Biomedical Engineer

Summary Biomedical Engineer The incumbent will provide professional engineering support to a complex - highly technical - and service oriented Biomedical Engineering Program. The Biomedical Program includes medical technology assessment - strategic planning - acquisition support - implementation - coordination - equipment management - and ongoing maintenance support. 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 PolicyEducation and/or Experience: The individual must meet either item (1) or (2) below to meet this requirement: Bachelor's Degree or Higher in EngineeringTo be creditable - the curriculum must be from a school of engineering with at least one curriculum accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) - as a professional engineering curriculumExamples of acceptable engineering degrees include: Biomedical Engineering - Clinical Engineering - Bioengineering - Biomechanical Engineering - Electrical Engineering - Mechanical Engineering - and Biochemical EngineeringOR - Certification as a Certified Clinical Engineer (CCE) and a bachelor's degreeEnglish Language Proficiency: Biomedical Engineers must be proficient in spoken and written EnglishGrade Determinations: GS-7 Biomedical Engineer Experience: None beyond the basic requirementsGS-9 Biomedical Engineer Experience: At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower level - GS-7. OR Education: Master's degree in Biomedical Engineering - or a related field of study OR Bachelor's degree - plus two full years of progressively higher level graduate education in a related field of study - that demonstrates the KSAs for the GS-9 level assignmentTRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED AND Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities: In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: iKnowledge of the principles - theories - concepts - and practices of the Biomedical Engineering professioniiAbility to interpret relevant codes - regulations - guidelines - and standards - and make recommendations to ensure compliance with medical center programsiiiAbility to understand the operational needs of clinical services in the health care systemivAbility to prepare material on current technical topics and trends - for presentation to other technical staff and mid-level hospital management - and the ability to keep abreast of changes in technologyGS-11 Biomedical Engineer Experience: At least one year of experience equivalent to the next lower level - GS-9 - and must fully meet the KSAs at that levelOR Education: Ph.D. - or equivalent doctoral degree in Biomedical Engineering - or a related field of engineering OR Bachelor's degree - plus three full years of progressively higher level graduate education in a related field of studyTRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED AND Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities: In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: iAbility to implement and/or sustain an equipment management or biomedical research program that meets The Joint Commission (TJC) - National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) - or other applicable regulatory requirementsiiAbility to develop material for a continuing education program for clinical or research staff - that address the principles and application of medical technology - and/or biomedical theory used in healthcareiiiAbility to advise staff on emerging medical technology - or research procedures - while keeping abreast of changes in such technology - and utilizing the information to solve biomedical engineering problemsivKnowledge of basic project management principles - as applied to the healthcare setting and medical equipment - and information system implementationGS-12 Biomedical Engineer Experience: Completion of at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower level - GS-11 - or completion of a post-doctoral research fellowship in the field of biomedical engineering - and must fully meet the KSAs at that levelAND Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities: In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: iAbility to conduct a medical equipment management or biomedical research program that is compliant with applicable healthcare standards and regulatory agenciesiiAbility to develop a curriculum for a continuing education program - that address the safe and effective use of medical technology - and/or research devicesiiiAbility 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 requirementsivAbility to conduct capital asset and infrastructure planning for medical equipment spanning initial concept - installation - and effective implementation of complex medical equipmentvAbility 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 managementviAbility to effectively advise clinical and administrative staff on medical technology - including existing and emerging technology - which addresses viability - long-term suitability - compatibility - and/or safetyviiKnowledge of concepts related to computer based medical systems - networking protocols - and information security as it applies to medical technology within VHAviiiSkill in communicating and working collaboratively with key stakeholders - including technical and professional staff at various levels of the organizationixAbility to apply project management principles to deployment of medical equipment and health information technologiesReference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-7 to GS-12Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this positionQuestions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination. Duties Duties include - but are not limited to: Program Involvement and Management: The Biomedical Engineer reports directly to the Supervisory Biomedical EngineerThey receive administrative direction with assignments in terms of broadly defined missions and functionsThey exercise authority to oversee the overall planning - direction - and timely execution of assigned Biomedical Program activitiesThey have responsibility for planning - designing and implementing programs - projects - studies - and other work to support healthcare technology at the Medical CenterSuccessful execution of these responsibilities has major impact upon the outcome of patient care deliveryPresentations may require written and oral communication as well as preparation of technical - informational - and graphical documentationTechnical Expertise: The Biomedical Engineer is recognized as the technical expert and advisor on Biomedical Engineering issues and aids in the Biomedical Engineering support provided by Biomedical staff at the medical centerThey are responsible for providing assistance to the clinical staff in selection and utilization of medical equipmentThe Biomedical Engineer advises the management staff in the areas of high-cost and high-volume medical technology - a wide array of general biomedical technology - as well as certain medical-related technology issuesMedical Technology Assessment - Acquisition - and Implementation: The Biomedical Engineer participates in technology assessment of medical equipment systems by working collaboratively with medical staff to evaluate market offerings - determine medical center requirements - design system configurations - and develop specificationsThey work collaboratively with the Contracting staff to procure medical equipment that best meets clinical needs while containing resourcesThe Biomedical Engineer coordinates implementation of medical technology including assessing installation and site preparation requirements - managing project timelines - monitoring installation - and facilitating training of equipment operators and maintainersWhile the Biomedical Engineer supports healthcare technology management primarily at the Medical Center - they occasionally support VISN initiatives as wellMedical Equipment Management: The Biomedical Program has direct impact on all clinical services provided by the Medical CenterThe program must ensure the provision of safe - reliably maintained - and clinically appropriate medical equipment for the delivery of quality healthcare in a cost-effective mannerThe Biomedical Engineer facilitates service support of medical equipment - identifying opportunities and recommending actions to improve service delivery - and cost containmentThe Biomedical Engineer supports the Medical Equipment Management component of the Environment of Care for the Medical CenterPatient Safety: The Biomedical Engineer contributes to VHA - VISN - and Medical Center patient safety goalsThey assure that medical device recalls and hazard alerts are managed and acted upon as appropriate and that equipment related safety enhancements are implemented in the Medical CenterThe Biomedical Engineer supports implementation of effective education programs for medical equipment usersBudgetary and Financial Management: A high degree of technical judgment - initiative - originality - and resourcefulness is required to efficiently and effectively anticipate - identify - and solve unique challenges in the dynamic Medical Center environmentParticipation in medical technology management and equipment procurement processes include \"right-sizing\" equipment functionality - actively participating in the development of technical specifications - evaluating technical proposals - and contributing to price negotiationsThe Biomedical Engineer analyzes maintenance strategies including review of out-sourcing versus in-house supportThey analyze and recommend optimal maintenance strategies for medical instrumentation systemsThe Biomedical Engineer participates in financial management of the Biomedical Engineering Department - including budget forecasting and maintenance cost analysisPersonnel: The Biomedical Engineer consults on matters pertaining to Biomedical Engineering personnel including staffing levels - recruitment - retention - performance - and educationThey often direct technical support staff to support effective service deliveryThe Biomedical Engineer fosters and coordinates continuous staff development of Biomedical personnelWork Schedule: Full-timeMonday-Friday - 0700-1530 Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual positionFunctional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized