Duties

Summary

The incumbent performs as a Staff Biomedical Engineer for the Biomedical Engineering program at the Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center. The Biomedical Engineering Section of Engineering Service oversees all medical equipment as well as other equipment systems.

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Responsibilities

Employee supports and advances patient care by applying engineering and managerial skills to healthcare technology as demonstrated by the following major responsibilities:

Assist in the development and implementation of an equipment management program that meets current Joint Commission, FDA, CAP, CARF, NFPA, and VA requirements.

Develops and maintains a curriculum for a continuing education program that addresses the safe and effective use of medical equipment and/or technology.

Advises clinical and administrative staff on medical engineering technology, including existing and emerging technology, addressing viability, long-term suitability, compatibility, and/or safety, while keeping abreast of changes in technology.

Assures the provision of a continuing education program for clinical staff addressing the principles and application of medical instrumentation used in the delivery of healthcare. This requires skill to effectively communicate, both orally and in writing, to communicate technical information with a wide variety of individuals, including technical and professional clinical staff.

Assists with capital asset and infrastructure planning for medical equipment spanning initial concept, installation, and effective implementation of complex systems.

Functions as a subject matter expert in the field of biomedical engineering who directly supports specialized clinical technology including service, system administration, training, and quality assurance at a medical center.

Serves as a staff advisor to the Chief Biomedical Engineer in the area of Biomedical Engineering as well as engineering principles and practices, which relate to the area of specialization and scientific discipline, drawing from professional educational background, as well as practical experience.

Has shared responsibility for the development and implementation of the medical center's systems for physiological monitoring, computer applications, and medical information systems. Designs new systems to meet the requirements for medical services using conventional and state of the art equipment and components or specifies modifications to existing devices and systems for specific requirements of the medical center.

Assists medical staff in the purchase of new medical equipment by analyzing requirements, developing specifications, writing statements of work, and evaluating new devices/systems when necessary. Coordinates and directs the installation of the equipment and systems as required. Verifies the operational integrity and reliability of new equipment and advises the medical center staff in maintenance of the equipment and systems.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday-7:30AM - 4:00 PM or Monday - Friday-8:00AM - 4:30 PM
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Travel Required

Not required

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
12

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Designated and/or random drug testing may be required
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• You may be required to serve a probationary period
• Subject to a background/security investigation
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process

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. Biomedical Engineers must be proficient in spoken and written English.

Education and/or Experience

Bachelor's degree: Professional Engineering. To be acceptable, the curriculum must: (a) Be in a school of engineering with at least 1 curriculum accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) as a professional engineering curriculum; or, (b) Include differential and integral calculus, and courses (more advanced than first-year physics and chemistry) in 5 of the following 7 areas of engineering science or physics: (1) statics and/or dynamics; (2) strength of materials (stress-strain relationships); (3) fluid mechanics and/or hydraulics; (4) thermodynamics; (5) electrical fields and circuits; (6) nature and properties of materials (relating particle and aggregate structure to properties); or (7) any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics.

OR,

Certification as a Certified Clinical Engineer (CCE) and a bachelor's degree not listed in item above.

Grandfathering Provision. All persons employed in VHA in this occupation, on the effective date of this qualification standard, are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including positive education, and/or certification/registration that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed.

Physical Requirements. Applicants must be physically able to perform the duties of the position. The basis on which agencies may establish specific medical standards or physical requirements is discussed in 5 CFR 339. A physical condition or impairment may be disqualifying for employment only if there is a direct relationship between the condition and the nature of the duties of the specific position being filled. The physical requirements for the position are: considerable and strenuous physical exertion, lifting heavy objects over 50 pounds, crouching or crawling in restricted areas. Incumbents in this position may be subject to placement in the asbestos medical surveillance program.

English Language Proficiency. Biomedical Engineers must be proficient in spoken and written English.
Biomedical Engineer, GS-12 (Full Performance Level)

(a) Experience. Completion of at least [one] year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower level; or completion of a post-doctoral research fellowship in the field of biomedical engineering, and must fully meet the KSAs at that level.

(b) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:

i. Ability to conduct a medical equipment management or biomedical research program that is compliant with applicable healthcare standards and regulatory agencies.
ii. Ability to develop a curriculum for a continuing education program, that address the safe and effective use of medical technology, and/or research devices.
iii. Ability to manage a recall and safety alert program for medical devices, including medical device hazard investigations, to assure compliance with patient safety goals, SMDA, and TJC requirements.
iv. Ability to conduct capital asset and infrastructure planning for medical equipment spanning initial concept, installation, and effective implementation of complex medical equipment.
v. Ability to function as the subject matter expert in the field of biomedical engineering, directly supporting specialized clinical technology, including service, system administration, training, quality assurance, and life-cycle management.
vi. Ability to effectively advise clinical and administrative staff on medical technology, including existing and emerging technology, which addresses viability, long-term suitability, compatibility, and/or safety.
vii. Knowledge of concepts related to computer based medical systems, networking protocols, and information security as it applies to medical technology within VHA.
viii. Skill in communicating and working collaboratively with key stakeholders, including technical and professional staff at various levels of the organization.
ix. Ability to apply project management principles to deployment of medical equipment and health information technologies.

(c) Assignment. At the full performance level, employees work under general supervision, with wide latitude to exercise independent judgment. Drawing upon extended professional and technical experience, employees demonstrate an intimate understanding of complex clinical and biomedical subject matter. They serve as institutional resources, working extensively with clinical stakeholders, supporting clinical services by leading market research, technology assessments, integration planning, and implementation of both current and emerging medical technologies. The employee shares responsibility for managing the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), network security issues for medical systems, and the information communicated across these systems. Biomedical Engineers at the GS-12 grade level further support the clinical mission by contributing to the continuing education program for clinical staff, helping ensure safe and efficient healthcare delivery. Biomedical Engineers at the GS-12 grade level support the institution by assisting with capital asset and infrastructure planning, to help ensure successful strategic planning. They may collaborate frequently with contracting to execute judicious healthcare technology procurements. Within the Biomedical Engineering Department, the employee provides leadership that ensures high quality and responsive customer service is an integral component of biomedical engineering service delivery. They are highly effective communicators, capable of serving as subject matter experts directly supporting the life cycle management of clinical technology, to include ongoing service, system administration, training, and quality assurance. At this level, employees may assist in clinical research projects in the biomedical engineering field.

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. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. 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.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

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.

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.

If you are unable to apply online view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application .

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, résumé, 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.

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Other

Drug test required
Yes

Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

Trust determination process
Suitability/Fitness

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

• Resume
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

VA Form 10-2850c Application for Associated Health Occupations can be found at: http://www.va.gov/vaforms/search_action.asp?FormNo=2850&tkey=&Action=Search .

The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please use this checklist to ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), etc.

• Cover Letter
• License
• VA-10-2850c
• Performance Appraisal
• Professional Certification
• Resume
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript