Summary Serves as a Lead Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist (BESS) within a Healthcare Technology Management (HTM} department at the James H. Quillen VA Medical Center. Works in support of the medical equipment management program. In addition to duties at the full performance level, the BESS leads HTM staff by distributing and prioritizing workloads. Responsibilities Duties include but are not limited to: Provides guidance and mentorship for professional and technical development. Facilitates training of HTM staff to develop knowledge of medical equipment and clinical systems. Establishes and revises workload distribution to address daily priorities. Monitors metrics, analyzes data, and supports performance improvement activities. Serves as a subject matter expert on assigned committees, projects, and workgroups. Apprises management of performance and conduct of HTM staff. Identifies opportunities to improve customer service and satisfaction, and addresses customer feedback effectively and in a timely manner. Serves as a Contracting Officer's Representative (COR). Serves as a Government Purchase Card (GPC) holder, approving official, or alternate approving official. Maintains and enhances knowledge in technological advancements through professional development and technical training. Manages the lifecycle of medical equipment and clinical systems. Troubleshoots medical equipment and clinical systems using a variety of technical data and completes corrective action. Performs incoming inspections and planned maintenance on medical equipment and clinical systems. Documents all work in the Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS). Responds to and remediates hazard alerts, recall notifications, and incidents concerning medical equipment and clinical systems. Documents all actions in the appropriate system. Monitors system backups, ensures network connectivity, mitigates cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and maintains clinical systems. Utilizes test equipment in accordance with manufacturer instructions. Manages projects involving medical equipment and clinical systems. Provides customer support to staff, evaluates issues and needs, responds with solutions, and keeps customers abreast of status. Educates staff on the safe operation and user-level maintenance of medical equipment and clinical systems. Develops documentation to purchase commodities and/or vendor services. Manages, monitors, and evaluates contractor performance and addresses issues or deficiencies. Maintains knowledge of and complies with applicable standards, policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 7:00 am to 3:30 pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: PD61120F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. You may be required to serve a trial period. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Qualifications Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. EXPERIENCE/EDUCATION/CERTIFICATION: To meet the basic requirements for this occupation, you must have one of the below listed education, experience, certifications. Associates or higher degree in the biomedical technology or biomedical engineering field. Associates or higher degree in electronics, a field of information technology, or engineering (other than biomedical engineering) AND 1 year of creditable experience. Completion of the Department of Defense (DOD) biomedical equipment technician training program. Completion of a DOD training program in repair and maintenance of electronic systems or information technology AND 1 year of creditable experience. Completion of a biomedical engineering technician or Healthcare Technology Management (HTM) certificate program that included an internship or apprenticeship. Completion of biomedical engineering technician or HTM certificate program that did not include an internship AND 1 year of creditable experience. Hold or having ever held certification as a Certified Biomedical Equipment Technician (CBET), Certified Radiology Equipment Specialist (CRES), Certified Laboratory Equipment Specialist (CLES), or Certified Healthcare Technology Manager (CHTM). Continuous maintenance of certification is not required throughout VHA employment. English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). 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 Determinations: GS-12 Lead Biomedical Equipment Specialist Experience: You must have one year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade (GS-11). To be creditable, the experience must have required the use of knowledge, skills, and abilities associated with current health care industry and required using knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) directly applicable to the assignment and associated within the scope of the BESS profession. Experience is only creditable if it was acquired in the health care industry and is either directly related to the position to be filled or a related field (for example, Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist, Biomedical Equipment Technician, Field Service Engineer, Medical Equipment Repairer, or Information Technology (IT) Specialist). Experience satisfying this requirement may be paid or non-paid employment as a BESS. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: (a) Skill in managing projects involving medical equipment and clinical systems. (b) Skill in resolving customer concerns. (c) Ability to comply with standards for safe operation of medical equipment and clinical systems including National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the Joint Commission (TJC), and the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI). (d) Ability to lead staff in managing daily work assignments and priorities. (e) Ability to mentor staff in professional and technical development. (f) Ability to analyze data to monitor overall program effectiveness. Preferred Experience: 3-5 years of hospital based biomedical engineering experience, familiar with Medical Equipment Management Program, work order management and reporting Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. Education Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.
