Summary Air Conditioning Equipment Operators have a thorough knowledge of the principles of electrically driven centrifugal compressors, auxiliary machinery, diesel driven generators, water chemistry and the ability to take appropriate corrective action to maintain comfort, services and equipment. They possess a valid refrigerants compliance license issued by a competent authority. Responsibilities Major Duties as Assigned, but not limited to: Operators are responsible for analyzing various indicators, alarms, computers and instruments to detect abnormal conditions and make appropriate corrections including the ability to isolate and bypass the fault or if necessary to call back Engineering Service personnel and contractors to maintain services. Additionally, during normal duty hours, operators are responsible for responding to emergency calls related to air conditioning, elevators and other duties as assigned. After normal working hours operators are responsible for responding to all trouble calls related to any Engineering systems such as elevators, nurse call system, fire alarms, water supply, electrical, sewer, plumbing, and therapy pool and taking necessary action to modify, repair or otherwise ensure safe operation. Operators monitor critical areas such as the blood bank, kitchen refrigerators and freezers, and morgue. They inspect the SPS softener, operate all air conditioning auxiliary equipment such as pumps, fans and cooling towers, test and treat the therapy swimming pool and monitor The Joint Commission (TJC) requirements. Air Conditioning Equipment Operators have a thorough knowledge of the principles of electrically driven centrifugal compressors, auxiliary machinery, diesel driven generators, water chemistry and the ability to take appropriate corrective action to maintain comfort, services and equipment. They possess a valid refrigerants compliance license issued by a competent authority. Furthermore, they possess the necessary ability to perform operational repairs of moderate complexity to include cleaning, painting, lubricating equipment, power cleaning chiller tubes, repairing or replacing valves, gauges, switches, sight glasses, pump assemblies, piping leaks, the basic knowledge of electricity to test and replace wires, switches and other basic electrical components. Air Conditioning Equipment Operators apply a comprehensive knowledge of all operational phases of centralized, multiple zoned air conditioning plant operations to safely operate and maintain comfort in numerous critical buildings with a thorough knowledge of the functions and procedures of related systems to include water treatment, electrical generators, fuel oil systems, and pollution control and their interrelationships for efficient and economical generation. They apply knowledge of the principles and theories pertaining to refrigeration, heat transfer and chilled water generation in the operation of the chiller plant. Additionally, they apply a thorough knowledge of the rules, regulations and laws pertaining to refrigerants, the environment and pollution control requirements, water treatment procedures and water analysis using standard chemical tests, equipment and systems. They are fully capable of performing maintenance requirements and procedures, troubleshooting malfunctions in advanced equipment and systems by using standard testing techniques, testing equipment and devices. They have the ability to make repairs to a variety of systems not directly related to air conditioning and are able to read and interpret blueprints, diagrams, drawings, work orders and verbal instructions. Air Conditioning plant operators have the ability and knowledge of procedures and adjustments to start, operate, adjust, maintain and secure machinery in a chiller plant to meet load demands and maintain efficient cooling. They have the skill necessary to operate chillers through normal operation and shut downs based on weather, machinery condition and specific load demands. Work Schedule: Rotating Schedules Position Description Title/PD#: Air Conditioning Equipment Operator/674-01015-A Physical Requirements: Heavy lifting, 45 pounds and over; Moderate carrying, 15-44 pounds; Reaching above shoulder; Use of fingers; Both hands required; Walking; Standing; Crawling; Kneeling; Repeated bending; Climbing, use of legs and arms; Both legs required; Operation of crane, truck, tractor, or motor vehicle; Near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4; Far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other; Depth perception; Hearing (aid permitted) Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job Subject to a background/suitability investigation Designated and/or random drug testing may be required Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 A complete application package; including Resume, Transcripts, etc. is required 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 identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Beginning September 27, 2025, Federal agencies will only accept resumes up to two pages in length to comply with the Merit Hiring Plan. Resumes longer than two pages will result in ineligibility for further consideration for the position. USAJOBS will not allow you to upload or build resumes longer than two pages, and you will need to update the resumes in your profile before applying for a job. Resumes should include information relevant to the knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies of the position to which you are applying. VA is unable to make assumptions about qualifications if not clearly listed. Resumes must be legible so they can be reviewed for eligibility, minimum qualifications and other position requirements listed in the job announcement. Your resume must be 5MB or less. We recommend saving and uploading your resume as a PDF to maintain formatting and number of pages. We also accept GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, TXT, PDF, ODT or Word (DOC or DOCX). We do not accept PDF portfolio files. We recommend using a sans-serif font size like Lato, if available. Other widely available options are Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open San Source Sans Pro, Roboto or Noro Sans. Make your page margins 0.5 inches. Consider using 14-point size font for titles and 10-point for the main text in your resume. The resume builder can help you create a resume using these recommendations and uses the information in your USAJOBS profile to help you get started. 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. CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENT. The position requires a current Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved CFC Universal Certification. This is in accordance with Section 608 of the Clean Air Act 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: Dexterity and Safety Equipment Assembly, Installation, Repair Interpret Instructions, Specifications (includes blueprint reading) Measuring Instruments Operation of Equipment/Machinery Technical Practices 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. Education This job does not have an education qualification requirement. Additional Information 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. 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 (TJO). Please visit the Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP), va.gov/EMPLOYEE/docs/The-Fair-Chance-to-Compete-Act.pdf for more information. VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. 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.
