POSITION DESCRIPTION:ENGINEERING TECHNICIAN - PLEASE READ ALL REQUIREMENTS - YOU WILL BE WORKING WITH STATE OFTHE ART TECHNOLOGY !!!Serves as an Engineering Technician providing comprehensive technical automationand physical plant engineering support to the facility program, ensuring properfunctioning of automated fulfillment systems and ancillary support equipment usedthroughout a consolidated mail outpatient pharmacy. The facility utilizes automatedpharmacy fulfillment systems to dispense and package a high volume (e.g.,100,00/day) of prescriptions for shipment to Veterans. Facilitates pharmacyautomation to augment efficient and accurate medication distribution.Compensation is $31.00 an hour LOCATION: Department of Veterans Affairs Station 766109 Bee St, Charleston, SC 29401WORK SCHEDULE: 2 SHIFTS AVAILABLE Tuesday - Friday : 2:00pm - 10:30am Saturday: 9:00am - 5:30pmMAJOR DUTIES:
- 1. Executes a comprehensive automated equipment management program, ensuring standard protocols are adhered to for the assessment, maintenance, and repair of an automated pharmacy fulfillment system (APFS) and supporting infrastructure.
- Maintains complex, diverse facility and automated utility/system operations to include periodic inspection, preventive maintenance, and repair.
- Improvises troubleshooting practices and interprets electronic, electrical, and mechanical drawings, specifications, and schematics of custom systems.
- Conducts troubleshooting of automated systems equipment using various hand tools, soldering equipment, and standard test equipment (e.g., analog/digital multimeters, oscilloscopes, function generators, power supplies, resistor/capacitor substitution boxes, calibration devices, current probes, wattmeters).
- Installs and configures various peripheral devices/equipment.
- Monitors quality assurance indicators related to forecasting of premature equipment failure rates, mean time between equipment failures (MTBF) as they relate to enhancing patient safety, and the prevention or control of unexpected catastrophic system failures, identifying and implementing protocols to ensure timely recovery of critical equipment and systems. Resolves a variety of unconventional situations arising from software, hardware, and integration problems.
- Collaborates with production supervisors and end users to optimize fulfillment workflow. Serves as a subject-matter authority for automated pharmacy fulfillment system components and ensures that application training is provided to users and support staff.
- Maintains an equipment inventory and maintenance database used to supply current maintenance information on request.
- Prepares correspondence, technical reports, estimates, fact sheets, status reports, and schedules as required to ensure assigned projects are completed on time and within established budgets. (Approx. 70%)
- 2. Participates in equipment related strategic planning, pre-purchase evaluation, and assessment; acquisition support; project management support and communication; implementation coordination; equipment management; hardware modifications; training; and ongoing maintenance support for the automated production system.
- Serves as a Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) for assigned construction and service contracts related to facility systems/projects. Assists with site preparation, installation, configuration, and integration of healthcare technology and operational control systems for facility, wider-organization, and/or agencywide networked
- systems, coordinating with vendors and Contracting Officers on procurement or technical issues (Approx. 30%)
Performs other duties as assigned.FACTOR EVALUATION:FACTOR ONE. KNOWLEDGE REQUIRED BY THE POSITION - Extensive technical engineering knowledge related to automated pharmacyfulfillment systems, including the practical application and understanding ofunderlying computer, engineering, and electronics theory and the practical use ofanalog and digital electronics, mechanics, pneumatics, electromechanical devices,hydraulics, thermodynamics, optics, physics, and computer science along withknowledge of the principles and techniques of operation of supported equipment andlimitations of applicable physical and network security issues to improvisetroubleshooting practices and interpret electronic, electrical, and mechanicaldrawings, specifications, and schematics of custom systems in solving problems andmaintaining automated systems equipment.Knowledge of human machine interface (HMI)/user interface, programmable logiccontrollers (PLCs), sensors, input/output devices, transformers, three-phaseprimary/secondary industrial power distribution systems, surge protection devices,three-phase motor starters/associated circuits, pneumatic actuators, conveyors,automated processes, and computer systems and familiarity with installation,operation, troubleshooting, maintenance, and safety practices related to the abovedevices to conduct electronics troubleshooting techniques and use common handtools and soldering equipment and standard test equipment (e.g., analog/digitalmultimeters, oscilloscopes, function generators, power supplies, resistor/capacitorsubstitution boxes, calibration devices, current probes, wattmeters).Working knowledge of computers and networking, including standard networkhardware, software, standard topologies, media types, and Internet protocols (e.g.,Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)) and related characteristics,capabilities, installation, and configuration of supported equipment and theirassociated networks to install and configure various peripherals.Ability to read, interpret, and apply a variety of technical data (e.g., schematicdrawings, wiring diagrams, tables, charts, mathematical expressions and formulas)and service documentation included in manufacturer's literature to effect repairs andperform complex installations, calibrations, preventative maintenance, andtroubleshooting on complex mechanical and computer-based systems that havevitally interrelated and sometimes dispersed subsystems, many of which areassembled from numerous constituent units or subsystemsAbility and skill to communicate and collaborate with clinical and administrativepersonnel and serve as a liaison between them and read and interpret technicalliterature and relay pertinent information to others.FACTOR 2. SUPERVISORY CONTROLS - Assignments are generally based upon broadly defined goals and objectives andfrequently involve resolution of a variety of non-conventional situations arising fromsoftware, hardware, and integration problems.Assignments are completed with minimal direction. The employee is provided asignificant degree of/wide latitude for technical independence and decision making.The employee applies not only standard procedures but also innovative techniquesand organized methodologies to accomplish operational goals in cooperation withother staff and supervisors.Performance is evaluated in terms of results achieved, decisions made, and totalproject management effectiveness.FACTOR 3. GUIDELINES - Guidelines include manuals; technical specifications; Federal, state, and localregulations and standards; bureau policy; established procedures; and contractrequirements. Some guidelines are stated in general terms or are of limited use.Judgment and initiative are required in applying and adapting electrical and/ormechanical engineering principles and practices where significant departures fromestablished practices and precedents are required, resulting from such factors asunusual local conditions or increased emphasis on productivity, throughput, andenergy conservation. Also uses judgment, initiative, and resourcefulness in deviatingfrom established methods to modify, adapt, and/or refine broader guidelines toresolve complex and/or intricate issues and problems; address specific issues orproblems; develop new methods and criteria; and/or propose new practices.FACTOR 4. COMPLEXITY - Assignments are diverse in nature and cover a number of essentially differentelectrical/mechanical systems and equipment found in large processing plants andCMOP's. Incumbent must exercise creativity and experienced judgment in extendingtraditional techniques or developing new ones in order to solve complex problems. Inmany cases, assignments deal with the inapplicability of established design criteriaand technical precedents to project objectives thus requiring sound design judgmentto reach the correct solution, meeting major objectives and time lines withoutcompromising design and engineering principles. The work also requires recognitionof the relationship of problems and practices of related engineering fields either tosolve the situation/problem or refer it to the appropriate source.FACTOR 5. SCOPE AND EFFECT - As an Engineering Technician for the facility's automation operations and supportinginfrastructure, the employee performs engineering technical electronics, mechanical,and electrical duties to facilitate fulfillment of the organization's mission as well asaugmenting project and other automated systems development and improvementprojects for the wider organization.Work impacts accuracy and timeliness of provision of pharmaceutical services toVeterans, developing or effectively operating systems and ultimately the facility aswell as the work of other individuals, and modifying and developing maintenanceprocesses.FACTOR 6. PERSONAL CONTACTS/FACTOR 7. PURPOSE OF CONTACTS - Personal contacts are with end users/facility staff and leads/supervisors and aregenerally related to mechanical issues impacting system performance, staff, orpatient safety; agency information technology (IT) staff; and individuals or groupsfrom outside the agency, including consultants, contractors, and vendors orrepresentatives of regulatory bodies in moderately structured settings where theroles and interests of the parties are well-established.The purpose of contacts pertain to troubleshooting, maintenance, and repair ofautomated systems or subsystems. Contacts are also to provide periodic technicaltraining for end users; participate with production supervisors and quality assurancestaff on projects related to improving efficiency, safety, or regulatory compliance;participate in addressing unresolved issues, problem solving, or contractenforcement; respond to requests for support or assistance; solve problems; providecustomers with consistent information; resolve critical production, system, andnetwork issues; confer with vendors and contractors to solicit advice in resolvingmaintenance, design, and/or installation problems; give or receive information;coordinate work efforts; furnish technical advice; and review drawings, installationdesigns, or specifications and correct them, as necessary. In many situations, thesecontacts will often require persuasion and tact in the resolution of technicaldisagreements.FACTOR 8. PHYSICAL DEMANDS -Work involves various situations where the employee is required to perform benchwork and/or field work that requires sitting, walking, standing, bending, lifting,pushing, etc. Often handles devices weighing up to 40 pounds and is sometimescalled upon to handle objects weighing in excess of 40 pounds with weight-handlingequipment or the assistance of others. Agency and contract work requires frequentinspections, which may involve considerable walking, bending, stooping, crawling,climbing, reaching, and other physical movements. Performs duties in areas thatrequire special safety precautions to avoid injury to self or others (i.e., lock-out/tagout,wearing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in hazardous areas, etc.).Assignments may require extended periods seated at a computer as well assedentary office work.FACTOR 9. WORK ENVIRONMENT -Work involves various conditions and environments (e.g., working in an office,production plant floor, or on a construction site). Exposed to a wide variety oftemperatures, hazardous conditions, and potentially dangerous situations involvingtoxic or hazardous substances. Exposed to high voltage electrical lines andequipment. Operation of machinery and equipment may produce dangeroussituations that can result in loss of limbs. Often required to perform duties inenvironments that require Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and perform duties inareas where special safety precautions must be taken while at the same timeprotecting product from infection/contamination. The area is adequately lighted,heated, and ventilated.#ZR