Summary The Utility Systems Operator Supervisor positions are located in the Central Plant of the Operations Section within the Engineering Service at the Veterans Affairs Healthcare System San Diego; a tertiary care General Medicine, Spinal Cord Injury unit, Surgery, Healthcare and Research Facility. Responsibilities Under the supervision of the Central Plant Manager, the person in this position is the Supervisor of the Utilities System Operators and is in charge of the operations and maintenance of the Central plant. This includes two dual fire 24,000 lb. per hour boilers, three 1,200-ton centrifugal chillers, one 500-ton absorption chiller, and all other pertinent plant equipment including economizers, four 650 KW emergency generators, one 4.6 MW turbine co-generation unit with 24,000 PPH waste heat boiler, electrical switch gear, medical gases, fuel and water storage systems. Major duties include but are not limited to: Sets performance standards, evaluates employees, recommends advancements, incentive awards, etc., counsels' employees and initiates disciplinary and adverse actions as needed; Directs work of all operators and maintains a first-class plant so that it is efficiently and safely run and accomplishes energy conservation constantly; Assures the efficient and economical accomplishment of work assignments by his/her subordinates within the work schedules set; Maintains accurate records and is responsible for preparation of administrative and technical reports relative to the Operations Section; Maintains an inventory of supplies as required and determines the level of inventory to be carried and the intervals at which to reorder; Prepares memorandums and recommends replacement, repair, and/or modifications to equipment, utilities and structures in order to facilitate both long and short-range planning; Responds to hospital emergency calls as the engineering emergency responder after regular working hours (weekends, evenings, nights, and holidays) including locating the source of the problem (may require interstitial access) and taking necessary action to correct the deficiency; Assists the Central Plant Manager in allocating and developing a viable operating budget for the Central Plant; and Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Compressed/Flexible Schedule, Rotating Shifts: 24/7 coverage, Full Time (to include holidays and weekends). Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved 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: Frequently lifts and carries weights of various loads above 50 pounds. Uses electrical, mechanical systems and forklifts to lift motors, pumps and other machinery overhead for replacement or repair. Extensive walking to inspect, troubleshoot and maintain plant equipment and take hourly readings, working on ladders and platforms, carrying equipment, parts and tools. All work is on a rotating shift basis, must be able to work all shifts 24/7/365, including evenings, nights, weekends and holidays. Must wear appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) as required for the job tasks including footwear. Work shifts are 24/7/365. The Power plant is not heated or Air Conditioned, there is an extreme amount of noise, dangerously high temperatures from the Cogeneration plant, steam heat exchangers, exhaust manifolds, boilers and rotating equipment, very high levels of electrical voltage and current, potential sources of Carbon Monoxide and unburned gasses, potential water, Natural gas, refrigerant and fuel oil leaks, long periods of standing heavy lifting, dirt, dust, vapor, grease, dangerous chemicals, outdoor tasks under varying conditions, night time work in unlit areas working alone, asbestos environments in the interstitial, which requires wearing the proper PPE and working alone in the intestinal spaces between floors after hours. There are tasks that require working in restricted access and confined spaces as well as overhead work requiring ladders. 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: Dexterity and Safety Equipment Assembly, Installation, Repair Interpret Instructions, Specifications (other than blueprint reading) Measuring Instruments Operation of Equipment/Machinery Technical Practices 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 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.
