Summary The Engineering Department of the VA Western New York Healthcare System (WNYHS) is tasked with the operation and maintenance of a major healthcare system. This Facility Operations Specialist is responsible for the development, implementation, and management of an effective and reliable maintenance program for the Buffalo campus. Manages all aspects of this program including establishment of procedures, regulatory compliance, and quality improvement. Responsibilities Maintenance and Operations: Develops, implements, and manages the facility maintenance program, including the computerized maintenance management system, facility space plan, and equipment inventory; Develops and implements preventive maintenance schedules for existing and new equipment and systems; This position also, develops the equipment's specific maintenance procedures, operating procedures, and hazardous energy control procedures; Prepares and assigns appropriate work orders and determines the criticality of assignments to ensure the facility deficiencies are remedied; Identifies short and long-term needs for maintenance and repair, determines criticality, establishes deadlines, and prioritizes these needs with preventive maintenance schedules; Ensures timely completion and documentation of maintenance activities to ensure maintenance is performed to meet all regulatory standards, including but not limited to a Joint Commission, NFPA, ASHRAE, OSHA, and VA Directives. This will be accomplished through physical inspections and document review. Any corrections will be assigned to the Maintenance Supervisor and verified upon completion; Planning and executing complex shutdowns that may involve other departments in the facility; Is a member of the Space and Move committee and is responsible for managing and documenting all facility requests and coordinating the execution of those requests Budget Management: Develops, formulates, and provides all essential data for the annual budget forecast which includes maintenance, repair, and contracted services; Provides recommendations, prioritizations, and justifications based on studies of past expenditures, knowledge of Engineering service requirements, program plans, and workload forecasts; Manages budget to ensure personnel and material requirements meet facility priority needs and establishes guidelines for work to be performed by contract; Reviews and approves fund requests from within the unit and assures that funds are used for the operating budget. If funds are not available this position is responsible for requesting emergency funding from Maintenance and Operations Supervisor; Maintains fund control records, reconciles transactions, and adjusts procurement activities as needed. Processes all invoices and vouchers in a timely agreement with the Prompt Payment Act; Provides current and accurate budget reports to the local leadership Administrative Management :Uses computer applications and software programs to develop, analyze, and maintain monthly, quarterly, and annual reports to ensure that personnel and contractors are maintaining work progress and regulatory compliance; Presents to internal committees as well as outside regulatory agencies. These reports include but are not limited to workload calculations, utility failures, environment of care rounds, NFPA maintenance logs, project tracking, and annual workplace evaluations; Provides administrative management at all stages of the procurement process; This includes developing detailed statements of work that include facility maintenance and operations standards, performing market research to ensure contract packages meet or exceed standards in the marketplace, documentation for pre-contract requirements, and submitting documentation packages to the contracting office; Documents the contract progress performs contractor reviews for submission to the Contracting Officer and presents findings in a professional format for review and consideration; Maintains administration records, performance agreements, and compliance inspection reports; Analyzes and interprets administrative policies, defines the requirements, develops records, establishes controls, and advises management on related issues; Prepares monthly, quarterly, and annual reports and tracks all actions to completion. Prepares schedules, calendar reminders, and meeting invites; Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Mon - Fri 0700-1530 Position Description/PD#: Facility Operations Spec/PD11201O 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 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 or 2-year trial 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 or trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 01/21/2026. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05. For a GS-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. Individual Occupational Requirements: Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study -- engineering, industrial arts, property management, or business administration. OR Specialized Experience: Examples of qualifying specialized experience include: Managing a maintenance program for office or apartment building complexes, hospitals, recreation facilities, military, or other special-purpose installations, including planning maintenance activities, and developing preventive maintenance programs. Conducting surveillance activities over construction and maintenance operations performed by a variety of private contractors, including reviewing project plans and specifications for workability, informing contractors of construction and reporting requirements, and supervising operations for conformance with project plans. Performing maintenance or construction work, including estimating material and labor costs for a variety of construction or maintenance projects (such as construction or maintenance of brick, frame, structural steel, reinforced concrete, and other @type structures ranging from one- or two-story buildings to larger structures), directing actual work operations, and maintaining appropriate contacts with the organization funding the project. Grade Determination: You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: GS-07 Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-05 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Experience that provided a knowledge of the practices and procedures related to property management, maintenance, materials requirements, and building operation and repair. This experience may have been gained in work such as budget or report preparation, maintenance of property and financial records, or trades or crafts work requiring technical knowledge or judgment. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 1 full year of graduate level education or superior academic achievement. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond . GS-09 Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-07 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Applicants who have the 1 year of appropriate specialized experience, as indicated in the table, are not required by this standard to have general experience, education above the high school level, or any additional specialized experience to meet the minimum qualification requirements. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have Master's or equivalent graduate degree OR, two full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree OR, LL.B., or J.D., if related OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education. Combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements for the grade levels specified in the table, and may be computed by first determining the applicant's total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level; then determining the applicant's education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level; and then adding the two percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for that grade level. . (When crediting education that requires specific course work, prorate the number of hours of related courses required as a proportion of the total education to be used.). You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Clerical Computer Skills Customer Service Database Management Systems 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: The work involves walking, standing, climbing, bending, or carrying light items such as flashlights and inspection instruments. The incumbent will be required to climb ladders and enter access areas such as crawl spaces and air handlers. Occasional demanding physical effort is required, climbing ladders, utilizing hatches to access roofs, or creeping through crawlspaces. Work Environment-The work is performed in a variety of industrial, clinical, and administrative settings requiring commensurate safety precautions against associated risks or discomfort. The incumbent will be exposed to hazards common to the construction trades such as dust, noise, unpleasant odors, and extremes in temperature and humidity. Will use required personal protective equipment such as hard hats, safety glasses, and steel toed boots. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/. Education A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information 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.
