Engineering Technician

Job Description

Job Description

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 automation

and physical plant engineering support to the facility program, ensuring proper

functioning of automated fulfillment systems and ancillary support equipment used

throughout a consolidated mail outpatient pharmacy. The facility utilizes automated

pharmacy fulfillment systems to dispense and package a high volume (e.g.,

100,00 / day) of prescriptions for shipment to Veterans. Facilitates pharmacy

automation to augment efficient and accurate medication distribution.

Compensation is $31.00 an hour

LOCATION :

Department of Veterans Affairs

Station 766

109 Bee St, Charleston, SC 29401

WORK SCHEDULE : 2 SHIFTS AVAILABLE

Monday - Friday : 6 : 00am - 2 : 30pm

Monday - Friday : 3 : 30pm - 12 : 00am

MAJOR 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 pharmacy

fulfillment systems, including the practical application and understanding of

underlying computer, engineering, and electronics theory and the practical use of

analog and digital electronics, mechanics, pneumatics, electromechanical devices,

hydraulics, thermodynamics, optics, physics, and computer science along with

knowledge of the principles and techniques of operation of supported equipment and

limitations of applicable physical and network security issues to improvise

troubleshooting practices and interpret electronic, electrical, and mechanical

drawings, specifications, and schematics of custom systems in solving problems and

maintaining automated systems equipment.

Knowledge of human machine interface (HMI) / user interface, programmable logic

controllers (PLCs), sensors, input / output devices, transformers, three-phase

primary / 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 above

devices to conduct electronics troubleshooting techniques and use common hand

tools and 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).

Working knowledge of computers and networking, including standard network

hardware, 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 their

associated networks to install and configure various peripherals.

Ability to read, interpret, and apply a variety of technical data (e.g., schematic

drawings, wiring diagrams, tables, charts, mathematical expressions and formulas)

and service documentation included in manufacturer's literature to effect repairs and

perform complex installations, calibrations, preventative maintenance, and

troubleshooting on complex mechanical and computer-based systems that have

vitally interrelated and sometimes dispersed subsystems, many of which are

assembled from numerous constituent units or subsystems

Ability and skill to communicate and collaborate with clinical and administrative

personnel and serve as a liaison between them and read and interpret technical

literature and relay pertinent information to others.

FACTOR 2. SUPERVISORY CONTROLS -

Assignments are generally based upon broadly defined goals and objectives and

frequently involve resolution of a variety of non-conventional situations arising from

software, hardware, and integration problems.

Assignments are completed with minimal direction. The employee is provided a

significant degree of / wide latitude for technical independence and decision making.

The employee applies not only standard procedures but also innovative techniques

and organized methodologies to accomplish operational goals in cooperation with

other staff and supervisors.

Performance is evaluated in terms of results achieved, decisions made, and total

project management effectiveness.

FACTOR 3. GUIDELINES -

Guidelines include manuals; technical specifications; Federal, state, and local

regulations and standards; bureau policy; established procedures; and contract

requirements. Some guidelines are stated in general terms or are of limited use.

Judgment and initiative are required in applying and adapting electrical and / or

mechanical engineering principles and practices where significant departures from

established practices and precedents are required, resulting from such factors as

unusual local conditions or increased emphasis on productivity, throughput, and

energy conservation. Also uses judgment, initiative, and resourcefulness in deviating

from established methods to modify, adapt, and / or refine broader guidelines to

resolve complex and / or intricate issues and problems; address specific issues or

problems; develop new methods and criteria; and / or propose new practices.

FACTOR 4. COMPLEXITY -

Assignments are diverse in nature and cover a number of essentially different

electrical / mechanical systems and equipment found in large processing plants and

CMOP’s. Incumbent must exercise creativity and experienced judgment in extending

traditional techniques or developing new ones in order to solve complex problems. In

many cases, assignments deal with the inapplicability of established design criteria

and technical precedents to project objectives thus requiring sound design judgment

to reach the correct solution, meeting major objectives and time lines without

compromising design and engineering principles. The work also requires recognition

of the relationship of problems and practices of related engineering fields either to

solve 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 supporting

infrastructure, the employee performs engineering technical electronics, mechanical,

and electrical duties to facilitate fulfillment of the organization’s mission as well as

augmenting project and other automated systems development and improvement

projects for the wider organization.

Work impacts accuracy and timeliness of provision of pharmaceutical services to

Veterans, developing or effectively operating systems and ultimately the facility as

well as the work of other individuals, and modifying and developing maintenance

processes.

FACTOR 6. PERSONAL CONTACTS / FACTOR 7. PURPOSE OF CONTACTS -

Personal contacts are with end users / facility staff and leads / supervisors and are

generally related to mechanical issues impacting system performance, staff, or

patient safety; agency information technology (IT) staff; and individuals or groups

from outside the agency, including consultants, contractors, and vendors or

representatives of regulatory bodies in moderately structured settings where the

roles and interests of the parties are well-established.

The purpose of contacts pertain to troubleshooting, maintenance, and repair of

automated systems or subsystems. Contacts are also to provide periodic technical

training for end users; participate with production supervisors and quality assurance

staff on projects related to improving efficiency, safety, or regulatory compliance;

participate in addressing unresolved issues, problem solving, or contract

enforcement; respond to requests for support or assistance; solve problems; provide

customers with consistent information; resolve critical production, system, and

network issues; confer with vendors and contractors to solicit advice in resolving

maintenance, design, and / or installation problems; give or receive information;

coordinate work efforts; furnish technical advice; and review drawings, installation

designs, or specifications and correct them, as necessary. In many situations, these

contacts will often require persuasion and tact in the resolution of technical

disagreements.

FACTOR 8. PHYSICAL DEMANDS -

Work involves various situations where the employee is required to perform bench

work and / or field work that requires sitting, walking, standing, bending, lifting,

pushing, etc. Often handles devices weighing up to 40 pounds and is sometimes

called upon to handle objects weighing in excess of 40 pounds with weight-handling

equipment or the assistance of others. Agency and contract work requires frequent

inspections, which may involve considerable walking, bending, stooping, crawling,

climbing, reaching, and other physical movements. Performs duties in areas that

require 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 as

sedentary 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 of

temperatures, hazardous conditions, and potentially dangerous situations involving

toxic or hazardous substances. Exposed to high voltage electrical lines and

equipment. Operation of machinery and equipment may produce dangerous

situations that can result in loss of limbs. Often required to perform duties in

environments that require Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and perform duties in

areas where special safety precautions must be taken while at the same time

protecting product from infection / contamination. The area is adequately lighted,

heated, and ventilated.

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