FUL - Engineering Equipment Operator

About the role

You will serve as a FUL - Engineering Equipment Operator at Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge Complex located in Calipatria, CA.

Operate heavy construction equipment, plan and coordinate project work, perform equipment maintenance and repairs, maintain buildings and facilities, enforce safety and maintain records, apply herbicides and control pests, manage water systems and habitats, and maintaining roads.

What you will do

• Safely operate heavy equipment for habitat, water-management, agricultural, and infrastructure projects.
• Perform excavation, grading, leveling, clearing, mowing, and maintaining refuge roads, canals, ponds, dikes, and levees.
• Assess terrain, soil, and environmental conditions to choose safe, effective equipment-operation methods.
• Operate and maintain agricultural tractors and implements for vegetation, planting, and land-management tasks.
• Manage pumps, valves, canals, and ditches to regulate water flow and support habitat objectives.
• Safely mix, apply, store, and dispose of herbicides/pesticides and maintain spray equipment.
• Maintain and repair equipment, fencing, and facilities using mechanical, electrical, welding, and carpentry skills.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.
• Direct Deposit participation required.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check.
• To learn more, visit ***
• Must have and maintain a valid driver's license throughout employment.
• You are required to wear a uniform and comply with the uniform standards.
• A uniform allowance will be provided.
• Must have the ability to obtain and maintain a Pesticide Applicator's License.
• You must be at least 18 years of age or older to operate government vehicles.

Education

There is no substitution of education for experience for Federal Wage System (FWS) positions.

How you will be evaluated

This position is being filled under the Field Unit Local Hiring Authority. Under this authority, competitive rating, ranking, and veterans' preference procedures do not apply. The Servicing Human Resources Office will determine whether applicants meet the qualification and eligibility requirements described in this announcement.

Applicants who meet these requirements may be referred to the selecting official on a certificate of eligibles for consideration.

You must certify that you will maintain a permanent and exclusive residence within the defined vicinity of the field unit(s) listed in this announcement.

Upon receipt of a completed application package, the Servicing Human Resources Office will review your resume and supporting documentation to determine whether you meet the minimum qualification requirements described in this announcement. Resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages. Resumes longer than two pages will not be reviewed.

Applicants may submit only one resume. Only the document submitted as the "Resume" under the Documents section will be used to determine qualifications and eligibility. If more than one resume is submitted, only the most recent submission will be reviewed.

If your resume is incomplete or does not demonstrate that you meet the qualification requirements or specialized experience described in this announcement, you may be determined ineligible or not qualified for further consideration.

Providing false or misleading information on your resume or supporting documentation may result in removal from consideration or other action consistent with applicable federal hiring regulations. Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position.

Documents you must provide

• Two Page Resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed.
• Resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages and resumes longer than two pages will not be accepted.
• The minimum font size is 10-point for all body text.
• Headers may be slightly larger but must remain legible.
• All resumes must maintain a minimum 0.5-inch margins on all sides to ensure readability and prevent excessive content compression.
• Including supplemental pages or attachments disguised as resume extensions are prohibited and will not be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications.
• Proof of residence (e.g. mortgage or property deed, lease/rental agreement, utility bill, insurance policy).
• SF-50 cannot be accepted as proof of residence.
• Veteran Documentation, if applicable, such as: DD-214, SF15, letter from Veteran Affairs, etc. Do not submit photographs with your application package.
• Documents with photographs may not be seen by hiring officials - you must remove your image from all documents.
• Do not upload Adobe portfolio documents.
• Adobe portfolio documents are not viewable by our agency's staffing offices.

What to expect next

Please refer to your USAJOBS account for application status; the Human Resources Office cannot respond to individual status inquiries. Once your Occupational Questionnaire has been received, you will receive an acknowledgment confirming your submission was successful.

Applicants who meet the eligibility and qualification requirements will be referred to the selecting official for consideration. Under this authority, all applicants determined to be qualified may be referred. If your name is referred, you may be contacted directly by the hiring official for a possible interview.

You will be notified of the status of your application at key stages in the process, including when candidates are referred for consideration and when the selection process has been completed.

You can find your path with the Department of Interior at *** Any exaggeration of your experience, false statements, or attempt to conceal information may disqualify you for employment consideration.

We may verify all information you provide in your resume and questionnaire responses, through reference and/or background checks, and/or verification of your education. If you are selected, you will be contacted personally by the Human Resources Office posting this announcement.

Additional information

This position will be filled under the Field Unit Local Hiring Authority. Eligibility is limited to applicants who reside within the defined local commuting area at the time of application. For this announcement, the local commuting area is the area from which individuals can reasonably commute to the duty station under normal conditions.

The defined vicinity for this position is: within a 100-mile commuting distance from Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge Complex, 906 W. Sinclair Rd., Calipatria, CA 92233.

You must provide proof of residency within the defined vicinity (e.g. mortgage or property deed, lease/rental agreement, utility bill, insurance policy, etc.).

See the Required Documents section for information on how to verify current residence. This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if identical vacancies. Physical Demands: Considerable physical effort is required in the operation of the equipment and attachments and in performing maintenance of facilities, equipment, and attachments.

Considerable strain can be caused by the constant vibration of the equipment and the jolting received from operation of the equipment over rough surfaces. Location of the controls and attachments frequently requires working in awkward or strained positions.

Physical effort is required in constantly reaching, bending, turning, and moving hands, arms, feet, and legs to handle different sets of controls to operate the equipment and attachments. Frequently lifts and carries items weighing up to 50 pounds and often puts forth similar effort when pushing, pulling, turning and positioning parts, assemblies, equipment and tools.

Working Conditions: This position is required to perform work both inside and outside with most of the work outside in all kinds of weather and frequently exposed to irritation or discomfort from running water, fumes, dust, grease, dirt, and moving parts of equipment and machinery.

Work performed outside is in a variety of settings where steep terrain, uneven, rocky and slippery footing is normal. Temperature extremes are common. Employee is regularly exposed to the possibility of shock, cuts, scrapes, and bruises, falls, falling material, or injury from equipment associated with power equipment or hazardous materials.

Work demands conformance to safety requirements including the use of a variety of personal protective equipment such as protective clothing, hardhats, hearing protection, safety glasses, goggles, gloves, steel toe heavy leather boots, respirator, and other personal protective items.

All Department of Interior (DOI) employees, their spouses, and minor children may not acquire or retain any claim, permit, lease, small tract entry, or other rights granted by the Department in Federal lands, with limited exceptions. Additional ethics prohibitions can be found here, ***