Healthcare Engineer

Veterans Health Administration • Oklahoma City, OK

5d • Onsite

About The Position

The Oklahoma City VA Health Care System is recruiting one Healthcare Engineer for the Facilities Management Service in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. This GS-13 position focuses on energy management, sustainability, commissioning, and facility engineering for healthcare facilities. The engineer conducts energy audits across the VISN, manages and supports the Medical Center’s Energy Savings Performance Contract (ESPC), implements energy-conservation initiatives, and ensures energy considerations are addressed in facility construction, operations, and maintenance. The role also manages building and energy management systems and utility-metering initiatives, and provides audit reports to Medical Center Leadership, VISN energy staff, and senior VA officials.

The position is permanent and is not virtual; telework is unavailable. The work schedule is Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The position requires a qualifying engineering or architecture education, or an accepted alternative such as a passing Fundamentals of Engineering examination with a bachelor’s degree or current professional registration/licensure. Candidates must meet GS-13 experience and competency requirements. A pre-employment physical evaluation and security investigation are required, along with English proficiency and U.S. citizenship subject to the stated VA policy exception.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship is required, except that non-citizens may be appointed when recruiting qualified citizens is not possible under VA policy.
• Proficiency in written and spoken English.
• A bachelor’s degree or higher in engineering or architecture from an appropriately accredited program; alternatively, a passing Fundamentals of Engineering examination with a bachelor’s degree, or current professional registration or licensure as a Professional Engineer or Architect.
• Foreign engineering, architecture, or related education must be evaluated by a specialized private organization and deemed equivalent to the required U.S. bachelor’s degree.
• For GS-13 placement, one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade.
• Demonstrated knowledge of current and evolving general-engineering concepts and principles, including resolving novel problems and developing or applying advanced approaches.
• Skill in construction, capital planning, and healthcare-system portfolio management, including budget development and tracking.
• Skill in collaborating and negotiating with people who have differing viewpoints to reach satisfactory solutions.
• Ability to interpret guidelines and exercise judgment and ingenuity to adapt existing guidance and develop improved approaches or policies.
• Ability to coordinate with regional facilities and national staff on policies, program plans, prioritization, and capital-asset and infrastructure planning.
• Ability to apply healthcare-delivery trends to long-term capital assets in regionally integrated healthcare systems.
• Ability to consult and collaborate with organizational levels, outside organizations, and businesses on strategic and financial activities.
• Ability to implement or sustain capital-asset and construction programs that meet healthcare facility standards, codes, policies, and regulations, including state and local codes.
• Must pass a pre-employment physical evaluation and a background/security investigation.
• Must meet application and onboarding requirements and participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program.
• Must serve a one- or two-year trial period, subject to written certification for continued employment.
• Must have experience in Energy Savings Performance Contracting (ESPC) or have attended ESPC training conducted by the Department of Energy or the Association of Energy Engineers.
• Must be proficient with energy-survey equipment and computerized energy-survey software, and familiar with computer-based Building and Energy Management Systems.

Responsibilities

• Conduct HVAC, lighting, building, steam-generation, domestic-hot-water, and other energy audits within the VISN using industry-standard energy-analysis tools.
• Use energy-survey equipment and computerized energy-survey software to assess and minimize energy consumption.
• Plan, initiate, and execute commissioning, recommissioning, and retro-commissioning projects.
• Prepare and provide audit reports to Medical Center Leadership, the VISN Energy Office, VISN CAM or Energy Program Director, and other senior-level VACO staff.
• Manage and support the Medical Center’s Energy Savings Performance Contract (ESPC).
• Implement energy-conservation initiatives and prepare project-submission documents for cost-effective energy-conservation retrofit projects.
• Ensure energy aspects of sustainability are incorporated into facility construction projects, operations, and maintenance.
• Work with operations and maintenance sections to analyze and improve utility-system energy performance and develop operational procedures and controls.
• Monitor utility-system components and consumption rates; evaluate energy-management-system data for equipment-use trends; and monitor control and alarm set points.
• Work with energy-plant personnel to monitor and improve boiler and chiller efficiency.
• Monitor natural-gas prices to determine whether alternate fuels such as fuel oil are economically beneficial for facility boilers.
• Determine setback parameters for unoccupied spaces after hours.
• Evaluate energy-saving systems, including glycol loops, heat wheels, and solar panels, and recommend operational changes.
• Review and monitor water-treatment contracts and contractor performance for appropriateness and billing accuracy.
• Manage building and energy management systems and utility-metering initiatives, ensuring their proper use, expansion, and administration.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and regular salary increases.
• 37–50 days of annual paid time off per year, including 13–26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, and 11 paid federal holidays.
• Selected applicants may qualify for additional annual-leave accrual credit based on prior work or military service, subject to approval.
• Up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave after 12 months of employment for qualifying birth, adoption, or foster-care placement.
• Eligible full-time employees may qualify for a child-care subsidy after 60 days of employment, subject to income, child eligibility, and subsidy limits.
• Traditional federal pension, with five-year vesting, and federal 401(k) with up to 5% in VA contributions.
• Federal health, vision, dental, term-life, and long-term-care insurance; many federal insurance programs may be carried into retirement.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior