Summary Employee will be assigned to Facilities Engineering, VA Medical Center, St. Louis, MO, providing equipment replacement, maintenance, repair, and operations for boiler plant and air conditioning equipment. Responsibilities Duties include, but may not be limited to the following: Maintains and repairs boiler plant equipment which consists of three high pressure boilers, each rated at 33,000 pounds of steam per hour, plus associated equipment, such as storage tank deaerator, pre-heater, steam station, flow controls, water softener, high pressure pumps, air compressor, air dryers, and related controls. Disassembles and repairs various sizes and @types of heavy and complicated industrial heating equipment. Disassembles units and cleans parts with solvent, steam and air. Fits parts and reassembles units; repairs fire boxes under boilers; and washes boilers and cleans fireboxes. Overhauls feed water pumps, condensate return pumps, brine pumps and fuel oil pumps either steam or electrically driven. Assists Utility Systems Operator with testing and treating water used in steam production and cooling water. Provides preventive maintenance and minor repair to the three 1250-ton centrifugal chillers. Maintains and provides repairs to all equipment within Air Conditioning (A/C) plant which consists of two 800-ton centrifugal chillers, one double cell cooling tower rated 5,360 gallons per minute, graphic control panel, air compressor, two 250 HP chilled water pumps, four 50 HP condenser water pumps and related piping and controls. Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:00am - 3:30pm. Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 Pre-employment physical required Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications PHYSICAL EFFORT AND WORK CONDITIONS: Must be able to climb stairways and ladders, lift heavy objects, crawl and stoop in close spaces. Heavy physical exertion is required in opening and closing heavy valves, cleaning equipment, lubricating, and other maintenance work. Crawling into small openings and working in confined spaces in cramped positions is also required. Employee will be subject to abnormal heat, noise, cold, toxic amounts of gas and handling of poisonous chemicals, subject to hazards of boiler explosions, steam, blowbacks, scalding water, burns from contact with boilers and steam pipes, and electrical shock (4160 volts). Required to work in inadequately lighted and ventilated areas with emergency trouble light. Mental application is a necessity due to the complexity of plant equipment and systems being operated and being alert at all times for equipment malfunctions causing an emergency. Employee may be exposed to noise levels exceeding 85dBA for up to 8 hours per day. This exposure may adversely affect hearing. The wearing of ear protective devices while in the Boiler and Air Conditioning Plant is mandatory as is participation in the Hearing Conservation Program. Employee must be able to hear while wearing ear protection at the level to safely perform assigned duties. Employee may be exposed to toxic fumes, gases, and airborne particles in the performance of duties. This exposure may adversely affect pulmonary function. The wearing of a protective respirator that will reduce the possibility of pulmonary damage is mandatory when working in areas where toxic exposure is a possibility. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requirements mandate that employees are required to use a respirator, NOT have a beard, and pass a baseline pulmonary function test prior to use of a respirator. (The only exceptions to this will be existing employees that have or develop a documented medical condition that would prevent their participation in the program) - (new employees or existing VA Medical Center employees applying for a position will be screened through a pre-employment physical). Applicants will be rated in accordance with the OPM Federal Wage System Qualifications. For this position, the job element method is used to match what you, the applicant, can do against what the work calls for. Your knowledge, skills and abilities will be compared to the knowledge, skills and abilities (called job elements) needed for success. Your qualifications will first be evaluated against the prescribed screen out element (WG-2 and higher only; screen-outs are not applicable to WG-1). Applicants who appear to meet the screen out element are considered for further rating; those who do not are rated ineligible and are eliminated from consideration. The potential eligibles are rated against the remainder of the job elements. While a specific length of training and experience is not required, your responses to the questionnaire must be supported by detailed descriptions of your experience on your resume. You will be rated on the following Job Elements as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: Equipment Assembly, Installation, Repair Interpret Instructions, Specifications (includes blueprint reading) Materials Technical Practices Troubleshooting Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment Without more than normal supervision IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. 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. 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. Education Additional Information Note: Per "Executive Order 14251: Exclusions from Federal Labor-Management Relations Programs", this position is no longer eligible for bargaining unit participation. 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. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. 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. 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.
