Summary This position is located at the Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, Mid-Atlantic Health Care Network (VISN 6), Central Virginia VA Healthcare System, Richmond, Virginia. This position serves as an Air Conditioning Mechanic within the Engineering Section of the Fredericksburg Health Care Center (FxHCC). Responsibilities The primary duties of this position include maintenance and repairs of heating ventilation air condition and refrigeration. Performa installation, maintenance, and repair of utility systems within a facility. Duties include work that is performed to repair and modify a variety of equipment and systems that achieve regulated climatic conditions and the work concerned primarily with operating air conditioning system for large buildings or complexes of buildings. Installs maintains and repairs commercial and industrial systems and/or systems for areas with special requirements. Work involves installing, recognizing the cause of faulty equipment, and making repairs on large systems that provide for a variety of air conditioning functions such as heating, cooling, humidifying, dehumidifying, cleaning, filtering, and circulating. Installations and repairs are used to condition the air for different kinds of structures such as warehouses, ships, hangars, hospitals, submarines, and large office buildings. Works on a variety of commercial and industrial system to locate and check elements such as those which control low side and high side pressure; the temperature of the cooling units; the temperatures of the liquid and suction lines; and the running time of the various mechanism. Checks for the probability of leaks by visual and audible examination of equipment components; by applying prescribed test procedures and equipment; and by exploration of probable reasons for equipment failure. Uses principles and theories of air conditioning and refrigeration such as the refrigeration cycle, heat transfer laws, the use of refrigerant tables; how to calculate airflow, and the pressure-temperature characteristics for the different systems to troubleshoot, locate and repair faulty equipment swiftly and to reduce inoperative time to a minimum. Systems to work on include those with a variety of compressors such as a gear, reciprocating, centrifugal, or rotary pump, and a variety of refrigerant controls such as those with low-and high pressure side floats, automatic thermostatic expansion valves, capillary or choke @types, and those based volume or quantity changes. Installs and repairs system that are used to condition the air for areas that have special requirements such as communication centers, electronic data processing centers, operating rooms, laboratories, clean rooms, link training rooms, and other areas with sensitive equipment. Dismantles, repairs and reassembles units such as pumps, impellers, compressors, chillers, receivers, and evaporators. Install and fits connecting rods, crank shafts, piston rings, bearings, and bushing; overhauling valves by adjusting or replacing gaskets, springs, floats, diaphragms, valve fittings, seals, and couplings; and aligning motors and flywheel drives. Plans test procedures. Work Schedule: 8:00am-4:30pm (Monday-Friday) Position Description Title/PD#: Air Cond Equip Mechanic/PD015670 Relocation/Recruitment 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 Subject to background/security investigation Pre-employment physical 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 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, 04/24/2026. 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. Preferred Experience: Experience with refrigeration 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 eligible are then rated against the remainder of the Job Elements: 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 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 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.
