Summary

The primary purpose of the position is to operate and maintain the machinery that provides power for heating, cooling, and ventilation in the VA Medical Center. Starts and stops equipment and monitors meters and safety controls. Ensures that the systems operate safely and economically by regularly inspecting meters, gauges, values, and instruments. Often uses hand or power tools to make minor repairs to machinery. May operate computerized controls to regulate the systems.

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Duties

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

• Ability to troubleshoot complete systems using various testing techniques and test equipment.
• Feed water pumps, fuel oil feed pumps, fuel oil transfer pumps, feedwater pumps, condensate make up/feed transfer pumps, values, regulating valves, reducing stations, unit heaters, air compressor systems, all piping, condensate return tank, blow down tank, deaerator tank, blowdown control equipment and pollution control equipment.
• Responsible for testing and treatment of boiler water, condensate return water, water softeners, also maintaining the chemical injection system.
• Maintains proper chemistry of the boiler water, and steam condensate, through daily testing and adjusts automated chemical injection metering pumps and blowdown rates as required.
• Logs all necessary readings on all equipment in operation and enters daily report on readings recorded.
• Monitors parameters to ensure a proper and comfortable environment for staff and patient care throughout the campus.
• Operation of the Johnson METASYS Computer System which controls heat, ventilation, air conditioning (H.V.A.C.) throughout various locations.
• Other duties as assigned.
  
  

Work Schedule: Hours vary.

Position Description Title/PD#: Utility Systems Operator/PD03232-A

Physical Requirements: This position requires walking, standing, bending, lifting, carrying, pushing, and pulling moderately heavy loads daily and occasionally heavy loads. Incumbent must be in good physical condition, have good eyesight with or without glasses and cannot be colorblind. There can be a great deal of physical effort involved with this position as the equipment is large and must be maneuvered into and out of specific locations while dismantling and reassembling. The incumbent frequently carries and sets up parts and equipment that could weight up to 100 pounds. The incumbent makes repairs and installations from ladders, scaffolding and platforms where the parts of systems worked on are frequently in hard-to-reach places, therefore, stooping, bending, and kneeling maybe required for long periods of time. He/she needs to be familiar with lifting dynamics and heavy object handling and must pass an annual physical for plant operators.

Working Conditions: The USO is exposed frequently to temperature extremes, drafts, dampness, water and noise for work conditions. The majority of work takes place in an industrial environment but does typically require work outdoors, exposed to the elements. They will frequently encounter ladders, catwalks, confined spaces, etc. Occasionally subject to cuts, electrical shocks, abnormal heat, hazard of boiler burst, steam blowbacks, scalding water burns, toxic amounts of gas and hazardous/toxic chemicals that can be harmful to skin and clothing.

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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
• May serve a probationary period
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• A complete application package; Resume, Transcripts, etc.
• 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.
  
  

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:

• Ability to Do the Work of the Position without More Than Normal Supervision
• Equipment Assembly, Installation, Repair
• Interpret Instructions, Specifications (other than blueprint reading)
• Measuring Instruments
• Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment
  
  
  
  

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

Not Applicable.

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.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.