Summary Serves as a Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist (BESS) specialized in information systems within a Healthcare Technology Management (HTM) department at the facility. Works in support of the medical equipment management program. In addition to duties at the full performance level, the BESS maintains medical servers and networks, diagnostic software, virtual platforms, and clinical applications software. Responsibilities Manages and maintains medical servers and networks, diagnostic software, virtual platforms, and clinical applications software. Manages projects involving medical equipment and clinical systems, to include procurement, installation, and maintenance. Manages hardware components of virtual servers, physical servers, and medical workstations. Facilitates operating system updates, upgrades, and virus protection. Identifies, troubleshoots, and completes corrective action for issues related to networked medical equipment and clinical systems. Evaluates compatibility and adaptability of medical equipment and clinical systems to integrate with the electronic health record or other clinical systems. Reviews, coordinates, and implements available software patches, updates, and system/data backups with staff and manufacturers. Coordinates, implements, and manages cybersecurity measures and disaster recovery plans. Effectively responds to, investigates, and documents cybersecurity incidents involving medical equipment and clinical systems. Responds to and remediates hazard alerts, recall notifications, and incidents concerning medical equipment and clinical systems. Documents all actions in the appropriate system. Monitors cybersecurity metrics and initiates corrective action to address deficiencies. Complies with the facility's medical device protection program. Ensures networked medical equipment and clinical systems are inventoried in the appropriate database. Serves as a subject matter expert on assigned committees, projects, and workgroups. 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). Utilizes test equipment in accordance with manufacturer instructions. 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. Serves as a Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) and/or purchase card holder. Develops documentation to purchase commodities and/or vendor services. Manages, monitors, and evaluates contractor performance and addresses issues or deficiencies. Complies with applicable standards, policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements. Provides guidance and mentorship to expand professional knowledge and enhance technical skillsets. Maintains and enhances knowledge in technological advancements through professional development and technical training. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm Compressed/Flexible: May be authorized at the supervisor's discretion. Telework: Not available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 50603-A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: May be authorized. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized. PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): 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. 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). Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until March 31, 2026 or until the position is filled. The initial cutoff date for referral of eligible applications will be December 1, 2025. Eligible applications received after that date will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as needed basis until positions are filled. 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: Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States (U.S.). Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens according to 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a). English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). Education, Experience, or Certification. Associates or higher degree in the biomedical technology or biomedical engineering field; OR Associates or higher degree in electronics, a field of information technology, or engineering (other than biomedical engineering) AND 1 year of creditable experience; OR Completion of the Department of Defense (DOD) biomedical equipment technician training program; OR Completion of a DOD training program in repair and maintenance of electronic systems or information technology AND 1 year of creditable experience; OR Completion of a biomedical engineering technician or Healthcare Technology Management (HTM) certificate program that included an internship or apprenticeship; OR Completion of biomedical engineering technician or HTM certificate program that did not include an internship AND 1 year of creditable experience; OR 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. Foreign Education. To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must be deemed at least equivalent to that gained in a conventional U.S. program by a private organization specializing in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials Grandfathering Provision. Employees in VHA in this occupation, under a permanent, appropriate, and legal placement on the effective date of the qualification standard (11/26/2024) are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade and assignment held including positive education and certification. For employees who do not meet all the basic or assignment-specific requirements in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed, the following provisions apply: Employees may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level, or be changed to a lower grade within the occupation, but they may not be promoted beyond the journey level or be newly placed in supervisory or managerial positions. Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed on a temporary or permanent basis until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard. Employees retained in this occupation under this provision who subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation. Grade Determinations: Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist - Information Systems, GS-12. Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade (GS-11). Assignments at the GS-11 level. Employees in this assignment serve as full performance level (FPL) BESSs responsible for managing multiple assignments, organizing, and independently prioritizing their work with minimal supervision. At this level, BESSs manage medical equipment and clinical systems including installation, planned maintenance, troubleshooting, repair, calibrations, electrical safety inspections, patient safety, cybersecurity, and decommissioning. They plan, implement, and provide technical and project oversight for medical equipment and clinical systems. BESSs develop technical requirements, draft requests for proposal (RFP) language, sole-source justifications, and statements of work (SOW). They conduct market research, product evaluations, evaluate contractor performance, and conduct pre-procurement assessments. They serve as a Contracting Officer Representative (COR) or Contracting Officer Technical Representative (COTR) to purchase medical equipment, maintenance and repair contracts, and facility projects as needed. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Knowledge of Health Level 7 (HL7) and Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) standards. Knowledge of advanced testing methods to troubleshoot networked medical equipment and clinical system interfaces. Skill in maintaining computer and server based medical equipment, databases, and software. Skill in managing medical equipment and clinical system projects that interface with an electronic health record or other information systems. Skill in applying cybersecurity standards to medical devices and clinical systems such as Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA), and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) guidelines. Ability to apply information security tools including virus protection, software updates, and operating system patches. Ability to establish a medical network including VLAN configuration, Internet Protocol addressing, and network security. 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. A pre-placement physical examination is not required. 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 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.
