Summary This position is located at the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System. The incumbent serves as a Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist (BESS) in imaging equipment within the Clinical Engineering department. They provide clinical and administrative support to staff, patients, and administrators for all matters of concern relating to the facility wide lifecycle management of advanced imaging or radiological and other medical devices. Responsibilities Duties to include but are not limited to the following: Manages imaging systems and databases. Configures and supports interfaces on imaging equipment and clinical systems. Coordinates and implements cybersecurity measures and disaster recovery plans. Performs manufacturer-level maintenance on imaging systems. Manages the planning, acquisition, and installation of imaging equipment. 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. Monitors system backups, ensures network connectivity, mitigates cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and maintains clinical systems. Responds to and remediates hazard alerts, recall notifications, and incidents concerning medical equipment and clinical systems. Manages projects involving medical equipment and clinical systems. 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 and enhances knowledge in technological advancements through professional development and technical training. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm Telework: Ad-hoc; at supervisory discretion Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 04874F 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. 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 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: Individuals appointed under authority of 38 U.S.C. chapters 73 or 74, to serve in a direct patient-care capacity in VHA must be proficient in written and spoken English. See Chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a, this part. Education and/or Experience: You must meet at least one of the requirements below. 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 equivalent to the above: 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. 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: Specialized Experience - In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. Examples of equivalent experience may include planning, implementing, and providing technical and project oversight for medical equipment and clinical systems. Managing medical equipment and clinical systems including installation, planned maintenance, troubleshooting, repair, calibrations, electrical safety inspections, patient safety, cybersecurity, and decommissioning. Performing incoming inspections on medical equipment and systems to determine that all safety regulations, manufacturer's specifications, contract requirements, and needs of users are met, and they initiate corrective action when necessary. Providing instruction and guidance to end users on proper use and care of equipment including operator-level maintenance of equipment and accessories. Partnering with customers to determine the nature and scope of the customer's issues and needs, providing an appropriate response and applicable solutions, and ensuring the customer is apprised of delays and significant steps until completion. Responding appropriately to hazard alerts and recall notifications concerning medical equipment, investigate equipment incidents, cases of equipment damage and abuse, equipment failure reports that cannot be duplicated, and medical device security incidents. Serving as a member of a Root Cause Analysis (RCA) team, ensuring proper disposal of medical equipment and clinical systems including removal of protected health information (PHI) and hazardous materials. Documenting activities and ensuring data is correctly entered into the Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS). Ensuring compliance with all applicable standards, policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements such as 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). Escalating BESS issues to higher-level technical support or management. Demonstrated Knowledge Skills and Abilities: 1. Knowledge of imaging principles including techniques, technologies, radiological practices, and procedures. 2. Knowledge of HL7 and DICOM standards. 3. Skill in applying standards for safe operation of medical equipment and clinical systems including National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Nuclear Radiation Commission (NRC), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Joint Commission (TJC), and the American College of Radiology (ACR). 4. Ability to resolve complex failures on imaging equipment and clinical systems. 5. Ability to perform advanced testing to troubleshoot imaging equipment and clinical system interfaces. NOTE: 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). 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-11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for 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 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. 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.
