Summary This position is located at the JEVZ VA Medical Center in Altoona, PA, in the Vehicle Maintenance Section (Garage), and is under the direct supervision of the Boiler Plant and Garage Supervisor. The employee is responsible for transportation, landscaping, and snow removal, and installs, maintains, repairs and performs preventive maintenance on a wide variety of new and existing equipment that is used for these job duties, including maintaining the grounds on the Medical Center's 23 acres. Responsibilities Duties include, but may not be limited to the following: Maintains and repairs automobiles, buses, trucks, tractors, and grounds-maintenance equipment. Overhauls gasoline and diesel engines and related components. Performs engine tune-ups and adjusts timing, ignition, carburetion, and fuel systems. Adjusts brake systems and performs tire and wheel maintenance. Disassembles, repairs, reassembles, and tests vehicle and equipment components. Diagnoses equipment defects through visual checks, testing, and troubleshooting. Performs preventive maintenance in accordance with manufacturers' recommendations. Uses hand tools, power tools, and measuring instruments to perform maintenance and repair work. Reads and applies technical manuals, blueprints, and specifications. Operates automobiles, buses, trucks, tractors, lawn mowers, skid steers, backhoes, and snow-removal equipment. Mows lawns and repairs or reseeds damaged lawn areas. Plants new trees and shrubs and trims ornamental trees and shrubs. Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved DESIGNATED DRUG-TESTING POSITION: Applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Applicants will not be appointed to the position if a verified positive drug test result is received. Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. 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 identification 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 (SCREEN OUT) COMMERCIAL DRIVER'S LICENSE REQUIREMENT: You must possess a valid Class "B" Commercial Pennsylvania driver's license (CDL) with air brake and passenger endorsements. NOTE: (We cannot accept photographs, so please do not submit a copy of your license with your application package. You may be required to show your valid driver's license at the time of your interview.) (SCREEN-OUT) ABILITY TO DO THE WORK OF AN AUTOMOTIVE WORKER WITHOUT MORE THAN NORMAL SUPERVISION: You must have experience performing the duties of an Automotive Worker without more than normal supervision. Relevant experience includes operating automobiles, buses, trucks, tractors, or other automotive equipment; performing routine vehicle maintenance and inspections; diagnosing mechanical defects in motor vehicles and grounds-maintenance machinery; repairing or replacing defective parts and components; mowing and maintaining lawns with tractors, skid steers, or lawn mowers; and removing snow and applying salt using snow-removal equipment. NOTE: Experience must be documented in your resume to receive full credit. PHYSICAL EFFORT AND WORK CONDITIONS: Automotive Workers make repairs which often require them to work in tiring, awkward, and uncomfortable positions. They frequently stand for long periods of time, bend, stoop, crawl under vehicles, and make repairs in other tight spaces. They frequently lift, handle, and carry parts and equipment weighing up to 40 pounds. Occasionally, they move moderately heavy items with assistance of mechanical devices, including objects weighing up to or over 50 pounds. Considerable muscular effort is expended in lifting, pulling or pushing heavy components of various mechanical devices worked upon. The work is usually performed inside on concrete surfaces where there is exposure to drafts, noise and fumes from vehicles and equipment. Automotive workers also perform work outside under adverse weather conditions. They are continually exposed to dirt, dust and grease and to the potential for burns, chemical irritations, shocks, bruises, cuts and strains. To reduce danger and irritations from these conditions, they follow the prescribed safety practices and use safety equipment such as safety shoes, safety glasses, respirators, etc. 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: Ability to Interpret Instructions, Specifications, etc. (Includes Blueprint Reading) Ability to Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment Knowledge of Equipment Assembly, Installation, and Repair, etc. Technical Practices (Theoretical, Precise, Artistic) Troubleshooting Use of Measuring Instruments Without more than normal supervision 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.
