Maintenance Mechanic

About the role

This position serves as a Maintenance Mechanic within Engineering Service at WJB Dorn VA Medical Center, Columbia, South Carolina under the supervision of the Supervisory Maintenance Mechanic, with second level direction provided by the Maintenance Control Manager.

The maintenance mechanic performs a variety of tasks involved in the upkeep of buildings, grounds and related structures, fixtures, and utilities.

What you will do

• Incumbent will maintain appropriate level of computer literacy to use the stations' engineering software package.
• Incumbent will receive general supervision from the Supervisory Maintenance Mechanic as to work schedules, operating policies and procedures.
• Incumbent will work alone most of the time.
• He/she will work from blueprints, drawings, or other specifications.
• The duties are performed in the following trades: electrical, constructing, altering, maintaining, and finishing, air conditioning, welding, machinist, automotive mechanic, pipefitting, and boiler plant operator at the WJB Dorn VA Medical Center, Columbia, South Carolina.
• The incumbent will be responsible for following an assignment through completion from lay out to final assembly.
• Carpentry: Knowledge of wood, wood substitutes, and construction techniques; skill in the operation of general and precision carpentry and woodworking equipment to produce the requested finished product; ability to interpret complex instructions, sketches, blueprints, and building codes.
• Air conditioning: Knowledge of the principles and theories of the refrigeration cycle, temperature measurement, and refrigerant properties.
• Skill in constructing, operating, and servicing a variety of domestic air conditioning units and systems, power sources, and cooling units.
• Plumbing: Knowledge of the installation and operation of various supply, disposal, and utility systems and equipment, such as water and gas systems, fire sprinkler equipment, and water closets and drainage from 1/8" to 12" pipe size using copper, brass, cast iron, or plastic pipe with threaded, caulked, soft solder, silver solder, cemented and flanged joints.
• Incumbent will be performing repairs, maintaining, adjusting, installing and improving all allied equipment for plumbing and heating, such as meters, valves, compressors, pumps, steam traps, grease traps, strainers, reducing valves, heating coils, etc. Repair install and maintain pipe insulation of fiberglass, molded magnesium, cork and rubber.
• Incumbent will perform preventive maintenance with basic activity.
• Install, repair and maintain various types of equipment, such as dishwashers, kitchen equipment, sterilizers, autoclaves, hot water generators, and various other hospital equipment.
• Preferred Experience: Two years experience with HVAC, Plumbing and Carpentry.
• Work Schedule: 6:00am - 4:30pm, Monday - Thursday Position Description Title/PD#: Maintenance Mechanic/PD01825A Physical Requirements: The work requires a considerable amount of standing, stooping, bending, kneeling, climbing, and working in tiring and/or uncomfortable positions.
• May be ask to weld overhead or other unusual positions.
• The incumbent may work from ladders and scaffolding.
• When operating equipment, the worker may be under a great deal of strain from constant reaching, bending, turning, and moving of hands, arms, feet, legs, and by the vibration and jerking of the equipment.
• The incumbent carries, lifts, and handles parts and equipment weighing up to 50 pounds and may occasionally exceed 50 pounds.

Requirements

• U.S. Citizenship; non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• Suitable for Federal employment, determined by a background investigation 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 Services Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
• Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (***).
• 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.
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.
• 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.

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

How you will be evaluated

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC.

WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

Applicants will be referred in the order in which they were received.

Documents you must provide

• DD-214/ Statement of Service Disability Letter (Schedule A) Disability Letter (VA) Professional Certification Proof of Marriage Status Resume Separation Notice (RIF) SF-15 SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action Transcript Please review the above list(s) to ensure you have included all necessary documents required for your application.
• Not every applicant will require the same documents, therefore it is the applicants responsibility to ensure that their application package includes all necessary documents to determine qualifications and eligibility for appointment, such as a copy of your SF-50, transcript, ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees).You will not be contacted for additional information.
• Applicants will be deemed ineligible if supporting documentation is not submitted.
• Veterans' Preference: Since the Direct-Hire Recruitment Authority is being used, traditional Veterans' Preference rules do not apply.
• Qualified veterans will, however, be given full consideration for this position.
• Applications are accepted online.
• Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application.

What to expect next

After the vacancy announcement closes, applicants are evaluated to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email.

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. 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.

Participation in the seasonal influenza program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). It is a requirement that all HCP to receive annual seasonal influenza vaccination or obtain an exemption for medical or religious reasons. Wearing a face mask is required when an exemption to the influenza vaccination has been granted.

HCP in violation of this directive may face disciplinary action up to and including removal from federal service. HCP are individuals who, during the influenza season, work in VHA locations or who come into contact with VA patients or other HCP as part of their duties.

VHA locations include, but are not limited to, VA hospitals and associated clinics, community living centers (CLCs), community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs), domiciliary units, Vet centers and VA-leased medical facilities.

HCP include all VA licensed and unlicensed, clinical and administrative, remote and onsite, paid and without compensation, full- and part-time employees, intermittent employees, fee basis employees, VA contractors, researchers, volunteers and health professions trainees (HPTs) who are expected to perform any or all of their work at these facilities.

HPTs may be paid or unpaid and include residents, interns, fellows and students. HCP also includes VHA personnel providing home-based care to Veterans and drivers and other personnel whose duties put them in contact with patients outside VA medical facilities.

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 ***

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.