The Biomedical Engineer provides engineering review and guidance for the Healthcare Technology Management program of the VA San Diego Healthcare System (VASDHS). This program encompasses professional engineering consulting with the medical staff involving medical instrumentation: in-house services for calibration, repair and safety of all medical instrumentation and assurance of meeting guidelines set by the DVA and other code-setting agencies regarding overall safety of medical instrumentation.
Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship. Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. English Language Proficiency. Biomedical Engineers must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a, this part. Education and/or Experience. The individual must meet either item (1) or (2) below to meet this requirement: Bachelor's Degree or Higher in Engineering. To 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 curriculum. Examples of acceptable engineering degrees include: Biomedical Engineering, Clinical Engineering, Bioengineering, Biomechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Biochemical Engineering. Titles may vary from educational institutions and change over time. OR, Certification as a Certified Clinical Engineer (CCE) and a bachelor's degree not listed above. 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 Determination: GS-7 (Entry Level) Experience. None beyond the basic requirements. Education. Bachelor's degree or CCE certification with at least a bachelor's degree not listed above. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. None beyond the basic requirements. Grade Determination: GS-9 (Developmental Level 1) Experience. At least [one] year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower level. OR, Education Master's degree in Biomedical Engineering, or a related field of study, as outlined in the basic requirement section OR, Bachelor's degree, as outlined in basic requirement section, plus two full years of progressively higher level graduate education in a related field of study, provided the applicant's total background demonstrates the KSAs for the GS-9 level assignment. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Knowledge of the principles, theories, concepts, and practices of the Biomedical Engineering profession Ability to interpret relevant codes, regulations, guidelines, and standards, and make recommendations to ensure compliance with medical center programs. Ability to understand the operational needs of clinical services in the health care system. Ability 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 technology. Grade Determination GS-11 (Developmental Level 2) Experience. At least [one] year of experience equivalent to the next lower level, [and must fully meet the KSAs at that level.] OR, Education. [Ph.D., or equivalent doctoral degree in Biomedical Engineering, or a related field of engineering, as outlined in the basic requirements OR Bachelor's degree, plus three full years of progressively higher level graduate education in a related field of study, as outlined in the basic requirements. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Ability to implement and/or sustain an equipment management or biomedical engineering program that meets The Joint Commission (TJC), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), or other applicable regulatory requirements. Ability 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 healthcare. Ability 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 problems. Knowledge of basic project management principles, as applied to the healthcare setting and medical equipment, and information system implementation Grade Determination: GS-12 (Full Performance Level) Experience: Completion of at least [one] year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower level; OR completion of a post-doctoral research fellowship in the field of biomedical engineering, and must fully meet the KSAs at that level. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Ability to conduct a medical equipment management [or biomedical engineering program that is compliant with applicable healthcare standards and regulatory agencies. Ability to develop a curriculum for a continuing education program, that address the safe and effective use of medical technology, and/or research devices. Ability 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] requirements. Ability to conduct capital asset and infrastructure planning for medical equipment spanning initial concept, installation, and effective implementation of complex medical equipment. Ability 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 management. Ability to effectively advise clinical and administrative staff on medical technology, including existing and emerging technology, which addresses viability, long-term suitability, compatibility, and/or safety. Knowledge of concepts related to computer based medical systems, networking protocols, and information security as it applies to medical technology within VHA. Skill in communicating and working collaboratively with key stakeholders, including technical and professional staff at various levels of the organization. Ability to apply project management principles to deployment of medical equipment and health information technologies. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-07 to GS-12. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: The work is basically sedentary and accomplished while seated at a desk. Some walking, standing, bending, and lifting of items is required. There are no special physical demands. The work environment consists of normal office setting. Frequent trips to the various VASDHS locations in the performance of duties is required. The primary work areas are adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated.
The Biomedical Engineer is responsible for supporting a comprehensive medical equipment support program that must ensure the safety, reliability, and diagnostic/therapeutic efficacy of all devices employed in the direct and indirect delivery of patient care. This program responsibility includes the areas of organization, management, and device design. The high level of technological complexity of the equipment involved in these support activities often requires the application of unique concepts in order to reach a solution of various instrumentation maintenance, modifications, and design problems. Examples of such instrumentation include: computer-based patient monitoring systems, digital radiology, PACS imaging system, MRI, and computer-controlled chemistry auto analyzers. Major Duties includes but not limited to: Responsible for the cost-effective maintenance of the medical center's entire inventory of complex medical instrumentation and for a significant portion of the non-medical instrumentation as well. Maintenance expenses must be minimized while the quality and timeliness of service maximized. In this endeavor the incumbent assists the medical and administrative staff in the most effective expenditure of funds allocated for replacement and additional equipment. Responsible for supporting the Healthcare Technology Management section training program, in-house cross training, and vendor training, to ensure that the Biomedical Equipment Support Specialists are kept abreast of the changing technology as effectively as possible within the available resources. In managing the material resources utilized by the Healthcare Technology Management Section, the incumbent must make difficult and crucial decisions while maintain the delicate balance between economics, engineering, and medical care. Responsible for providing professional engineering direction to comply with legislative and accrediting requirements at the medical center. The requirements include federal (e.g., OSHA, EPA, FDA, NFPA), state and local authorities having specific jurisdiction concerning protection and quality of life and environment, as well as accrediting bodies (e.g., TJC, CAP). Develops policies and procedures to comply with these frequently conflicting requirements while minimizing adverse impact to patient care. Responsible for coordinating and managing the Healthcare Technology Management Section's Medical Device Isolation Architecture and network security also coordinate and manage projects that require Healthcare Technology Management as the lead or an interface. Responsible for ensuring that working conditions and work practices within the section are such that the possibility of on-the-job injuries are minimized (i.e., safety training, worksite inspections, etc.). Ensures that all employees within the section are knowledgeable of, and adhere to, policies and procedures as they relate to work-related injuries and illnesses. Responsible for evaluation of major failure problems or inadequate performance of medical equipment systems. The incumbent must draw from a wide experience of medical equipment systems to solve such problems, since maintenance instructions or other guidelines are inadequate for final solution. The medical equipment systems generally include a number of physically separate and technologically different subsystems. Prepares quality assurance monitor reports, standard operational procedures, and preventive maintenance procedures as required. Incumbent develops and or assists in the development/review of medical center policy memoranda in his/her area of responsibility. Introduces newest technology and practices to the medical center involving medical systems often with profound impact on clinical and administrative services processes. Actively promotes the viability of VASDHS by supporting strategic planning, working with executive administrative staff, and Engineering management to plan, implement, and design solutions to needs. Responsible for managing the Healthcare Technology Management Section's recall and safety alert program for medical devices hazard investigations to assure compliance with patient safety goals, SMDA, and The Joint Commission requirements. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 00000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized