** Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist**

**Department of Veterans Affairs**

**Location**

1 vacancy in the following location:

** Relocation expenses reimbursed**

No

** Telework eligible**

No

**Duties**

** Summary**

The Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist (BESS) maintains medical equipment using established local, regional and national policies and procedures designed to meet criteria and standards from multiple accrediting agencies and governing bodies.

**Responsibilities**

Duties include but are not limited to the following:

Under direction of more experienced BESS and/or Biomedical Engineers, the BESS assists in lifecycle management of medical systems. Specific tasks include but are not limited to installation, preventive maintenance, troubleshooting, repair, calibrations and safety inspections. Utilizes common test equipment including, but not limited to, electrical safety analyzers, oscilloscopes, patient simulators, pulse generators, network analyzers, and multi-meters;

Develops and maintains functional knowledge of relevant safety codes and standards of regulatory bodies including but not limited to The Joint Commission (TJC), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI);

Documents all work performed in the computerized maintenance management system (CMMS)

May assist with management of installation or upgrade projects for medical devices and systems. This includes but is not limited to pre-implementation planning and coordination with end users, vendors, and other onsite support staff (OIT, Informatics, SPS, etc.)

Include, but not limited to:

Responsible for the life-cycle management of diagnostic, therapeutic, and other patient related medical equipment and systems.

Performs routine and complex tasks involved in the installation, maintenance, modification, troubleshooting and calibration of complex therapeutic, diagnostic and life support biomedical equipment.

Responsible for monitoring system backups, file integrity, ensuring network connectivity between systems, servers, databases, and the electronic medical record.

Responds appropriately to hazard recall notifications concerning medical equipment.

Investigates equipment incidents and alerts, cases of equipment damage and abuse, equipment failure reports that cannot be duplicated and medical device security incidents.

Consults and advises clinical and administrative staff in evaluating medical equipment proposed for purchase. Determines when healthcare technology, instrumentation, or systems are obsolete, hazardous and/or not cost effective to maintain.

Performs incoming inspections on new and unfamiliar medical equipment and systems upon receipt to determine that all government safety regulations, manufacturer's specifications, contract requirements are met. Attends training from in-house as well as outside sources (e.g. attendance in community college courses, vendor service schools, conferences/seminars, etc.) to maintain and improve working knowledge of medical equipment, including current technology and future advances.

Provides biomedical equipment related technical training to peer and Developmental BESS's as well as clinical staff.

**Work Schedule**: Monday - Friday, 8:00AM - 4:30PM

**Compressed/Flexible**: This can be negotiated once selectee is onboarded

**Telework**: Not Available

**Virtual:** This is not a virtual position.

**Functional Statement #**: PD000000

**Relocation/Recruitment Incentives**: Not Authorized

**Fi****nancial Disclosure Report:** Not required **Travel Required**

Not required

** Supervisory status**

No

** Promotion Potential**

11

**Requirements**

** Conditions of Employment**

You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job

Designated and/or random drug testing may be required

Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959

You may be required to serve a probationary period

Subject to a background/security investigation

Must be proficient in written and spoken English

Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process ** Qualifications**

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 08/27/2021.

**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:** Candidates will not be appointed under authority of 38 U.S.C. chapters 73 or 74, to serve in a direct patient-care capacity in VHA who is not proficient in written and spoken English. See Chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a, this part.

**Experience and Education:** Associates degree in Biomedical Electronics Technology, Biomedical Equipment Technology or Biomedical Engineering Technology or in a related technical field such as Electronic Technology or Information Technology and two years of experience as a Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist, Biomedical Equipment Technician, Field Service Engineer, Medical Equipment Repairer, or Information Technology Specialist. **OR**

Bachelor's degree in Biomedical Engineering Technology or in a related field such as Electronics Engineering Technology (EET) or Information Technology. **OR** Completion of a military training program in biomedical equipment and two years of experience as a Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist or Biomedical Equipment Technician, Field Service Engineer, Medical Equipment Repairer or Information Technology Specialist. **A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.**

**Grade Determinations:**

**GS-05 (Entry Level)**

Experience or Education: None beyond basic requirements. **GS-07 (Developmental Level 1)**

**Experience:** At least one year of experience equivalent to the GS-05 grade level.

In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following knowledge, skill, and ability (KSA):

- (a) Ability to read, interpret, and apply a great variety of technical data such as schematic drawings, wiring diagrams, table charts, mathematical expressions and formulas.

- (b) Ability to learn equipment maintenance, operating procedures, and repair procedures from training materials and courses.

- (c) Fundamental knowledge of electronics to include analog, digital and microprocessor theory, pneumatics, hydraulics, optics, electro-mechanics, physics, basic networking, and chemistry.

- (d) Knowledge of the use of standard level test equipment to include, but not limited to, multimeters, electrical safety analyzers, patient simulator, storage oscilloscopes, manometers, tachometers, etc.

- (e) Knowledge of anatomy, physiology, medical terminology, medical equipment, and technology.

- (f) Knowledge of basic networking, computer/server hardware/software and information technologies and computer virus protection software, available software patches and upgrades, and information security tools (i.e. Microsoft Office, Windows operating systems, McAfee, etc.). **GS-09 (Developmental Level 2)**

**Experience:** At least one year of experience equivalent to the GS-07 grade level.

In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following knowledge, skill, and ability (KSA):

- (a) Knowledge of electronics and electricity including analog and intermediate digital electronics to test, calibrate, maintain, and repair biomedical equipment and moderately complex biomedical instrumentation systems.

- (b) Skill in the setup and use of standard and advanced level test equipment to perform precise and detailed analysis of the operating and design characteristics of equipment and initiate repairs, reconfiguratio