Summary
The Healthcare Engineer provides for a safe, reliable, and precisely controlled operating environment for direct patient care. 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.
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Duties
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The Healthcare Engineer provides for a safe, reliable, and precisely controlled operating environment for direct patient care. 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.
Healthcare Engineers collaborate directly with executive leadership, medical staff, nursing staff, biomedical engineering, and other clinical personnel regarding the design and operation of the environment for medical care.
They manage capital asset programs and construction projects. They educate and advise clinical staff on the safe use of critical building features, utility systems, and fire prevention systems as they relate to the environment of care.
They ensure that the Healthcare System complies with a multitude of accreditation and regulatory requirements including, but not limited to, those promulgated by the Joint Commission (TJC), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In summary, Healthcare Engineers apply engineering concepts and methodologies to enhance the delivery of healthcare by providing a technologically advanced, safe, and reliable healthcare environment.
This position serves as a supervisor within Engineering Service with responsibility for the Facilities Maintenance/Operations section at a multi-faceted and affiliated VA Medical Center, including outlying Community Based Outpatient Clinics.
The Supervisory Healthcare Engineer has complete program responsibility, providing engineering review and guidance for Plant/Facility Operations, Plant/Facility Maintenance and Recurring Maintenance programs of the VA Central California Healthcare System (VACCHS).
This program encompasses engineering and management in all areas involving operations and maintenance of the medical center campus and leased facilities, boiler and chiller plants, emergency generator equipment, and potable water plant as well as the Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning (HVAC), steam, water, medical gas and electrical distribution and waste water collection systems : in-house services for calibration, repair and safety of all associate instrumentation and controls and assurance of meeting guidelines set by the DVA and other code-setting agencies regarding overall maintenance and safety of operations systems and equipment.
The incumbent must keep abreast of all requirements in this field to ensure compliance. The incumbent also gives critical support to the non-recurring maintenance and projects programs by interacting with professional and VACCHS staff. The incumbent is a member of numerous committees dealing with issue's touching upon operations equipment and processes.
Work Schedule: 7:30 am - 4:00 pm, Monday - Friday
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Supervisory Healthcare Engineer/PD02428O
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Requirements
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Conditions of employment
- You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
- To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
- Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
- Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required.
- 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.
- Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)
As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary 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 probationary period period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
Qualifications
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 07/28/2026.
You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:
- Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-12 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: . OR,
- Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have
- To be found eligible applicants must provide documentation supporting at least one of the following:
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- Bachelor's degree or higher in Engineering or Architecture. To be acceptable, the curriculum must be from a school with at least one 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.
- . OR, Foreign Education. To be creditable, engineering, architecture or related education completed outside the U.S. must be submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education must have been deemed at least equivalent to a Bachelor's degree as outlined in paragraph 3.b. of this appendix.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to meeting the experience requirements for this grade level, the candidate must fully demonstrate the following KSAs:
(a) Knowledge of data analysis techniques related to managing workload, quality, performance and productivity within the area of responsibility. 9
(b) Knowledge related to the management of overall department resources, (i.e., finances space, equipment, supplies, schedules and staffing) at the local level.
(c) Knowledge of the full range of supervisory duties, which include responsibility for assignment of work, performance evaluations, selection of staff, training and development, recommendation of awards, advancements and disciplinary actions.
(d) Skill in using effective communication in managing interpersonal relationships, leading and dealing with employees, team leaders, labor representatives and managers.
(e) Ability to balance multiple responsibilities, set priorities, delegate tasks, meet multiple deadlines, analyze organizational problems and develop and implement effective solutions that result in efficient operations.
(f) Ability to draft and/or recommend local policies and/or directives related to healthcare engineering management.
(g) Ability to recognize and assess evolving scenarios, utilizing initiative, self-direction and assigned resources to affect resolutions.
For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.
Education
There is no educational substitution at this grade level.
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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.
Additional information
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.
Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.
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. 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.
The
Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and
Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.
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Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
Benefits
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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career ve
