Biomedical Engineer (Clinical)

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: United States Citizen English Language Proficiency. Must be proficient in spoken and written English. Education: 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 1. Certification means having successfully passed a CCE written and oral examination administered by the American College of Clinical Engineering. If appointed with a CCE requirement, the employee must maintain certification throughout employment. The American College of Clinical Engineering determines acceptable educational preparation and degree requirements for CCE eligibility. Grandfathering Provision. All persons employed in VHA in this occupation, on the effective date of this qualification standard, are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including positive education, and/or certification/registration that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply: (1) Such employees in an occupation that does not require a certification/registration, may be reassigned, promoted, or demoted within the occupation. (2) Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis, prior to the effective date of the qualification standard, may not have their temporary appointment extended, or be reappointed on a temporary, or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard. (3) Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or certification/registration, that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard, must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation. (4) If an employee, who was retained in an occupation listed in 38 U.S.C. § 7401(3) under this provision, leaves that occupation, the employee loses protected status, and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation. Grade Determinations (GS-14): Experience: Completion of at least one year of experience equivalent to the next lower level (GS-13), and must fully meet the KSAs at that level. To be creditable, experience must have been accomplished after receipt of the bachelor’s degree, and/or CCE certification and (1) Requires the possession and use of knowledge, skills, and abilities associated within the scope of the biomedical engineering profession, and (2) The experience must have been attained in a healthcare setting for Biomedical Engineer (Clinical) positions and be directly applicable to the assignment. This position requires advanced scientific, technical and clinical knowledge along with superior administrative skills to support multiple complex areas of healthcare technology. The BME is uniquely trained in medical technology to bridge the gap between clinical, engineering and other disciplines. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the experience above, the biomedical engineer (clinical) must demonstrate all of the following KSAs. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the potential to acquire the assignment specific KSAs designated by an asterisk (*): * Ability to apply advanced knowledge of relevant codes, regulations, guidelines, and standards associated with biomedical engineering to support the needs of multiple facilities. Ability to effectively convey highly technical information to] a wide variety of individuals, including technical and professional clinical staff, and senior level managers at the facility, VISN and/or national level. *Ability to manage a recall and safety alert program for medical devices, including medical device incident investigations to assure compliance with patient safety goals, SMDA, and TJC requirements for multiple facilities. Ability to apply advanced knowledge of principles, theories, concepts, and practices of biomedical engineering. This would include the ability to keep abreast of changes in technology and utilize the information gained in the solution of biomedical engineering problems to meet operational needs of multiple facilities. *Ability to directly support the most complex and specialized clinical technology including service, system administration, training, and quality assurance for multiple facilities. *Ability to work collaboratively with other disciplines, senior management, VHA Central Office, and VISN staff. Ability to develop and implement healthcare technology management policies that are consistent with organizational objectives. Scope of organization spans from multiple facilities to national. Applicants 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). Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service.
This position is in the VHA Healthcare Technology Management (HTM) Program Office Division of Networking and Cybersecurity. The Biomedical Engineer (BME) is the primary person responsible for technical support and project management related to complex and specialized medical technology, web-databases, other assigned clinical informatics systems. This vacancy may be filled in Washington, DC; or a location to be determined.