Jobs for People with MS: National MS Society

Summary The Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist (BESS) serves within a Healthcare Technology Management (HTM) department at VA Puget Sound Health Care System and works in support of the medical equipment management program. The BESS troubleshoots and performs planned maintenance on a range of medical devices and clinical systems. Responsibilities The duties listed are GS-11 Full Performance Level, GS-5, GS-7, and GS-9 duties will differ in complexity and level of supervision. Functions or scopes of practice. Manage the lifecycle of medical equipment and clinical systems. Troubleshoot medical equipment and clinical systems using a variety of technical data and complete corrective action. Perform incoming inspections and planned maintenance on medical equipment and clinical systems. Document all work in the Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS). Respond to and remediate hazard alerts, recall notifications, and incidents concerning medical equipment and clinical systems. Document all actions in the appropriate system. Monitor system backups, ensure network connectivity, mitigate cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and maintain clinical systems. Utilize test equipment in accordance with manufacturer instructions. Manage projects involving medical equipment and clinical systems. Provide customer support to staff, evaluate issues and needs, respond with solutions, and keep customers abreast of status. Educate staff on the safe operation and user-level maintenance of medical equipment and clinical systems. Serve as a Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) and/or purchase card holder. Develop documentation to purchase commodities and/or vendor services. Manage, monitor, and evaluate contractor performance and addresses issues or deficiencies. Comply with applicable standards, policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements. Provide guidance and mentorship to expand professional knowledge and enhance technical skillsets. Maintain and enhance knowledge in technological advancements through professional development and technical training. Perform additional duties as directed by supervisor or designee related to maintenance, remediation, and tracking of medical systems (action items, special projects, etc.) to meet mission critical requirements. Represent the HTM department on committees and in meetings as delegated by supervisor. Work Schedule: Mon - Fri, 7:30am to 4:00pm. Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized. Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. 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. A valid state issued driver's license with a clean driving history in accordance with VA Policy to drive a government vehicle. Ability to operate and drive a government vehicle as determined by an Occupational Health driving physical examination. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement. Experience. (1) Creditable Experience. To be creditable, the experience must have required the use of knowledge, skills, and abilities associated with current health care industry and required using knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) directly applicable to the assignment and associated within the scope of the BESS profession. Experience is only creditable if it was acquired in the health care industry and is either directly related to the position to be filled or a related field (for example, Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist, Biomedical Equipment Technician, Field Service Engineer, Medical Equipment Repairer, or Information Technology (IT) Specialist). Experience satisfying this requirement may be paid or non-paid employment as a BESS. (2) Part-Time Experience. Part-time experience is creditable according to its relationship to the full-time work week. For example, a BESS employed 20 hours per week, or on a half-time basis, would receive 1 full-time work week of credit for each 2 weeks of service. (3) Quality of Experience. Qualifying experience must be at a level comparable to BESS experience at the next lower level and have been in the health care industry. For all assignments above the full performance level (FPL), the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity, and range of variety as described in this standard at the specified grade level and performed be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. 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, Experience, or Certification. (1) Associates or higher degree in the biomedical technology or biomedical engineering field; OR (2) Associates or higher degree in electronics, a field of information technology, or engineering (other than biomedical engineering) AND 1 year of creditable experience; OR (3) Completion of the Department of Defense (DOD) biomedical equipment technician training program; OR (4) Completion of a DOD training program in repair and maintenance of electronic systems or information technology AND 1 year of creditable experience; OR (5) Completion of a biomedical engineering technician or Healthcare Technology Management (HTM) certificate program that included an internship or apprenticeship; OR (6) Completion of biomedical engineering technician or HTM certificate program that did not include an internship AND 1 year of creditable experience; OR (7) Hold or having ever held certification as a Certified Biomedical Equipment Technician (CBET), Certified Radiology Equipment Specialist (CRES), Certified Laboratory Equipment Specialist (CLES), or Certified Healthcare Technology Manager (CHTM). Continuous maintenance of certification is not required throughout VHA employment. Foreign Education. To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must be deemed at least equivalent to that gained in a conventional U.S. program by a private organization specializing in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials. English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). GRADE DETERMINATIONS. Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist, GS-05. Experience or Education. None beyond the basic requirements. Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist, GS-07. (1) Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade. (2) Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: (a) Knowledge of physics, anatomy, and physiology. (b) Knowledge of electronics such as analog, digital, and microprocessor theory. (c) Knowledge of the use of standard level test equipment such as multi- meters, electrical safety analyzers, patient simulators, storage oscilloscopes, manometers, and tachometers. (d) Knowledge of basic networking concepts, such as computer and server hardware and software functionality, information technologies and computer virus protection software, available software patches and upgrades, and information security tools (for example, Microsoft Office, Windows operating systems, and McAfee). (e) Skill in documenting all services provided in support of medical equipment and clinical systems in a computerized maintenance management system. (f) Ability to learn equipment operating and maintenance procedures. Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist, GS-09. (1) Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade. (2) Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: (a) Knowledge of basic networking concepts including Access Control List (ACL), Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), and Virtual Local Area Networks (VLAN). (b) Knowledge of computer and server hardware and software functionality including virus protection, operating system patches and upgrades, and information security tools. (c) Ability to interpret a variety of technical data such as schematic drawings, wiring diagrams, table charts, mathematical expressions, and formulas. (d) Ability to use standard level test equipment including multi-meters, electrical safety analyzers, patient simulators, storage oscilloscopes, manometers, and tachometers. (e) Ability to perform equipment maintenance and operating procedures. Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist, GS-11. (1) Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade. (2) Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: (a) Knowledge of standards including National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Joint Commission (TJC), and the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) for safe operation of medical equipment and clinical systems. (b) Skill in using test and calibration equipment including digital multi- meters, electrical safety analyzers, defibrillator analyzers, patient simulators, manometers, tachometers, and Local Area Network (LAN) analyzers. (c) Skill in interpreting a variety of technical data including schematic drawings and wiring diagrams. (d) Skill in applying networking principles, such as Access Control List (ACL), Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), and Virtual Local Area Networks (VLAN). (e) Ability to perform advanced testing to troubleshoot medical equipment and clinical system interfaces. (f) Ability to maintain medical computers and software. (g) Ability to manage projects involving medical equipment and clinical systems. Preferred Experience: At least 12 months of experience in the life cycle management of some medical systems such as imaging, life support dialysis, and monitoring to include physical and network support as well as the demonstration of the fundamental knowledge of the Joint Commission (TJC) and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) roles and responsibilities in their association with Facilities Management, Health Technology Management. 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-11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-5 to GS-11. Physical Requirements: See Education Section (not enough room here). Education Physical Requirements: Heavy lifting (over 45 ponds); moderate carrying (15-44 pounds); pushing (up to 1 hour); reaching above shoulder; use of fingers; both hands required; walking (up to 2.5 hours); standing (up to 2.5 hours); repeated bending (up to 2 hours); operation of a crane, truck, tractor, or motor vehicle; ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4; at least 20/50 vision in one eye and 20/100 in the other; depth perception; ability to distinguish basic colors; ability to distinguish shades of colors; and mental and emotional stability. Environmental Factors: There may be exposure to solvents; radiant energy; electrical energy; working on ladders or scaffolding; and you must be able to work alone and closely with others. IMPORTANT: This position has a positive education or training requirement. An unofficial copy of college transcripts showing completion of the required degree or program is required and must include the name of the school, your name, date conferred or completed, and degree or certificate type. 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: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. 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. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. 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 Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.