Summary The incumbent serves as a supervisor within the management of Maintenance and operations section at a multi-faceted and affiliated VA Medical Center including outlying community based outpatient clinics. Responsibilities The Supervisory General Engineer GS-13, Engineering Service is responsible for the day-to-day operation and management of the Maintenance and Repair Program of the VHA Medical facility. This consists of direct supervision of the following trade shops: Electrical, Pipefitting/Plumbing, Carpentry, Refrigeration, Air-Conditioning, Boiler Plant/Chiller Plant and Maintenance Operations. The position also serves as the direct supervisor for the Transportation Sections at facilities where the Transportation Sections report to FMS. Maintenance & Repair: Maintenance & Repair (M&R) is the major area of engineering program responsibility. The Supervisory General Engineer is responsible for the management of allocated resources to ensure timely and cost-effective maintenance and repair of all buildings, building service equipment, utilities, and grounds. In addition, the incumbent is responsible to manage a variety of service contracts with outside vendors to supplement the workload for in-house staff and to ensure proper patient staff/safety. Facility Operations: The Supervisory General Engineer, through subordinate staff, must plan for (24) hours per day, (365) days of operation a year for all the utility systems to ensure continuous and safe service of normal facility operations. This task is complicated by the fact that many of the utilities/systems are at or have exceeded their useful life expectancy and require extensive maintenance and repair. To accomplish this task, there is a critical need for excellent communication/ cooperation between the Shop Foremen and the Supervisory General Engineer. Construction Program: The Supervisory General Engineer coordinates engineering activities with the Chief, Planning & Design Section, Engineering Service, or designee for all construction projects within the NRM, MINOR and MAJOR CONSTRUCTION programs. The incumbent coordinates engineering activities with the Facility Planner, Service Chief/Facility Manager, and Staff Assistant to the Director for all construction projects within these programs as required. Other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: 8:00am to 4:30pm Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases . When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade). Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience. Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child. Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66. Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Functional Statement #: 12854F Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. 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. Must pass pre-employment physical examination. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Driver's License abstract required. 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. English Language Proficiency : You must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d). Education (must meet one of the following): a. Bachelor's degree or higher in Engineering or Architecture. To be acceptable, the curriculum must be from a school with at least one curriculum accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Engineering Accreditation Commission (excludes engineering technology) or National Council of Architectural Registration Boards curriculum. Examples of acceptable engineering and architectural degrees include, but are not limited to: Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Architecture and Architectural Engineering. Titles may vary from educational institutions and change over time; OR b. Evidence of passing the Fundamentals of Engineering Examination with a bachelor's degree. Evidence can be in the form of an Engineering in Training certificate issued from any State, the District of Columbia, Guam or Puerto Rico, or test results from the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) identifying a passing score; OR c. Evidence of current professional registration or licensure as a Professional Engineer or Architect. Eviden 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). Supervisory Healthcare Engineer GS-13 Qualifications: 1. In addition to meeting the basic requirements, to qualify for the GS-13 you must possess at least 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-12). 2. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: a. Knowledge of data analysis techniques related to managing workload, quality, performance and productivity within the area of responsibility. b. Knowledge related to the management of overall department resources, (i.e., finances space, equipment, supplies, schedules and staffing) at the local level. c. Knowledge of the full range of supervisory duties, which include responsibility for assignment of work, performance evaluations, selection of staff, training and development, recommendation of awards, advancements and disciplinary actions. d. Skill in using effective communication in managing interpersonal relationships, leading and dealing with employees, team leaders, labor representatives and managers. e. Ability to balance multiple responsibilities, set priorities, delegate tasks, meet multiple deadlines, analyze organizational problems and develop and implement effective solutions that result in efficient operations. f. Ability to draft and/or recommend local policies and/or directives related to healthcare engineering management. g. Ability to recognize and assess evolving scenarios, utilizing initiative, self-direction and assigned resources to affect resolutions. Assignment. For all supervisory assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity, difficulty, range of variety and be performed by the incumbent as a major duty at least 25% of the time. The incumbent must supervise staff for at least 25% of the time, administratively and technically at the full performance grade level or below. At this level, Supervisory Healthcare Engineers are assigned at the facility level, supervising professional engineers and other support positions at GS-13 equivalent and below. Supervisory Healthcare Engineers exercise the full range of supervisory responsibility to include development of performance standards and performance evaluations; recommendations for appointment, awards, advancements, and when appropriate, disciplinary actions; and identification of continuing training needs, etc. They provide complex professional engineering advice to peers, subordinates and/or non-professional administrators/managers. They review or direct the review of technical plans, specifications and analyses of design as submitted by subordinates. Supervisory Healthcare Engineers provide professional advice to improve such plans, specifications and analyses. They direct necessary changes and furnish assistance as required. They advise subordinate personnel on methods and procedures to be used in special studies on highly complex projects. Supervisory Healthcare Engineers oversee subordinate professionals' work. They are the technical authority, providing expert advice pertaining to the maintenance of facilities, structures or landscapes that may involve large geographic regions. Supervisory Healthcare Engineers review subordinates' activity plans, specifications and cost estimates for technical adequacy and feasibility. They oversee maintenance standards for advanced equipment or systems technology. Supervisory Healthcare Engineers provide for the budgeting and financial management for engineering. They supervise a staff to accomplish the construction work and maintenance of the organization. Preferred Experience: Healthcare Construction Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G72. This position is above the full performance. Physical Requirements: The work environment involves everyday risks or discomforts that require normal safety precautions typical of such places as offices, training rooms, and libraries. The work area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. The Chief Engineer must also work outdoors in all @types of weather. There may be occasional exposure to moderate risks or discomforts in storage areas or hazardous waste sites. The work is primarily sedentary, although some physical effort may be required, e.g., walking, standing, climbing ladders, stooping, kneeling, and carrying light items such as manuals or briefcases, or driving or traveling by motor vehicle. Education Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from ABET 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 Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. 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.
