Utility Systems Repairer-Operator

About the role

This position serves as a Utility Systems Helper in the utility plants including the Boiler plant and Chiller plants. This position performs a full range of tasks that are involved in the upkeep, maintenance and operation of the Boiler Plant, Engineering Control Center and the Chiller plant.

What you will do

• This position serves as a Utility Systems Helper as an entry level position located within Engineering Service in the utility plants including the Boiler plant and Chiller plants at Columbia VA Health Care System, Columbia, South Carolina which are 24- hour per day operation.
• Under the supervision of the Utility Systems Supervisor, with second level direction provided by the Maintenance Control Manager, this position performs a full range of tasks that are involved in the upkeep, maintenance and operation of the Boiler Plant, Engineering Control Center, and the Chiller Plant.
• The incumbent trains to qualify as a participant in the areas of operations, maintenance and repair of state-of-the-art boiler and chilled water equipment.
• Under the direct supervision of the Utility Systems Supervisor, incumbent will gain knowledge in the basic theory of boiler operation, trade practices and skills in the operation and maintenance of boiler operations and chillers.
• Learns the basics in boiler plant and chiller plant operations and steam systems, under close supervision.
• Becomes familiar with and comprehends proper policies and procedures, including the lock out/tag out (LOTO) system and confined space entry.
• Performs all duties with training, and under direct supervision.
• Work Schedule: 7:00am to 3:30pm, Monday - Friday Position Description Title/PD#: Utility Systems Repairer-Operator/PD019060 Physical Requirements: The work requires a considerable amount of standing, stooping, bending, kneeling, climbing, and working in tiring and/or uncomfortable positions.
• Some work is accomplished in small, cramped places.
• 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.
• The work is performed inside and outside with exposure to all kinds of weather.
• Exposed to the hot temperatures, dust, gases, danger of burns from hot pipes and equipment normally occurring in boiler plants.
• Exposed to hazardous chemicals in the treatment of boiler water, feedwater, fresh water, and sewage.
• Exposed to the normal hazards present while working in and around rotating machinery and high voltage equipment.
• Exposed to electrical generating equipment.
• Will work in confined spaces in awkward positions in dirty, greasy areas.
• Required to wear appropriate safety gear.
• Discomfort is encountered when wearing protective clothing, gloves, or eye goggles.

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.
• Your resume must be 5MB or less.
• We recommend saving and uploading your resume as a PDF to maintain formatting and number of pages.
• We also accept GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, TXT, PDF, ODT or Word (DOC or DOCX).
• We do not accept PDF portfolio files.
• We recommend using a sans-serif font size like Lato, if available.
• Other widely available options are Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open San Source Sans Pro, Roboto or Noro Sans.
• Make your page margins 0.5 inches.
• Consider using 14-point size font for titles and 10-point for the main text in your resume.
• The resume builder can help you create a resume using these recommendations and uses the information in your USAJOBS profile to help you get started.

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: 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 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 following will be communicated to applicants for VA employment in a testing designated position and will also be included in all VA vacancy announcements for such positions: All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drugs use prior to appointment.

Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. 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.