Healthcare Engineer

Healthcare Engineer - Project Engineer

This position performs project planning, produces designs, manages designs, manages construction, and provides construction administration for Minor Construction Projects, Non-Recurring Maintenance Projects, Station Level Projects, and Leases. Responsibilities include determining the requirements for healthcare projects in relation to the needs of the Healthcare System, including off-site locations. The position evaluates how to accomplish the requirements of the project and determines the associated risks necessary to complete the construction within the healthcare facility and identify ways to mitigate project risk. A unique task of a healthcare engineer during the construction phase of a project is to minimize the impact to patient care operations, and to ensure patients are able to continue to be cared for in a safe and secure manner due to the inability for the medical center to stop seeing patients during the construction phase of a project. 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. The position is responsible for evaluating programs and projects to assure compliance with all environmental, safety and security standards. The position plans and designs a phased approach for the means and methods of construction activities to be executed for complex medical construction projects in order to minimize risk and impact to patients and patient care operations and the daily patient treatment procedures that cannot be impacted without severe patient hazard. The position provides a broad review of all disciplines of Engineering when applied to a healthcare environment to support construction document reviews and preparation. Work requires a broad knowledge of all Engineering disciplines, to include Architectural, Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, Structural and Fire Protection. The position provides in-depth reviews on all design submissions to include healthcare code compliance and references within the documents for regulations and codes applied to healthcare. The position represents the healthcare system's quality assurance for project designs to be complete and meet all current applicable health care code requirements for all types of utility services, safety, security and operation. 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 has the knowledge and background of how construction work flows and products are to be used. The position plays an essential role in resolving conflicts in designs and in the construction field to reduce and prevent large cost and time impacts for projects while ensuring the project VA standards and adopted codes. 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. The position has to learn how specialized patient services are performed for that area to become a knowledgeable proponent to provide direction to designers in how to meet users goals and intention but still manage the expectations of the stakeholders within limits of budget / space allocated for the project. The position provides information to the Chief of the service regarding various Capital Planning needs for the facility to include information on the status of all assigned ongoing project activities. The position develops initial concept documents, creates and maintains project and lease applications in multiple VA database systems, such as the Veterans Support Service Center (VSSC), Strategic Capital Investment Planning Tool, and Capital Assets Inventory. Tracks and manages the status, changes and updates to projects over their life cycle.

Work Schedule : Full-time; 0700-1530

Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus) : Not authorized

Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance) : Not authorized

Telework : Not available

Functional Statement # : 000000

Requirements Conditions of Employment : You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. 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. 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). Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. 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.

Qualifications : All requirements must be met by the close date of this announcement, 10 / 31 / 2025.

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. Education : 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. 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. 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.

English Language Proficiency : Healthcare Engineer candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7403(f).

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).

Grade Determinations : GS-7 Healthcare Engineer Experience : None beyond the basic requirements.

GS-9 Healthcare Engineer Experience or Education : Candidates at this level must meet one of the following : (a) One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade, GS-7; OR (b) Master of Engineering degree or Master of Architecture degree or Master of Science degree in Engineering or a related field of study; OR (c) Bachelor's degree 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.

AND Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs) : In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs : (a) Knowledge of the principles, theories, concepts and practices of the engineering profession. (b) Ability to interpret relevant codes, regulations, guidelines and standards to make recommendations to assure compliance with healthcare facility programs. (c) Ability to understand the operational professional engineering needs of clinical services in the healthcare system. (d) 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 Healthcare Engineer Experience or Education : Candidates at this level must meet one of the following : (a) One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade, GS-9; OR (b) Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in Engineering or a related field of engineering; OR (c) Master of Engineering degree, Master of Architecture degree, Master of Science degree in Engineering or a related field of study, 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; OR (d) Bachelor's degree 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.

AND Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA) : In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs : (a) Knowledge of either mechanical, electrical, structural, civil or other engineering / architectural principles, practices and their applications in the healthcare environment. (b) Knowledge of basic project management principles as applied to the healthcare setting. (c) Ability to apply healthcare engineering related standards, codes, policies and regulations, inclusive of, state and local codes. (d) Ability to communicate effective orally and in writing with internal