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
• English Language Proficiency: In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), No person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English
• Education and/or Experience: Bachelor's Degree or Higher in Engineering (degree must be conferred by September 6, 2026)
• 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 not listed above
• 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 a 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 i 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-7: No additional experience beyond the basic requirements
• GS-9: In addition to meeting the basic requirements, possess one (1) year of experience equivalent to the next lower level (GS7) and which demonstrates the following KSAs is required: 1) Knowledge of the principles, theories, concepts, and practices of the biomedical engineering profession
• 2) Ability to interpret relevant codes, regulations, guidelines, and standards, and make recommendations to ensure compliance with medical center programs
• 3) Ability to understand the operational needs of clinical services in the health care system
• 4) 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
• OR possess a Master's degree in Biomedical Engineering, or a related field of study, as listed above (degree must be conferred by September 5, 2025), OR possess a 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 KSAs for the GS-9 level assignment
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• Physical Requirements: This position requires frequent visits to various areas of the hospital and occasionally construction areas
• Standing, sitting, bending, stooping, kneeling and carrying of light objects (documents, briefcases, etc.) is required
• Is occasionally required to assist technicians in technical work where vision and manual dexterity may be required.