Pipefitter

About the role

This position serves as a Pipefitter within the Facility Management (Engineering) Service Center of the San Diego VA Medical Center, located in San Diego, California. The primary functions include working with pipes and fittings from a range of high pressure to low pressure steam.

What you will do

• Layout pipe, thread, rough-in and finish bathroom, rough-in and finish kitchen; Conducts minor welding repairs and fabrication requiring the use of oxygen, acetylene, arc welding, and pipe welding; Inspects, adjusts, cleans, and repairs plumbing fixtures and systems, steam operated equipment, heating and water systems, waste lines, kitchen and laundry equipment, air compressors, medical compressed air systems, vacuum systems, oxygen systems, and natural gas distribution systems; Reads and interprets blueprints and manufacturers' specifications for installing and repairing equipment; Conducts safety and preventive maintenance inspections of utility systems and equipment in accordance with VA regulations and National Codes; Interprets and applies building plans and blueprints to layout angles, arcs, and circles; Utilizes tools and equipment such as sliding squares, measuring tapes, dividers, and chalk lines; Performs other related duties as assigned.
• Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 5:00am-1:30pm PST Position Description Title/PD#: Pipefitter/PD12049O Physical Requirements: Employee will make repairs and installations from ladders, scaffolding and platforms, and where the systems and equipment worked on are in hard-to-reach places.
• Employee will be standing, stooping, bending, kneeling, climbing and working in tiring and uncomfortable positions.
• Employee will frequently handle, lift, carry and set up parts and equipment that weigh up to 50 pounds.
• Occasionally items may weigh more than 50 pounds.Work is done inside and outside, and is usually dirty, dusty, greasy, and smelly.
• There is frequent exposure to the possibility of uncomfortable heat conditions.
• The employee is exposed to the possibility of strains, cuts, scrapes, bruises, burns, and infections.
• The employee is occasionally exposed to the possibility of broken bones.Employee may be required to work in areas that have asbestos containing materials and will, therefore, be required to use personal protective equipment (PPE) including respirators and other equipment to prevent possible asbestos exposure.
• You will be responsible for completing respirator training, fit testing and training in the proper use and maintenance of general PPE.

Requirements

• 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 Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 A complete application package; including Resume, Transcripts, etc. is required 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 identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Beginning September 27, 2025, Federal agencies will only accept resumes up to two pages in length to comply with the Merit Hiring Plan.
• Resumes longer than two pages will result in ineligibility for further consideration for the position.
• USAJOBS will not allow you to upload or build resumes longer than two pages, and you will need to update the resumes in your profile before applying for a job.
• Resumes should include information relevant to the knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies of the position to which you are applying.
• VA is unable to make assumptions about qualifications if not clearly listed.
• Resumes must be legible so they can be reviewed for eligibility, minimum qualifications and other position requirements listed in the job 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.

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

• Documents Accepted: Cover Letter DD-214/ Statement of Service Disability Letter (Schedule A) Disability Letter (VA) License Other (1) PCS Orders Performance Appraisal Professional Certification Resume Separation Notice (RIF) SF-15 SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action Transcript Documents Required: Resume 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 (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 ***

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.