- Position Title
- Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist
- Agency
- Veterans Health Administration
- Announcement Number
- CBTF-12729011-25-CB Opens in new window
- Open Period
- Friday, May 2, 2025 to Friday, May 23, 2025
For preview purposes only. To apply, please return to the USAJOBS announcement and click the Apply button.
Eligibilities
1.
Are you currently employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs?
This includes: Career/Career Conditional or Excepted Service (i.e. Canteen, Hybrid, Title 38, etc. and meets interchange agreement requirements). This does not include temporary, term or temporary intermittent.
To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your most recent Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50). Your SF-50 must include enough information to be able to determine that time-in-grade requirements have been met (if applicable) and include your position title, pay plan/series/grade, tenure and the type of appointment (i.e. Competitive or Excepted). Please be aware that award SF-50's do not always include this pertinent information.
This includes: Career/Career Conditional or Excepted Service (i.e. Canteen, Hybrid, Title 38, etc. and meets interchange agreement requirements). This does not include temporary, term or temporary intermittent.
To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your most recent Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50). Your SF-50 must include enough information to be able to determine that time-in-grade requirements have been met (if applicable) and include your position title, pay plan/series/grade, tenure and the type of appointment (i.e. Competitive or Excepted). Please be aware that award SF-50's do not always include this pertinent information.
2.
Are you an employee of the facility indicated for this position?
This includes: Career/Career Conditional or Excepted Service (i.e. Canteen, Hybrid, Title 38, etc. and meets interchange agreement requirements). This does not include temporary, term or temporary intermittent.
To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your most recent Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50). Your SF-50 must include enough information to be able to determine that time-in-grade requirements have been met (if applicable) and include your position title, pay plan/series/grade, tenure and the type of appointment (i.e. Competitive or Excepted). Please be aware that award SF-50's do not always include this pertinent information.
This includes: Career/Career Conditional or Excepted Service (i.e. Canteen, Hybrid, Title 38, etc. and meets interchange agreement requirements). This does not include temporary, term or temporary intermittent.
To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your most recent Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50). Your SF-50 must include enough information to be able to determine that time-in-grade requirements have been met (if applicable) and include your position title, pay plan/series/grade, tenure and the type of appointment (i.e. Competitive or Excepted). Please be aware that award SF-50's do not always include this pertinent information.
3.
Are you a current/past/upcoming VHA Health Professions Trainee (HPT) Graduate?
An HPT may be VA-paid, Without Compensation (WOC), or a participant of the VA Health Professional Scholarship Program that has been appointed to a temporary position in one or more VHA medical facilities performing clinical or research training experience to satisfy program or degree requirements.
To verify your standing as a current/past/upcoming HPT graduate, you must submit a copy of your latest Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50), the FL-294 (or a WOC appointment letter).
An HPT may be VA-paid, Without Compensation (WOC), or a participant of the VA Health Professional Scholarship Program that has been appointed to a temporary position in one or more VHA medical facilities performing clinical or research training experience to satisfy program or degree requirements.
To verify your standing as a current/past/upcoming HPT graduate, you must submit a copy of your latest Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50), the FL-294 (or a WOC appointment letter).
4.
Are you a current permanent Federal employee from an agency other than Department of Veterans Affairs?
To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your latest Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50) or equivalent personnel action form.
To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your latest Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50) or equivalent personnel action form.
Preferences
1.
Which of the following items describes your current or recent (within the last five years) political appointee service?
If you responded yes to any of the items below, you will need to include a SF-50 specifying your prior service.
If you responded yes to any of the items below, you will need to include a SF-50 specifying your prior service.
Your resume must be submitted in English and include the following information for each job listed:
- Job title Duties (be as detailed as possible)
- Month & year start/end dates (e.g. June 2007 to April 2008)
- Full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week)
- Series and Grade, if applicable, for all Federal positions you have held
- Please be aware that your answers will be verified against information provided on your resume. Be sure that your resume clearly supports your responses to all of the questions by addressing your work experience in detail.
By submitting your application, you are certifying, to the best of your knowledge and belief, all the information submitted by you with your application for employment is true, complete, and made in good faith, and that you have truthfully and accurately represented your work experience, knowledge, skills, abilities and education (degrees, accomplishments, etc.). The information you provide as part of your application may be investigated. You are also certifying, and acknowledging, that misrepresenting your experience or education, or providing false or fraudulent information in, or with your application, may affect your eligibility for appointment and/or continued employment. False or fraudulent statements may be punishable by fine or imprisonment (18 U.S.C. 1001).
2.
Applicants are required to undergo and successfully pass a pre-employment drug screening test and must submit to random drug testing after employment. Will you comply with this requirement?
3.
Are you willing to undergo a pre-employment physical?
4.
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. Are you proficient in basic written and spoken English?
If you are basing your qualifications on education (or a combination of education and experience) or if the position requires a college education to qualify, you must submit a copy of your transcripts with your application.
Assessment 1
Thank you for your interest in the Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist Position with the Baltimore VA Medical Center. We will evaluate your resume and responses to this questionnaire to determine if you have the basic qualifications for this position. Your responses are subject to verification and must be fully supported by your resume and supporting documents.
BASIC REQUIREMENTS: To qualify for appointment to this position, all applicants must possess the following:
1.
Experience and Education:
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.
Please select the best response that best represents your best Experience and Education
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.
Please select the best response that best represents your best Experience and Education
Select “Yes” or “No” to the following question(s).
2.
English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f)
No person will be appointed under authority of 38 U.S.C. chapter 73 or 74, to serve in a direct patient-care capacity in VHA who is not proficient in written and spoken English
No person will be appointed under authority of 38 U.S.C. chapter 73 or 74, to serve in a direct patient-care capacity in VHA who is not proficient in written and spoken English
Grandfathering Provision. Employees in VHA in this occupation, under a permanent, appropriate, and legal placement on the effective date of the qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade and assignment held including positive education and certification. For employees who do not meet all the basic or assignment-specific requirements in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed, the following provisions apply:
(1) Employees may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level, or be changed to a lower grade within the occupation, but they may not be promoted beyond the journey level or be newly placed in supervisory or managerial positions.
(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 retained in this occupation under this provision who subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of re-entry to the occupation.
NOTE: This provision is not intended to regularize appointments/placements.
(1) Employees may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level, or be changed to a lower grade within the occupation, but they may not be promoted beyond the journey level or be newly placed in supervisory or managerial positions.
(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 retained in this occupation under this provision who subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of re-entry to the occupation.
NOTE: This provision is not intended to regularize appointments/placements.
GRADE DETERMINATIONS EXPERIENCE: . In addition to the basic requirements for employment, candidates must meet the following grade-determining criteria for placement at grade levels specified.
Select “Yes” or “No” to the following question(s).
3.
Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist, GS-05.
- Experience or Education. None beyond the basic requirements.
- Assignment. Employees at this grade level serve as entry-level developmental BESSs. It is expected that they receive guidance from more experienced staff members and require regular supervision. BESSs at this grade level perform basic tasks designed to prepare them for promotion. They troubleshoot and perform planned maintenance on general medical equipment. Entry-level BESSs assist with incoming inspections and documentation.
4.
Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist, GS-07:
- Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade.
- Assignment. Employees at this grade level serve as developmental BESSs performing an increasing range of duties, under less frequent supervision, but receive guidance and direction regarding unfamiliar or unusual situations for more complex issues designed to prepare them for promotion. They troubleshoot and perform planned maintenance on general medical equipment. Developmental-level BESSs assist with incoming inspections and documentation.
5.
Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist, GS-09
- Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade.
- Assignment. Employees at this grade level serve as a developmental BESS performing increasingly more complex tasks designed to prepare them to work independently at the full performance level. They troubleshoot and perform planned maintenance on medical equipment. Developmental-level BESSs assist with incoming inspections and documentation. BESSs in this assignment receive increasingly less frequent supervision, direction, or guidance from more experienced staff members.
6.
Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist, GS-11
- Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade.
- Assignment. Employees in this assignment serve as full performance level (FPL) BESSs responsible for managing multiple assignments, organizing, and independently prioritizing their work with minimal supervision. At this level, BESSs manage medical equipment and clinical systems including installation, planned maintenance, troubleshooting, repair, calibrations, electrical safety inspections, patient safety, cybersecurity, and decommissioning. They plan, implement, and provide technical and project oversight for medical equipment and clinical systems. BESSs develop technical requirements, draft requests for proposal (RFP) language, sole-source justifications, and statements of work (SOW). They conduct market research, product evaluations, evaluate contractor performance, and conduct pre-procurement assessments. They serve as a Contracting Officer Representative (COR) or Contracting Officer Technical Representative (COTR) to purchase medical equipment, maintenance and repair contracts, and facility projects as needed. BESSs conduct pre-purchase evaluations and address pre-implementation security issues to ensure medical device isolation architecture (MDIA) requirements are met. They consult with and advise clinical and administrative staff in evaluating medical equipment and clinical systems proposed for purchase. BESSs perform incoming inspections on medical equipment and systems to determine that all safety regulations, manufacturer's specifications, contract requirements, and needs of users are met, and they initiate corrective action when necessary. They provide instruction and guidance to end users on proper use and care of equipment including operator-level maintenance of equipment and accessories. BESSs partner with customers to determine the nature and scope of the customer's issues and needs, provide an appropriate response and applicable solutions, and ensure the customer is apprised of delays and significant steps until completion. They ensure inventory accuracy of networked medical equipment and clinical systems to identify and mitigate cybersecurity vulnerabilities. BESSs are responsible for monitoring system backups; data integrity; ensuring network connectivity between systems, servers, databases, and the electronic medical record; and maintain systems security and standards. In the event of a system failure, BESSs reload operating systems and clinical application software and interface with the Office of Information and Technology (OIT) to keep systems operational. They use schematic drawings, wiring diagrams, and manufacturer service literature as guidelines to accomplish work. BESSs use specialized electronic test equipment or software to analyze, evaluate, diagnose, troubleshoot, calibrate, or repair analog and digital microprocessor controlled, computerized, or networked digital systems. BESSs coordinate and manage vendor services and review work performed to ensure defined specifications are met and documented. They respond appropriately to hazard alerts and recall notifications concerning medical equipment. BESSs investigate equipment incidents, cases of equipment damage and abuse, equipment failure reports that cannot be duplicated, and medical device security incidents. They serve as a member of a Root Cause Analysis (RCA) team as needed. BESSs determine when health care technology, instrumentation, or systems are obsolete, hazardous, or no longer cost-effective to maintain. They ensure proper disposal of medical equipment and clinical systems including removal of protected health information (PHI) and hazardous materials. BESSs document all activities and ensure the data are correctly entered into the Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS). They ensure compliance with all applicable standards, policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements such as National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the Joint Commission (TJC), and the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI). When necessary, BESSs promptly escalate issues to higher-level technical support or management.
In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
Select “Yes” or “No” to the following question(s).
7.
Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist, GS-07:
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs).
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs).
- Knowledge of physics, anatomy, and physiology.
- Knowledge of electronics such as analog, digital, and microprocessor theory.
- Knowledge of the use of standard level test equipment such as multi-meters, electrical safety analyzers, patient simulators, storage oscilloscopes, manometers, and tachometers.
- 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).
- Skill in documenting all services provided in support of medical equipment and clinical systems in a computerized maintenance management system.
- Ability to learn equipment operating and maintenance procedures.
8.
Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist, GS-09
- Knowledge of basic networking concepts including Access Control List (ACL), Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), and Virtual Local Area Networks (VLAN).
- Knowledge of computer and server hardware and software functionality including virus protection, operating system patches and upgrades, and information security tools.
- Ability to interpret a variety of technical data such as schematic drawings, wiring diagrams, table charts, mathematical expressions, and formulas.
- Ability to use standard level test equipment including multi-meters, electrical safety analyzers, patient simulators, storage oscilloscopes, manometers, and tachometers.
- Ability to perform equipment maintenance and operating procedures.
9.
Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist, GS-11
- 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.
- 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.
- Skill in interpreting a variety of technical data including schematic drawings and wiring diagrams.
- Skill in applying networking principles, such as Access Control List (ACL), Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), and Virtual Local Area Networks (VLAN).
- Ability to perform advanced testing to troubleshoot medical equipment and clinical system interfaces.
- Ability to maintain medical computers and software.
- Ability to manage projects involving medical equipment and clinical systems.