Summary For the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center (RHJVAMC) to manage risks associated with its utility systems in accordance with the VA mission and applicable regulations, standards, and the Utility Systems Management Plan. Responsibilities Per The Joint Commission, utility systems are defined as building systems that provide support to the environment of care, including electrical distribution and emergency power; vertical and horizontal transport; heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC); plumbing, boiler, and steam; piped gases; vacuum systems; and communications systems, including data exchange systems. This encompasses the scope of building systems included in the scope of this Committee. The Committee will monitor and provide guidance for safe, effective, accessible, and reliable use of utility systems by: 1. Managing risks associated with the facility's utility systems. 2. Ensuring reliable normal and emergency electrical power. 3. Managing inspections, tests, and maintenance of utility systems, emergency power systems, medical gas systems, and vacuum systems. C. To foster improvement in utility systems this Committee will review: 1. Documentation of historical repair, preventative maintenance, corrective maintenance, and inspections. 2. Resources expended providing repair, preventative maintenance, corrective maintenance, and inspections for equipment not considered utility systems. 3. Life expectancy of utility equipment and their associated efficiencies. 4. Alternative Equipment Maintenance (AEM) requests for utility system/components and associated recommendations to the Comprehensive Environment of Care Committee (CEOCC). 5. Reported problems/corrective solutions including responses to incidents. 6. Hazard alerts and recalls. 7. After action reports of utility disruptions (planned and unplanned). 8. Staff training and certification requirements. 9. Utility deficiencies and code compliance. 10. The Utility Systems Management Plan. The Chief Engineer is ultimately responsible for assuring reliable utilities are generated and/or distributed to the point of use, providing expert technical guidance to utility users, and promoting the safe, effective, and efficient use of utilities at VA-owned buildings. For the purpose of this committee, responsibilities are delegated as follows: Assistant Chief Engineer: Management of utility outage requests and disruptions. This includes managing a process to request, assess, approve, and compile after-action reports for planned and unplanned utility disruptions. After action reports shall be prepared and presented to this Committee. Evaluate and prepare the recommendations for improvements in the Utility Management Plan and this Committee's end-of-year report to the CEOCC. Chief, Projects and Development Section: Designing and installing utility systems in accordance with National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) codes to meet patient care and operational needs. Also, to design utility systems for interim measures that reduce risks and maintain utility continuity to areas outside of the construction area during construction activities. Chief, Maintenance Operations Repair and Readiness (MORR): Manage the inventory, including a library of manuals, procedures provided by manufacturers, technical bulletins, and other information. Also, manage maintenance and risk assessments of operating components of utility systems for which there is risk of serious harm or death to a patient or staff member should the component fail, including an annual review. Ensure applicable medical center policies and procedures, and user standards regarding operation and maintenance are followed. Identify and correct problems with utility systems/components for compliance with regulatory agencies. Ensure that all the utility systems/components maintenance procedures meet manufacturer recommendations or request an Alternative Equipment Maintenance procedure. Report problems and corrective solutions. Maintain documentation of operator and technician competencies, training records and certification. Provide reports for required testing of utility systems and annual review of risk assessments. Annual risk assessments of the following systems will be conducted/documented to prioritize based on risk to operations and resilience (e.g., American Society of Healthcare Engineers template or equivalent): a. Fire safety equipment and systems. b. Life safety features of the building. c. Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. d. Electrical systems. e. Potable and critical water and sewer systems. f. Medical gas systems. g. Steam, heating hot water and chilled water. h. Vertical Transport. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 7:00 am - 3:30 pm Compressed/Flexible: May be authorized Telework: This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Engineering Technician/PD10018A 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 To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the 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 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. 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) As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period 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 probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 04/13/2026. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. Individual Occupational Requirements Series Definition: This series covers technical positions supervising, leading, or performing work involving applying a practical knowledge of the: methods and techniques of engineering or architecture; and construction, application, properties, operations, and limitations of engineering systems, processes, structures, machinery, devices, and materials. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-9) in the Federal Service, that is directly related to the work of the position and has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties as a Program Analyst - Informatics. Qualifying specialized experience includes communicating among stakeholders to facilitate and support organizational change; applying a wide range of established practices, theories, and emerging information in relation to health care delivery, informatics, and applications; independently completes analytical projects related to process improvement; experience with data life cycle to include data design, collection, and management to input, retrieve, analyze, summarize, and present information; and knowledge and use of national database architecture and file structure. ~OR~ Education: Successfully completed a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, or three (3) full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree, or an LL.M. if related, that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with application. Education cannot be credited without documentation. ~OR~ Combination: Equivalent combination of successfully completed education and specialized experience directly related to the work of the position as outlined above that meets the requirements of the position. Only education in excess of a master's or equivalent graduate education may be used to qualify applicants for the GS-11 level. NOTE: If using education combined with specialized experience to qualify, a copy of your transcript is required. NOTE: One (1) full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/. Education Individual Occupational Requirements Series Definition: This series covers technical positions supervising, leading, or performing work involving applying a practical knowledge of the: methods and techniques of engineering or architecture; and construction, application, properties, operations, and limitations of engineering systems, processes, structures, machinery, devices, and materials. Certification: Engineering technicians may be certified by the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies, an organization sponsored by the National Society of Professional Engineers. Certification by the Institute will be helpful as a measure of the technician's quality of experience. A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on 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 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. The Ralph H. Johnson VA & its CBOC's are committed to hiring a diverse workforce from various backgrounds and individuals who demonstrate a diversity, equity and inclusion-related mindset and behaviors. We are strongly seeking candidates who represent the full range of cultural and identity factors including but not limited to race, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation/identity, gender identity and expression, age, language, abilities/disabilities, socioeconomic status, religion, spiritual practices, geographic region, and other characteristics. Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. Receiving Service Credit for 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. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. 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. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.
