Biomedical Engineer

Summary

This position is located in the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, & Supplies (DMEPOS), Technology, Coding and Pricing Group (TCPG).

As a Biomedical Engineer, GS-0858-14, you will influence policy and regulations, advise on legislative matters in Medicare and health care, set program criteria, evaluate effectiveness, and analyze complex issues.

Learn more about this agency

Duties

Help

• Serve as a technical advisor for technology and pricing analyses for durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS), and other components as needed.
• Convey technical knowledge and provide advice needed to make policy decisions at all levels of the agency regarding classification and coding, coverage and scope of benefits, and payment for DMEPOS medical devices and supplies.
• Research and analyze the costs and features of new versus older DMEPOS technology to determine pricing according to statutory rules.
• Lead teams of biomedical engineers and certified orthotics and prosthetics at CMS and Medicare contractors to assess technology, determine benefit categories, and classify items under the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS).
• Lead projects related to improving and/or updating HCPCS codes for DMEPOS items and services.
• Apply current technical knowledge of DMEPOS products to update older codes so they accurately reflect today's technology and patient services.

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen or National to apply for this position.
• You will be subject to a background and suitability investigation.
• Time-in-Grade restrictions apply.
• Selective Service: Males born after December 31, 1959, must be registered or exempt from Selective Service - [click to reveal website link]http://www.sss.gov
• One-year probationary period may be required.
• If you are selected for this position, the documentation that you present for purposes of completing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Form I-9 will be verified through the DHS "E-Verify" System.
• All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choice.

Qualifications

ALL QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS MUST BE MET WITHIN 30 DAYS OF THE CLOSING DATE OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.

Your resume (limited to no more than 2 pages) must include detailed information as it relates to the responsibilities and specialized experience for this position. Evidence of copying and pasting directly from the vacancy announcement without clearly documenting supplemental information to describe your experience will result in an ineligible rating. This will prevent you from being considered further.

Applicants must demonstrate that they meet ONE of the Basic Requirements as noted below through education and/or experience:

A. Possess a bachelor's or higher degree in engineering. To be acceptable, the program must: (1) lead to a bachelor's degree in a school of engineering with at least one program accredited by ABET; or (2) include differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced than first-year physics and chemistry) in five of the following seven areas of engineering science or physics: (a) statics, dynamics; (b) strength of materials (stress-strain relationships); (c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (d) thermodynamics; (e) electrical fields and circuits; (f) nature and properties of materials (relating particle and aggregate structure to properties); and (g) any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics.

B. Possess current registration as an Engineer Intern (EI), Engineer in Training (EIT), or licensure as a Professional Engineer (PE) by any State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico. Absent other means of qualifying under this standard, those applicants who achieved such registration by means other than written test (e.g., State grandfather or eminence provisions) are eligible only for positions that are within or closely related to the specialty field of their registration.

C. Have successfully passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE)2 examination or any other written test required for professional registration by an engineering licensure board in the various States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico.

D. Have successfully completed at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences and that included the courses specified in the basic requirements under paragraph A. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program as described in paragraph A.

E. Have successfully completed a curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree in an appropriate scientific field, e.g., engineering technology, physics, chemistry, architecture, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, or geology and have at least 1 year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance.

Minimum Qualifications, GS-14: In addition to the Basic Requirement, you must demonstrate in your resume at least one year (52 weeks) of professional engineering specialized experience, equivalent to the (GS-13) grade level in the Federal government, obtained in either the private or public sector, to include:

(1) Utilizing engineering knowledge to formulate, evaluate and provide advice on the design, purpose, effectiveness and costs of medical devices and supplies; (2) Working with experts and partners inside/outside an organization, including contractors, healthcare providers, suppliers, field staff, and others in medical device engineering, prosthetics, and orthotics; (3) Leading expert teams in durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies to collect information for Medicare coding, coverage, and payment decisions; (4) Analyzing a variety of health care issues and policies regarding durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies; and (5) Developing and using effective oral/written communication to present technical papers, recommendations and/or option papers.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills, and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Time-in-Grade: To be eligible, current Federal employees must have served at least 52 weeks (one year) at the next lower grade level from the position/grade level(s) to which they are applying.

Education

Education Requirement: In addition to meeting the qualification requirements, all candidates must have the following educational requirements:

A. Possess a bachelor's or higher degree in engineering. To be acceptable, the program must: (1) lead to a bachelor's degree in a school of engineering with at least one program accredited by ABET; or (2) include differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced than first-year physics and chemistry) in five of the following seven areas of engineering science or physics: (a) statics, dynamics; (b) strength of materials (stress-strain relationships); (c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (d) thermodynamics; (e) electrical fields and circuits; (f) nature and properties of materials (relating particle and aggregate structure to properties); and (g) any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics.-OR-

B. Possess current registration as an Engineer Intern (EI), Engineer in Training (EIT), or licensure as a Professional Engineer (PE) by any State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico. Absent other means of qualifying under this standard, those applicants who achieved such registration by means other than written test (e.g., State grandfather or eminence provisions) are eligible only for positions that are within or closely related to the specialty field of their registration.-OR-

C. Have successfully passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE)2 examination or any other written test required for professional registration by an engineering licensure board in the various States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico.-OR-

D. Have successfully completed at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences and that included the courses specified in the basic requirements under paragraph A. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program as described in paragraph A.-OR-

E. Have successfully completed a curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree in an appropriate scientific field, e.g., engineering technology, physics, chemistry, architecture, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, or geology and have at least 1 year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance.

TRANSCRIPTS are required to verify satisfactory completion of the educational requirement listed above. Please see "Required Documents" section below for what documentation is required at the time of application.

Click the following link to view the occupational questionnaire: [click to reveal website link]https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13023458

Additional information

Bargaining Unit Position: Yes - American Federation of Government Employees, Local 1923

Tour of Duty: Flexible

Recruitment Incentive: Not Authorized

Relocation Incentive: Not Authorized

Financial Disclosure: Not Required

Workplace Flexibility at CMS: This position has a regular and recurring reporting requirement to the CMS office listed in this announcement. CMS offers flexible working arrangements and allows employees the opportunity to participate in alternative work schedules at the manager's discretion.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced federal employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified, you must submit the required documentation and be rated well-qualified for this vacancy. Click here for a detailed description of the required supporting documents. A well-qualified applicant is one whose knowledge, skills, and abilities clearly exceed the minimum qualification requirements of the position. Additional information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at [click to reveal website link]www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp.

Expand Hide additional information

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

Help

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. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

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.