Healthcare Engineer (Technical Career Field Trainee)

Full Time, onsite
Veterans Health Administration
Omaha, United States of America

$ 57,617 - $ 91,618 / month

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At the GS-7 entry level, this is a 2-year long program, the incumbent performs general healthcare engineering assignments to gain knowledge and experience necessary to support engineering operations, project management and compliance.
At the GS-9 grade level, this is a 1-year long program, the incumbent functions in a developmental capacity with oversight by a supervisor for more complex assignments.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
Must possess a valid driver's license and provide a clean driving record report from the DMV.
Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
You may be required to serve a probationary period.
Subject to background/security investigation.
Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
Training-Service Agreement and Mobility Agreement required.
Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).

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:
- Bachelors degree or higher in Engineering or Architecture (degree must be conferred by September 5, 2025). 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.)
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:

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 5, 2025); 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.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate 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 1, 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.

Creditable Experience. To be creditable, the experience must have been accomplished after satisfying the basic education requirement as outlined above, required the use of knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) directly applicable to the assignment and be associated within the scope of the healthcare engineering profession.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit .

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-7 to GS-12.

???????Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.

Education

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: . If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: .

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit at .

Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. .

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

Conditions of Employment

You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
Must possess a valid driver's license and provide a clean driving record report from the DMV.
Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
You may be required to serve a probationary period.
Subject to background/security investigation.
Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
Training-Service Agreement and Mobility Agreement required.
Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).

Qualifications

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 5, 2025). 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.)
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:

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 5, 2025); 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.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate 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 1, 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.