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. Your degree must be conferred no later than September 4, 2026.

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: Bachelors degree or higher in Engineering or Architecture (degree must be conferred by September 4, 2026)
• To be acceptable, the curriculum must be from a school with at least one curriculum accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Engineering Accreditation Commission (excludes engineering technology) or National Council of Architectural Registration Boards curriculum
• Examples of acceptable engineering and architectural degrees include, but are not limited to: Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Architecture and Architectural Engineering
• Titles may vary from educational institutions and change over time
• -OR- Evidence of passing the Fundamentals of Engineering Examination with a bachelor's degree in the form of an Engineering in Training certificate issued from any State, the District of Columbia, Guam or Puerto Rico, or test results from the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) identifying a passing score
• (Note: Supporting documentation must be provided at the time of application.) -OR- Evidence of current professional registration or licensure as a Professional Engineer or Architect from any State, the District of Columbia, Guam or Puerto Rico
• (Note: Supporting documentation must be provided at the time of application.) Mechanical, Electrical or Civil Engineering graduates are preferred
• Grandfathering Provision
• All individuals employed in VHA in this occupational series or in another occupational series performing the duties as described in the qualification standard on the effective date (March 18, 2022) of this qualification standard, are considered to have met all the qualification requirements for the grade held including positive education that is part of the basic requirements of the occupation
• Foreign Education
• To be creditable, engineering, architecture or related education completed outside the U.S. must be submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education must have been deemed at least equivalent to a Bachelor's degree as outlined above
• English Language Proficiency
• Healthcare Engineer candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7403(f)
• Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements outlined above, you must meet the following criteria
• Healthcare Engineer, (GS-07)
• Experience
• None beyond the basic requirements
• Assignment
• At the entry level, Healthcare Engineers serve in a career development position, performing under close supervision of a supervisor or qualified individual who reviews and ensures the employee meets competency requirements
• At the entry level, they perform general healthcare engineering assignments to gain knowledge and experience necessary to support engineering operations, project management and compliance
• Developmental assignments include, but are not limited to, assessing healthcare facility programs and making recommendations to assure compliance with relevant regulations, guidelines and standards
• applying engineering and code related knowledge to support the operational engineering requirements of the healthcare system
• and preparing material on current technical topics and trends for presentation to the supervisor
• NOTE: A two-year formal training program is required
• Healthcare Engineer, (GS-09)
• Experience or Education
• Candidates at this level must meet one of the following: One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade
• OR Master of Engineering degree or Master of Architecture degree or Master of Science degree in Engineering or a related field of study as outlined above (degree must be conferred by September 4, 2026)
• OR Bachelor's degree as outlined above plus two full years of progressively higher-level graduate education in a related field of study, provided the applicant's total background demonstrates the core competencies for GS-09 level assignment
• AND Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs)
• In addition to the experience or education above, you must demonstrate the following KSAs: Knowledge of the principles, theories, concepts and practices of the engineering profession
• Ability to interpret relevant codes, regulations, guidelines and standards to make recommendations to assure compliance with healthcare facility programs
• Ability to understand the operational professional engineering needs of clinical services in the healthcare system
• Ability to prepare material on current technical topics and trends for presentation to other technical staff and mid-level hospital management and to keep abreast of changes in engineering technology related to a healthcare facility
• Assignment
• At the developmental level, Healthcare Engineers receive guidance from more experienced staff members and require frequent and direct supervision
• Employees complete technical assignments in the engineering field as assigned by senior Healthcare Engineers and may be required to rotate through, and participate in, the operations of other hospital services
• At the GS-9 grade level, employees function in a developmental capacity with oversight by a supervisor for more complex assignments
• NOTE: A one-year formal training program is required
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• VA Handbook 5005/150 Part II Appendix G72 dated March 18, 2022
• Physical Requirements: Work will involve office work (50%) and some physical exertion such as walking, bending, stooping, climbing in utility rooms crawlspaces, attics, boiler and chiller plant (50%)
• Such work will require an average amount of agility and dexterity.