Healthcare Engineer-Project Engineer

Veterans Health Administration • Miami, FL

8d • Onsite

About The Position

The position serves as a Project Engineer at the Bruce W. Carter VA Medical Center in Miami, Florida. It plans projects, produces and manages designs, manages construction, and provides construction administration for Minor Construction, Non-Recurring Maintenance (NRM), Station Level, and lease projects across architectural, electrical, life-safety, mechanical, civil, structural, and other engineering areas.

The Healthcare Engineer provides engineering support to the assigned healthcare system, maintains construction specifications and drawings, and maintains a technical reference library of applicable codes, standards, and regulations, including OSHA, NFPA, and ANSI requirements. The position serves as an engineering advisor, consultant, designer, contract administrator, project manager, construction coordinator, and instructor for assigned projects. It also performs Contracting Officer Representative (COR) duties on professional design and construction projects, trains service staff on technical issues, and helps staff resolve technical and administrative infrastructure-operation issues.

The role supports patient care through capital asset and infrastructure planning and design, from strategic planning and concept development through design, construction, and implementation of buildings, utilities, and medical support systems. It manages design and construction in accordance with VA policies and design materials and applicable industry standards, oversees construction and post-project activities while maintaining continuity of building and utility services, and contributes to continuing education for clinical and maintenance staff on building and utility systems, including medical gases, emergency power, and ventilation. It also helps develop and implement the environment of care program to meet Joint Commission, FDA, CAP, NFPA, and VA requirements, particularly those related to construction safety and infection control.

The position is full performance level GS-12 and works Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Work occurs at construction sites, in office or shop settings, and in varied hospital environments. Telework and virtual work are not authorized.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Engineering or Architecture from an appropriately accredited program; alternatively, evidence of passing the Fundamentals of Engineering examination with a bachelor's degree, or current professional registration or licensure as a Professional Engineer or Architect.
• At least one year of experience equivalent to GS-11 for the GS-12 grade level.
• Knowledge of mechanical, electrical, structural, civil, and other engineering or architectural principles and their application in healthcare environments.
• Knowledge of healthcare industry standards and applicable regulatory and organizational requirements, including Joint Commission, OSHA, and NFPA requirements.
• Knowledge of construction standards, methods, practices, techniques, materials, and equipment sufficient to determine compliance with engineering regulations and standards.
• Skill in researching and analyzing information, conditions, human factors, and projections to make sound engineering and business recommendations and decisions, identify problems, and develop solutions within applicable rules and procedures.
• Ability to plan and execute complex, multifaceted projects and inspections while prioritizing resources against approved scopes of work, contract documents, and budgets.
• Ability to organize and lead multidisciplinary task forces involving departments, divisions, and design and construction firms.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated VA policy exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited.
• Must pass a pre-employment physical evaluation or examination and participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program.
• Must complete required background/security investigation and onboarding requirements; selected applicants are subject to drug testing when applicable.
• Must serve a one- or two-year trial period, as applicable.

Nice To Haves

• Mechanical engineering experience.
• Civil engineering experience.

Responsibilities

• Plan projects, produce and manage designs, manage construction, and provide construction administration for Minor Construction, NRM, Station Level, and lease projects.
• Provide engineering support to the assigned healthcare system and maintain construction specifications, drawings, and a technical reference library of applicable codes, standards, and regulations.
• Serve as an engineering advisor, consultant, designer, contract administrator, project manager, construction coordinator, and instructor for assigned projects.
• Perform Contracting Officer Representative (COR) duties on professional design and construction projects.
• Train service staff on technical issues and assist them with technical and administrative infrastructure-operation issues.
• Conduct capital asset and infrastructure planning and design from strategic planning and concept development through design, construction, and implementation.
• Manage healthcare engineering project design and administer construction in accordance with VA policies, design guidance, specifications, and applicable industry codes and standards.
• Manage construction and post-project activities while ensuring continuity of building and utility services for medical facility operations.
• Assist with continuing education for clinical staff and maintenance personnel on building and utility systems, including medical gases, emergency power, and ventilation.
• Help develop and implement the environment of care program to meet applicable regulatory and VA requirements, particularly for construction safety and infection control.
• Plan, execute, and document complex healthcare facility construction projects and inspections, prioritizing resources against approved scopes, contract documents, and budgets.
• Communicate technical information orally and in writing to technical, professional, and clinical staff.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and regular salary increases; a higher step rate may be considered based on qualifications or VA needs.
• 37–50 days of annual paid time off per year, comprising 13–26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, and 11 paid federal holidays.
• Possible credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior work or military service, subject to approval.
• Up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave after 12 months of employment, in connection with birth, adoption, or foster care placement.
• Child care subsidy may be available to eligible full-time employees after 60 days of employment, subject to income and other eligibility criteria.
• Traditional federal pension, with five-year vesting, and federal 401(k) with up to 5% in contributions by VA.
• Federal health, vision, dental, term life, and long-term care insurance; many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement.

What This Job Offers

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