Summary The Utility Systems Repairer Operator (USRO) has the authority to make decisions to ensure the safe and reliable repair, maintenance, and operation of the all boiler and chiller plant equipment and other campus boilers. He or she performs tear-down and rebuilds all boiler and chiller plant system equipment. Provides support for other utility systems management and the medical center. This person will report directly Supervisory Utilities System repair operator. Responsibilities The incumbent is a Utility Systems Repairer Operator in the Plant Operations unit of the Maintenance and Operations Section of the Engineering Service. Major duties include: Must possess or within 90 days of start date obtain an E.P.A. Universal Certification Periodically makes the rounds of the Steam Boiler Plant, Air Conditioning Plant, fuel storage tanks, and roof-top cooling towers to visually check all related plant equipment Digitally control all air handling equipment impacting temperature and humidity; steam supplied for sterilization, laundry production, building heating, and cooking; chilled water production for air conditioning; and remote operation of the 500,000-gallon emergency water supply tower. Check the plants and operating machinery throughout station, from the air conditioning plant at the beginning, in the middle and at the end of each shift Maintain constant observation of electronic, hydraulic, and pneumatic controls, and zone charts in connection with meters, gauges, and computer-generated data Responsible for maintaining the complete water treatment program Required to perform all plant housekeeping tasks (sweeping, mopping, waxing, etc.) in plants, machinery rooms, and storage areas Monitor the Facility Simplex Fire Alarm System, Medical Gas Alarms, Building Automation Systems, Monochloramine levels, and the Energy Management System used throughout the campus All other duties as assigned Work Schedule: Sat-Sun 1800-0600 rotating weekends Position Description Title/PD#: Utility Systems Repairer-Operator/PD40390A Physical Requirements: Requires walking, standing, climbing, bending, lifting, carrying, pushing, and pulling moderately heavy loads daily and occasionally heavy loads with risk of contact with chemicals and high-temperature piping. During nights, weekends, and irregular shifts where the incumbent maintains a sole watch over plant operations, the work can require sitting attentively for extended periods. Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job Subject to a background/suitability investigation Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 A complete application package; including Resume, Transcripts, etc. is required Must possess or within 90 days of start date obtain an E.P.A. Universal Certification 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. 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 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. 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: Equipment Assembly, Installation, Repair Interpret Instructions, Specifications (includes blueprint reading) Technical Practices 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. Physical Requirements/Working Conditions: This position frequently works in confined areas in and around boilers. This requires walking, standing, climbing, bending, lifting, carrying, pushing, and pulling moderately heavy loads daily and occasionally heavy loads with risk of contact with chemicals and high-temperature piping. During nights, weekends, and irregular shifts where the incumbent maintains a sole watch over plant operations, the work can require sitting attentively for extended periods. This position requires working overtime, rotation shifts, irregular tours in uncontrolled environments, confined spaces, working from ladders, rooftops, and catwalks, etc. The incumbent shall be subjected to a variety of hazards including temperature extremes, drafts, dampness, energized electrical circuits, high-pressure steam and scalding feed water, water treatment chemicals in concentrated form, liquid or gaseous refrigerants, loud noise. These hazards are encountered daily and require the incumbent to be familiar with safety precautions and personal protective equipment (PPE) including gloves; hard hat, safety shoes, safety glasses, and hearing protection to prevent injury or him or herself. He or she may be required to employ fall protection, confined-space extraction equipment, and respiratory protection. Education This job does not have an education qualification requirement. Additional Information 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. 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.
