Utility Systems Repairer- Operator

About the role

The incumbent serves as a Utility Systems Repairer / Operator (Operator-In-Charge) performing tasks involved in the operation, maintenance, and repair of the Washington, D.C. VAMC Utility Plants.

What you will do

• The Operator-In-Charge is assigned full shift responsibility during shifts assigned.
• Incumbent will work under the supervision of the Utility Systems Supervisor, with second level direction provided by the Maintenance and Operations General Foreman.
• This position performs a full range of tasks that are involved in the upkeep, maintenance and operation of the Boiler Plant, Building Automation System (BAS) and the Chiller Plant onsite and at various Community Based Outpatient Clinics in the local commuting area.
• Incumbent is required to perform the following: 1.
• Perform hourly rounds on equipment and records readings in accordance with policies and procedures.
• Maintain Plant logbooks and records and provide proper shift turnover to oncoming Operator.
• Perform troubleshooting and diagnostics on all equipment as assigned and make repairs as necessary and required.
• Perform routine scheduled preventive maintenance.
• Maintain logs of scheduled and daily operations.
• Write, complete, and close work orders as required.
• Ability to read and interpret blueprints, schematics, and diagrams.
• Ability to select and use hand tools, power tools, and test equipment in the course of assignments and repairs.
• Perform repairs, i.e. rebuilding pumps, replacing items such as mechanical seals, bearings, valves, pipefitting's, and motors.
• Repairing insulation, re-packing valves and re-piping systems is also required along with various other repairs as determined by the Plant Supervisor.
• Occasionally install new equipment and systems that fall within the scope of journeyman level work as determined by Operations General Foreman and Plant Supervisors.
• Monitor and communicate with appropriate persons per medical center policy concerning station fire alarms, disaster notification and various other alarms systems.
• Perform all operations in a safe and efficient manner.
• Equipment must be started and stopped to match load and to maintain maximum efficiency.
• Perform various housekeeping functions within the assigned Plant and other duties, as assigned, as they relate to the overall mission of FMS and the Washington, DC VAMC.
• Incumbent ensures that all steam heat exchangers, coils and associated equipment are operated IAW manufacturer recommendations and VA Heating Plant Operations policies.
• Operate and / or monitor graphic control systems and various metering systems for the chiller plant, and Medical Center HVAC systems.
• Routinely collect samples in the Chiller Plants, condensate, and makeup water systems.
• Perform and analyze chemical tests on collected samples and chemically treats water systems to maintain proper chemical levels.
• Operate, maintain, and repair a Chilled Water Plant that consists of two (2) 1200 ton, one (1) 1500 ton, two (2) 400 ton and two (2) 600 ton hermetic centrifugal chillers, four (4) cooling towers, and associated equipment.
• Operate and / or monitor graphic control systems and various metering systems for the Chiller Plant, and Medical Center HVAC systems.
• Routinely collect treated water, chilled water loops, cooling tower, and heating loops samples from the Chiller Plant.
• Perform and analyze chemical tests on collected samples and chemically treat water systems to maintain proper chemical levels.
• Perform repairs to large air handling units, rebuild pumps, replace items such as mechanical seals, bearings, valves, pipefitting's, and motors.
• Repairing insulation, re- packing valves and re-piping systems is also required along with various other repairs as determined by the Operations Foreman.
• Perform diagnostics and repairs to both DDC and pneumatic controls and control systems.
• Incumbent shall wear a half face or full-face respirator when required to operations and repairs.
• The operator-in-charge performs duties which are more responsible and require a slightly higher - level of skill and knowledge than the full performance level operators who are on duty where a supervisor is available.
• This includes a thorough knowledge of the entire utility systems and the user requirements to locate problems and initiate immediate corrective action.
• The operator follows written instructions supplied by a supervisor or by the operator-in-charge on the previous shift Work Schedule: Full Time, rotating days and hours Position Description Title/PD#: Utility Systems Repairer- Operator/PD20037A Physical Requirements: Regular walking tours of the plant, main hospital, and outer buildings to conduct inspections of equipment which include some lifting, kneeling, standing, climbing and stooping.
• Maintenance and repairs frequently require working in awkward and cramped positions and lifting up to fifty(50) pounds.
• Frequent standing, walking, and climbing are required while checking equipment.

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.
• 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.

Benefits

Whole Health is an approach to health care that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their life to the fullest. The VA is committed to Whole Health and values Veteran and Employee health and wellbeing. As a VA employee, you will practice Whole Health in an environment that supports personalized and proactive care.

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. 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).

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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.