Healthcare Engineer

Veterans Health Administration • Salem, VA

2d • Onsite

About The Position

The Healthcare Engineer (Project Engineer) serves at the Salem VA Medical Center and performs project planning, design production and management, construction management, and construction administration for Minor Construction, Non-Recurring Maintenance (NRM), Station Level, and lease projects. The role covers all areas and aspects of an assigned medical center and its associated Community Based Outpatient Clinics.

The position serves as a resident and program engineer for healthcare system projects, overseeing professional architecture/engineering and construction contracts to ensure compliance with contractual requirements, healthcare regulations and codes, specifications, schedules, and government requirements for VA-owned and leased facilities. It also provides engineering support to the healthcare system, maintains construction specifications and drawings, and maintains a technical reference library of applicable codes, standards, and regulations.

The engineer performs Contracting Officer Representative (COR) duties on professional design and construction projects, trains service staff on technical issues, and assists with infrastructure-related operational and administrative matters. As Integrated Project Team (IPT) Chairperson, the engineer leads a multidisciplinary team of internal and external stakeholders and contributes to planning and management decisions supporting the healthcare system’s strategic goals. The work schedule is Monday through Friday, 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Telework and virtual work are not available.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited under VA policy.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Engineering or Architecture from an appropriately accredited program; alternatively, a bachelor’s degree plus evidence of passing the Fundamentals of Engineering examination, or current professional registration or licensure as a Professional Engineer or Architect.
• Foreign education used to qualify must be evaluated as equivalent to the required U.S. education.
• For GS-12, one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade; no educational substitution is permitted at this grade.
• Demonstrated knowledge of engineering and architectural principles and their application in healthcare environments.
• Knowledge of healthcare industry standards and related regulatory requirements, including those of The Joint Commission, OSHA, and NFPA.
• Knowledge of construction standards, methods, practices, techniques, materials, and equipment sufficient to assess compliance with engineering regulations and standards.
• Skill in researching and analyzing information and conditions 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, contract documents, and budgets.
• Ability to organize and lead multidisciplinary task forces involving different departments, divisions, and design and construction firms.
• Must pass an Occupational Health evaluation and participate in the VA seasonal influenza vaccination program.
• Must complete required application, background/security, and onboarding processes and serve a one- or two-year trial period.

Nice To Haves

• Project management experience.
• Healthcare construction or design experience.
• Demonstrated experience with mechanical, electrical, and plumbing building systems.
• A degree or professional license.

Responsibilities

• Plan healthcare system projects and produce and manage designs.
• Manage construction and provide construction administration for Minor Construction, Non-Recurring Maintenance, Station Level, and lease projects.
• Serve as resident and program engineer for major healthcare system projects.
• Oversee professional architecture/engineering and construction contracts to ensure compliance with contract requirements, healthcare regulations and codes, specifications, schedules, and government requirements.
• Provide engineering support to the assigned healthcare system.
• Maintain construction specifications, drawings, and a technical reference library of applicable codes, standards, and regulations, including OSHA, NFPA, and ANSI materials.
• 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 issues related to facility infrastructure operations.
• Serve as Integrated Project Team (IPT) Chairperson and lead a multidisciplinary team of internal and external stakeholders.
• Participate in planning and management decision-making to support healthcare system strategic plan goals.

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, including 13–26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, and 11 paid federal holidays.
• Potential 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.
• Potential childcare subsidy for eligible full-time employees after 60 days of employment, subject to eligibility and 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 can be carried into retirement.
• A recruitment incentive may be authorized for highly qualified candidates.

What This Job Offers

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