Summary This position is located at the Baltimore VA Medical Center, A Department of Veterans Affairs facility. The incumbent serves as a Maintenance Mechanic for the Baltimore location only. Performs interior and exterior building operations, repair and maintenance work. Duties include work involved in construction, altering, maintaining, and repairing buildings, partitions, panels and other items using wood, wood substitutes and composite building materials. Responsibilities Carpentry Measures, Cuts and Constructs Building Materials: Independently plans and completes projects involved in constructing, altering, repairing, and/or modifying framework, doors, finished paneling, windows, interior/exterior trim. Spacing, accuracy, and fit are essential and appearance is important. Measures, cuts, constructs, installs, repairs and modifies routine mill work, framing, partitions, etc. Operates and Uses Carpentry Tools: Operates and uses carpentry tools by setting up, adjusting and maintaining tools to meet required specifications. Plans and Lays Out Carpentry Projects: Plans, measures and lays out carpentry materials using broad knowledge of wood materials and substitutes with general and precision woodworking techniques. Painter Applies Special Coating Methods: Uses accepted methods which include special finishing techniques such as marbling and graining by using coating materials that are prepared in special as well as common ways. Uses standard tools and equipment such as brushes, rollers, spray guns, trowels, screeds, straight edges. Surface Preparations and Techniques: Prepares surfaces and uses appropriate coating techniques in performing painting duties. Prepares surfaces and applies coating techniques that will insure surfaces have a smooth-textured and decorative appearance and meet thickness and level requirements. Insures that surfaces meet smoothness, level and shape requirements by tinting, toning, matching and blending coating materials and adds various agents and combines coating mixtures to get the proper color, texture, consistency and drying state. Plaster Prepares Surfaces; Mixes, Applies, Finishes Plaster Surfaces: Prepares surfaces for plaster application. Finishes new plaster surfaces as well as repairs and patches existing surfaces. Mixes and applies plastering materials for application on all @types of backgrounds such as metal, wood, or gypsum lath, wallboard and masonry surfaces. In repairing damaged areas, determines how much old plaster to remove to obtain a firm surface and whether to replace lath. In accomplishing repairing or patching, prepares damaged areas to ensure that the new plaster adheres to the surface and surrounding plaster. Installs or replaces metal, wood or gypsum lath. Applies base or scratch coat to ensure that the new plaster adheres to lath or other sub surfaces. Determines when the base coat and second or brown coat is properly set and scored before additional coats are applied. Mixes all @types of plastering materials such as base coat gypsum, line plaster, concrete bonding plaster, and finishing plaster. Mixes colored stucco in order to blend coloring matter and aggregate to obtain the desired color. Performs a variety of exacting plaster work such as running baseboards, moldings, cornices and applying special finishes. Plans & Lays Out Plastering Projects; Selects Proper Tools & Methods: Plans and lays out work to be accomplished and selects the proper tools, materials and methods to be used to complete the job in accordance with accepted trade practices. Plans and lays out work using building plans, blueprints, rough sketches, and work orders. Selects proper tools, materials and methods to use in accomplishing the work. Uses surface finishing tools (e.g., trowel, float, screens, daby, plasterer's hawk and straight edges) or texturing tools (e.g., brushes, sponges, and other materials) as appropriate. Assures that proper plastering materials are used to fit the job requirements. Masonry Plans and Determines Methods to be Used: Worker has a broad knowledge of the masonry trade in planning work and determining methods and techniques to be used. Constructs, repairs, alters exterior/interior surfaces and structures. Lays common and face brick, firebrick, cinder and cement block, glass block in construction/repairing walls. Cuts, shapes brick, and stone in constructing/repairing window and door openings and corners. Lays whole brick in straight, horizontal rows. Worker must perform a variety of complex brickwork and decorative work such as using different colors to create various designs and patterns. Worker must be able to use a variety of techniques including fastening brick or terra cotta veneer to face of structure using tie wire or anchor holes. Mason must be able to cut, shape and finish stone, brick or block. Stone, brick or block must be sorted by size and shape and must be laid in order to obtain strength and appearance. Mason reviews work to be performed, interprets blueprints or sketches and decides work methods or processes best suited to complete the work. Skills and Knowledge: Thorough knowledge of trade principles involved. Knowledge of proper materials and processes to be applied. Skill in determining and operating tools and equipment needed. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7:00am to 3:30pm Position Description Title/PD#: Maintenance Mechanic/PD19038A Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement. EXPERIENCE: A specific length of training and experience is not required, but you must show evidence of training or experience of sufficient scope and quality of your ability to do the work of this position. Evidence which demonstrates you possess the knowledge, skills, and ability to perform the duties of this position must be supported by detailed descriptions of such on your resume. Applicants will be rated in accordance with the OPM Federal Wage System Qualification Standards. SCREEN-OUT ELEMENT: Your qualifications will first be evaluated against the prescribed screen out element, which usually appears as question 1 in the on-line questionnaire. Those applicants who appear to possess at least the minimal acceptable qualification requirement are considered for further rating; those who do not are rated ineligible and are eliminated. The potential eligibles are then rated against the remainder of the Job Elements: Equipment Assembly, Installation, Repair Interpret Instructions, Specifications (includes blueprint reading) Materials Measuring Instruments Technical Practices Use Hand and Power Tools - Electronics Without more than normal supervision 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; religions; 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. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Physical Requirements: Works in tiring positions for prolonged periods. Frequent standing, bending, crouching, stooping and arm movement. Frequently lifts and carries items weighing up to 45 pounds. May occasionally lift heavier items with assistance. Working Conditions: Work in both in and outdoors. Frequently exposed to drafts, changing temperatures, dust, grease, heat, fumes and noise. Work may occur in bad weather, in mud or snow and in wet or icy areas. Subject to cuts, burns, chemical irritations and bruises. Follow prescribed safety practices and use safety equipment such as protective ear devices, hard hats and hard-toed shoes. Responsibility: Make independent judgments and decisions within the framework of oral and written instructions and accepted trade practices. Completes repairs with little or no check during their progress or upon completion. Completes repairs in accordance with trade specifications. Education Additional Information 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. Participation in the seasonal influenza program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). It is a requirement that all HCP to receive annual seasonal influenza vaccination or obtain an exemption for medical or religious reasons. Wearing a face mask is required when an exemption to the influenza vaccination has been granted. HCP in violation of this directive may face disciplinary action up to and including removal from federal service. HCP are individuals who, during the influenza season, work in VHA locations or who come into contact with VA patients or other HCP as part of their duties. VHA locations include, but are not limited to, VA hospitals and associated clinics, community living centers (CLCs), community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs), domiciliary units, Vet centers and VA-leased medical facilities. HCP include all VA licensed and unlicensed, clinical and administrative, remote and onsite, paid and without compensation, full- and part-time employees, intermittent employees, fee basis employees, VA contractors, researchers, volunteers and health professions trainees (HPTs) who are expected to perform any or all of their work at these facilities. HPTs may be paid or unpaid and include residents, interns, fellows and students. HCP also includes VHA personnel providing home-based care to Veterans and drivers and other personnel whose duties put them in contact with patients outside VA medical facilities. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be well-qualified, applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors if applicable, and must be proficient in most of the requirements of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website which can be found at https://www.opm.gov/. Receiving Service Credit for 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. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. 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. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. 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.
