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Summary This position is located in the Biomedical Engineering (BME) Program at the VA Medical Center, Tomah, Wisconsin. Incumbent serves as a senior staff biomedical engineer at the facility. Has the ability to meet all lower Functional Statement performance levels of the Biomedical Engineer 0858 series. Coordinates and directs the work of technicians and interns assigned to the Biomedical Engineering Program. Responsibilities Major duties (full performance level): Responsible for planning, organizing, reviewing, installing/implementing Medical Equipment capital assets. Responsible for creation and modification of all policies and procedures for medical equipment that meet or exceed Joint Commission, NFPA, FDA, SMDA or VA standards, including annual reviews, performance improvement, and implementation. Responsible for new equipment purchasing including planning, budgeting, prioritizing, evaluating, and implementing/installing new equipment. Applies advanced theories, principles, concepts and practices of Biomedical Engineering to keep abreast of changes in technology and utilize that information to meet operational needs. Manages the recall and safety alerts for medical devices. Instigates incidents to assure compliance with patient safety goals, SMDA and Joint Commission requirements. Investigates situations or phenomena which have or may affect or compromise efficacy of medical services. Acts as medical center liaison to outside agencies (manufacturers, FDA, etc.) concerning design, modification, application, operation, maintenance, reliability, performance and incidents. Directs quality assurance program for clinical equipment which includes incoming inspection and acceptance testing, performance and safety testing, calibration, and maintenance and repair programs. Develops and implements curriculum for staff that addresses the safe and effective use of medical equipment and technology on a continuing basis. Coordinates with other Biomedical Engineering staff for medical equipment project planning and implementation. Interacts with medical staff to prepare incident reports involving medical equipment to comply with the Safe Medical Devices Act. Participates in and helps organize investigations to gather data necessary for these incident reports. Serves as a consultant and technical expert to medial staff and medical center management in all areas relating to complex and specialized medical equipment. This includes equipment selection, installation, maintenance, administration, misuse, replacement, clinical problems, and quality assurance. Work Schedule: Full time, Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm. Telework: Ad-Hoc telework will be discussed during interview. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 08065F 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. Education requirements: Bachelor's Degree or Higher in Engineering. To be creditable, the curriculum must be from a school of engineering with at least one curriculum accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), as a professional engineering curriculum. Examples of acceptable engineering degrees include: Biomedical Engineering, Clinical Engineering, Bioengineering, Biomechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Biochemical Engineering. Titles may vary from educational institutions and change over time. OR, Certification as a Certified Clinical Engineer (CCE) and a bachelor's degree not listed above. 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-07 Biomedical Engineer (Entry Level) - Do you meet the basic requirements as described above? GS-09 Biomedical Engineer (Developmental Level 1) - Experience/Education Requirement: Do you possess [One] year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-07) OR Education; master's degree in biomedical engineering, or a related field of study, as outlined above on question 2. OR Bachelor's degree, as outlined in paragraph above on question 2, plus two full years of progressively higher-level graduate education in a related field of study. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Knowledge of the principles, theories, concepts, and practices of the Biomedical Engineering profession. Ability to interpret relevant codes, regulations, guidelines, and standards, and make recommendations to ensure compliance with medical center programs. Ability to understand the operational needs of clinical services in the health care system. Ability to prepare material on current technical topics and trends, for presentation to other technical staff and mid-level hospital management, and the ability to keep abreast of changes in technology. GS-11 Biomedical Engineer (Developmental Level 2) -Experience/Education Requirement: Do you possess one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-09) or Education; Ph.D., or equivalent doctoral degree in Biomedical Engineering, or a related field of engineering, as outlined in question 2. OR, Bachelor's degree, plus three full years of progressively higher level graduate education in a related field of study, as outlined in question 2? In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Ability to implement and/or sustain an equipment management or biomedical research program that meets The Joint Commission (TJC), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), or other applicable regulatory requirements. Ability to develop material for a continuing education program for clinical or research staff, that address the principles and application of medical technology, and/or biomedical theory used in healthcare. Ability to advise staff on emerging medical technology, or research procedures, while keeping abreast of changes in such technology, and utilizing the information to solve biomedical engineering problems. Knowledge of basic project management principles, as applied to the healthcare setting and medical equipment, and information system implementation. GS-12 Biomedical Engineer(Full Performance Level): Do you possess at least one (1) year of specialized experience that equipped you with the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the Biomedical Engineer? To be credible, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-11 level in the Federal service. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: participate in medical device hazard investigations to assure compliance with patient safety goals, the Safe Medical Devices Act (SMDA), and JCAHO requirements; assist in clinical research projects in the biomedical engineering field; knowledge of an equipment management program that meets current Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Health Care Organizations (JCAHO) and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) requirements; Develops material for a continuing education program for clinical staff that addresses the principles and application of medical instrumentation used in the delivery of healthcare; Advises clinical and administrative staff on emerging medical engineering technology, while keeping abreast of changes in such technology, and utilizing the information to solve biomedical engineering problems; performs fact-finding research, verification of data, BME analysis of assigned material; preparation of draft correspondence in response to technical inquiries concerning BME policies, programs, and objectives; and collaboration with senior BME staff in developing presentation materials and briefing books, etc. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary. Some work may require periods of walking, standing, bending, climbing, or driving a motor vehicle in activities such as inspections of installed equipment and visits to construction sites and industrial, commercial, agricultural, and other business establishments. Employees may carry light items such as books, instruments, and other similar materials. The work does not require any special physical effort. 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.