the needs of the Healthcare System - inclusive of the parent site - as well as off-site locations under the auspice of the Healthcare System - whether VA owned or leased
• The position is responsible for determining what temporary means and methods are necessary to be executed to reduce any risk of danger to patients or staff while a standard of medical care is met for all patients
• A detailed knowledge of healthcare operations is required to include how utilities and services support healthcare operations for each type of care provided
• Work Schedule: Monday-Friday
• 7:30am-4:00pm Compressed/Flexible: Not Available Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized