Biomedical Engineer

Summary

As a Biomedical Engineer (BME) for the Lt. Col. Luke Weathers - Jr. VA Medical Center - Memphis - TN - the incumbent provides professional engineering support to a complex - highly technical - and service-oriented Healthcare Technology Management Section within Engineering Service. The Biomedical Engineering Program includes medical technology assessment - strategic planning - acquisition support - implementation - coordination - equipment management - and ongoing maintenance support.

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 and/or Experience
• [The individual must meet either item (1) or (2) below to meet this requirement: (1)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 - (2)Certification as a Certified Clinical Engineer (CCE) and a bachelor's degree not listed in item 3.b.(1) 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)
• English Language Proficiency
• Biomedical Engineers must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 2 - section D - paragraph 5a - this part
• Grade Determinations: In addition to the Basic Requirements - applicants must meet the following Grade Requirements for the GS-7 to GS-12 grade level: 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
• Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities
• None beyond the basic requirements
• GS-9 (Developmental (Level 1) Experience
• At least [one] year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower level
• ~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
• Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities[
• In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: i
• Knowledge of the principles - theories - concepts - and practices of the Biomedical Engineering profession
• ii
• Ability to interpret relevant codes - regulations - guidelines - and standards - and make recommendations to ensure compliance with medical center programs
• iii
• Ability to understand the operational needs of clinical services in the healthcare system
• iv
• 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 (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
• ~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 - a related field of engineering
• Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities
• In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: i
• 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.] ii
• 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
• iii
• 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
• iv
• Knowledge of basic project management principles - as applied to the healthcare setting and medical equipment - and information system implementation
• GS-12 (Full Performance Level) Experience
• Completion of at least [one] year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower level
• or completion of a post-doctoral research fellowship in the field of biomedical engineering - and must fully meet the KSAs at that level
• Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities
• In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: i
• Ability to conduct a medical equipment management or biomedical research program that is compliant with applicable healthcare standards and regulatory agencies
• ii
• Ability to develop a curriculum for a continuing education program - that address the safe and effective use of medical technology - and/or research devices
• iii
• 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
• iv
• Ability to conduct capital asset and infrastructure planning for medical equipment spanning initial concept - installation - and effective implementation of complex medical equipment
• v
• 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
• vi
• 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
• vii
• Knowledge of concepts related to computer based medical systems - networking protocols - and information security as it applies to medical technology within VHA
• viii
• Skill in communicating and working collaboratively with key stakeholders - including technical and professional staff at various levels of the organization
• ix
• Ability to apply project management principles to deployment of medical equipment and health information technologies
• 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-12
• The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-07 to GS-12
• Physical Requirements: The work environment involves everyday risks or discomforts that require normal safety precautions typical of such places as offices - training rooms - and libraries
• The work area is adequately lighted - heated - and ventilated
• The Biomedical Engineer must also work outdoors occasionally in all types of weather
• There may be occasional exposure to moderate risks or discomforts in storage areas or hazardous waste sites
• The work is primarily sedentary - although some physical effort may be required - e.g. - walking - standing - climbing ladders - stooping - kneeling - and carrying light items such as manuals or briefcases - or driving or traveling by motor vehicle.
  
  

Duties

• The Biomedical Engineer reports directly to the Chief Biomedical Engineer
• They receive administrative direction with assignments in terms of broadly defined missions and functions
• They exercise authority to oversee the overall planning - direction - and timely execution of assigned Biomedical Engineering program activities
• They have responsibility for planning - designing and implementing programs - projects - studies - and other work to support healthcare technology at Memphis
• Successful execution of these responsibilities has major impact upon the outcome of patient care delivery
• The Biomedical Engineering represents Healthcare Technology Management on committees and in meetings as delegated by supervisor
• Other duties include - but are not limited to: Participates in technology assessment of medical equipment systems by working collaboratively with medical staff to evaluate market offerings - determine medical center requirements - design system configurations - and develop specifications
• work collaboratively with the Contracting and Supply Chain Management staff to procure medical equipment that best meets clinical needs while containing resources
• assessing installation and site preparation requirements - managing project timelines - monitoring installation - and facilitating training of equipment operators and maintainers
• investigates - remediates and documents Repairable Medical Device (RMD) recalls and safety alerts issued through the VA Alerts and Recall Management System (ARMS) within established timeframes
• Participates in local safety improvement processes such as Root Cause Analysis (RCA) - safety work groups - and Environment of Care Rounds
• Identifies hazards during routine job performance and takes action to ensure they are addressed and corrected
• consults on medical center construction projects - space functional changes - and associated planning with respect to medical technologies and medical- related technologies
• supports an equipment management program that allows Memphis to meet the requirements set by accrediting organizations such as The Joint Commission (T JC) and the College of American Pathologists (CAP)
• ensure the provision of safe - reliably maintained - and clinically appropriate medical equipment for the delivery of quality healthcare in a cost-effective manner
• Work Schedule: Monday through Friday - 7am-3:30pm -or 7:30am-4pm - or 8am-4:30pm Telework: Not Authorized Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #:51171-F - 51172-F - 51173-F - 51174 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
• Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized