Biomedical Engineer

Summary

The Biomedical Engineer position works within the Healthcare Technology Management (HTM) Department at the Washington DC VAMC. The program includes - but is not limited to: consultation with clinical and technical staff regarding medical equipment needs and requirements - medical technology assessment - strategic planning - acquisition support - program and project management - networked medical device protection - ongoing maintenance support and quality assurance for medical equipment.

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

• Citizenship
• Be a citizen of the United States
• (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens) English Language Proficiency
• Biomedical Engineers must be proficient in spoken and written English
• Education and/or Experience
• The individual must meet either item (1) or (2) below to meet this requirement: 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
• Grade Determinations: Biomedical Engineer - GS-7 (Entry Level) Experience
• None beyond the basic requirements
• Education
• Bachelor's degree as outlined in paragraph above or CCE certification with at least a bachelor's degree not listed Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities
• None beyond the basic requirements
• Assignment
• Employees serve in an entry level biomedical engineer career development position
• It is expected that biomedical engineers at the entry level receive ongoing guidance from more experienced staff members and perform assignments under close supervision
• Biomedical Engineer - GS-9 (Developmental Level 1) Experience
• At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower level
• (Example of GS-07 Experience: Employees serve in an entry level biomedical engineer career development position.) OR Education Master's degree in Biomedical Engineering - or a related field of study - OR Bachelor's degree - plus two full years of progressively higher level graduate education in a related field of study - that demonstrates the KSAs for the GS-9 level assignment
• Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities (KSAs)
• In addition to the experience for the GS-09 - the following KSAs are required: 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
• Assignment
• Biomedical Engineers - at this developmental level - require direction on more complex tasks
• Employees complete technical assignments in the engineering field - under the direction of a senior biomedical engineer and will be required to rotate through - and participate in - the operations of other hospital services
• At the GS-9 grade level - employees function with oversight by a supervisor for more complex assignments
• Biomedical Engineer - GS-11 (Developmental Level 2) Experience
• At least [one] year of experience equivalent to the next lower level - [and must fully meet the KSAs at that level.] (Example of GS-09 Experience: At the GS-9 grade level - employees function with oversight by a supervisor for more complex assignments.) OR Education Ph.D. - or equivalent doctoral degree in Biomedical Engineering - or a related field of engineering - OR Bachelor's degree - plus three full years of progressively higher level graduate education in a related field of study Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities (KSAs)
• In addition to the experience for the GS-11 - the following KSAs are required: 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
• Assignment
• At the developmental level - employees function on a semi- independent basis with limited oversight by senior biomedical engineers
• They participate in medical device hazard investigations - to assure compliance with patient safety goals - the Safe Medical Devices Act (SMDA) - TJC requirements - and assist in the development of an equipment management program at the medical center
• Employees may lead medical technology deployments - directly support medical equipment - or participate in research projects
• Biomedical Engineer - GS-12 (Full Performance Level) Experience
• Completion of at least [one] year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower level (Example of GS-11 Experience: employees function on a semi- independent basis with limited oversight by senior biomedical engineers
• They participate in medical device hazard investigations - to assure compliance with patient safety goals - the Safe Medical Devices Act (SMDA) - TJC requirements - and assist in the development of an equipment management program at the medical center
• Employees may lead medical technology deployments - directly support medical equipment - or participate in research projects.)
• OR completion of a post-doctoral research fellowship in the field of biomedical engineering - and must fully meet the KSAs at that level
• Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities (KSAs)
• In addition to the experience for the GS-12 - the following KSAs are required: Ability to conduct a medical equipment management [or biomedical research program that is compliant with applicable healthcare standards and regulatory agencies
• Ability to develop a curriculum for a continuing education program - that address the safe and effective use of medical technology - and/or research devices
• Ability to manage a recall and safety alert program for medical devices - including medical device hazard investigations - to assure compliance with patient safety goals - SMDA - and [TJC] requirements
• Ability to conduct capital asset and infrastructure planning for medical equipment spanning initial concept - installation - and effective implementation of complex medical equipment
• Ability to function as the subject matter expert in the field of biomedical engineering - directly supporting specialized clinical technology - including service - system administration - training - quality assurance - and life-cycle management
• Ability to effectively advise clinical and administrative staff on medical technology - including existing and emerging technology - which addresses viability - long-term suitability - compatibility - and/or safety
• Knowledge of concepts related to computer based medical systems - networking protocols - and information security as it applies to medical technology within VHA
• Skill in communicating and working collaboratively with key stakeholders - including technical and professional staff at various levels of the organization
• Ability to apply project management principles to deployment of medical equipment and health information technologies.
  
  

Duties

• Duties include but are not limited to: Uses basic engineering principles to provide limited professional - healthcare technology management services for the medical center
• Projects or assignments typically include facility-based work - and may include assisting with VISN or National HTM projects
• Continually learns new technology - identifies trends - and utilizes the information to solve biomedical engineering problems
• Assists in lifecycle management of medical equipment and clinical systems
• Participates in technology assessment of medical equipment systems by working collaboratively with clinical staff to evaluate market offerings - determine medical center requirements - design system configurations - and develop technical specifications
• Works collaboratively with Contracting staff to procure medical equipment and maintenance that best meets clinical needs - to include evaluating technical proposals and contributing to price negotiations
• Assists and/or coordinates implementation of medical technology including assessing installation and site preparation requirements - managing project timelines - monitoring installation - and facilitating training for equipment operators and maintainers
• Participates on medical center construction projects - space functional changes - and associated planning with respect to HTM-supported technologies - including site preparation for medical equipment - non- recurring maintenance projects - and minor construction projects
• Assists with remediation and documentation of hazard alerts and recall notifications concerning medical equipment impacting the facility
• Supports a medical equipment management program that allows the DC VAMC to meet the requirements set by accrediting organizations such as The Joint Commission (T-JC)
• Assists in troubleshooting medical equipment and clinical systems using a variety of technical data and corrective action practices
• Utilizes basic networking concepts - such as computer and server hardware and software used in conjunction with medical devices and clinical systems
• Demonstrates the ability to analyze organizational and operational problems involving medical equipment - and recommend timely and economical solutions accordingly
• Assists with analyzing and recommending optimal maintenance strategies for medical equipment and systems - to include cost-benefit evaluation of out-sourcing versus in-house support
• Assists with preparing quality assurance monitoring reports and standard operational procedures
• Assists in the development/review of medical center policy memoranda
• Documents all work in the Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS)
• Provides customer support to staff - evaluates issues and needs - responds with solutions - and keeps customers abreast of status
• Complies with all applicable standards - policies - procedures - and regulatory requirements
• Work Schedule: Monday- Friday 8am-4:30pm EST Telework: Not Authorized Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #:688-25119-F - 688-25120-F - 688-25121-F - 688-25122-F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized