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Equipment Specialist

Legislative Branch
Library of Congress
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is located in the Film Laboratory, Preservation Services Section, National Audio-Visual Conservation Center, Researcher and Collections Services.

The position description number for this position is 373498.

The incumbent of this position will work a flexitime work schedule.

This is a non-supervisory, bargaining unit position.

The salary range indicated reflects the locality pay adjustments for the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan area.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
02/28/2023 to 03/30/2023
Salary
$94,199 to - $122,459 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 12
Location
Culpeper
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent - Position
Work schedule
Full-time - Flexitime.
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
12
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Announcement number
VAR002062
Control number
709467600

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Anyone may apply - By law, employment at most U.S. Government agencies, including the Library of Congress, is limited to U.S. citizens. However, non-citizens may be hired, provided that other legal requirements are met and the Library determines there are no qualified U.S. citizens available for the position.

Duties

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Relocation expenses will not be authorized for the person(s) selected under this vacancy announcement.

The position serves as the Audio Visual Maintenance Specialist in the National Audio Visual Conservation Center (NAVCC) within the Library Collections and Services Group (LCSG) at the Library of Congress. The position reports to the Assistant Division Chief. The incumbent is responsible for maintaining the equipment used for the processing, preservation and duplication of motion picture film, magnetic tape (audio and video); disc, wire, cylinder recordings; and associated support equipment for film, audio and video preservation laboratories, including a broad array of obsolete equipment that has not been manufactured for decades but is still essential to preservation production.

Records the users' issues in the trouble ticket system. Determines the nature of the issue and whether it can be repaired in-house. If so, affects those repairs, tests that the repairs resolve the original problem, updates the trouble ticket and returns the equipment to service. If repairs cannot be efficiently performed in-house, coordinates the repairs made by experts under contract to the Library. Ensures that equipment is furnished as expeditiously as possible to personnel requiring them. Participates in declaring items that are no longer economically repairable as excess to the system, and recommends their disposal. Applies extensive knowledge of the equipment concerned, develops suggestions for alternate commercial uses of equipment, and/or recommends equipment modifications to facilitate commercial use.

Provides advisory services related to equipment design, production, operational, and maintenance requirements with regard to new or significantly modified equipment systems. Through conferences, meetings, reports, and training, provides technical information along with continuing technical advice and assistance necessary to resolve problems and support assigned categories of equipment.
Communicates orally and in writing with a variety of internal personnel and numerous contractors and representatives of other organizations. Coordinates activities with other subordinate and higher-level organizations. Makes recommendations to support management decisions related to improvement of processes such as computer support, equipment utilization, maintenance requirements, etc. Advises potential vendors regarding approval and validation procedures. Reviews vendors' capabilities and past performance. 

Able to resolve highly complex and unusual problems associated with the design, procurement, maintenance, modification, and repair of electrical machinery, equipment, and instruments. Investigates and analyzes a variety of unusual conditions or problems involved in the design, development, production, testing, procurement, use, supply, or disposal of electrical equipment. Designs and develops new concepts in electrical machinery, equipment, and instruments. Develops methods and techniques for their fabrication so that production is as expedient and economical as possible. Reviews specifications to assure adequacy of requirements. 

Makes technical decisions regarding the design, development, and testing of new or significantly modified equipment systems prior to their release for production to achieve such goals as reliability and maintainability. Applies a technical knowledge of the equipment and develops and refines documentation. Makes recommendations based on knowledge of equipment behavior, cost factors, and ease of maintenance. Identifies the need for modifications/engineering changes or initiates further engineering investigations. Recommends required modifications to adapt substitute items and makes authoritative decisions regarding other difficult problems encountered. 

Handles quality control issues related to major equipment systems requiring special management emphasis because of their unusual operational importance or criticality to an equipment system. Reviews material deficiency reports. Initiates investigations of poor quality replacement components and parts being supplied by vendors after analysis of failure rates, reports by maintenance organizations, or complaints from mechanics that the replacement components or parts are faulty. 

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

Library of Congress employees are prohibited from using illegal drugs, including marijuana. The Library is part of the Federal Government and abides by federal law, so regardless of individual state or District of Columbia laws, marijuana use is illegal, considered criminal activity, and can affect your employment at the Library. In addition, past or current drug use and activities (e.g., selling or distributing) may deem you ineligible for employment.

Qualifications

Applicants must have had progressively responsible experience and training sufficient in scope and quality to furnish them with an acceptable level of the following knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of the position without more than normal supervision.


Knowledge of principles, practices, and procedures used in modern digital and legacy motion picture film equipment including maintenance, troubleshooting, repair and procurement.**

Knowledge of modern digital and legacy motion picture film equipment and their characteristics, properties and use within film restoration workflows.**

Ability to provide advice, guidance, and training in the troubleshooting, maintenance and repair of modern digital and legacy motion picture film equipment.**

Ability to communicate in writing.

Ability to communicate effectively other than in writing.

Education

Undergraduate Education: Major study -- any field of study in an accredited college or university.

Graduate Education:Major study -- fields related to the position to be filled.

or

Experience

General Experience (for GS-5 positions): Experience that provided a knowledge of the characteristics, uses, and properties of equipment. This experience may have been gained in trades or crafts, engineering technician, production control, inspection, or other work related to the specialization of the position to be filled.

Technical school may be credited as general experience in accordance with the following criteria:

  • Full-time resident study in a technical institute above the high school or trade school level on a month-for-month basis.
  • Completion of a full 4-year curriculum in a technical or vocational high school for up to 6 months of general experience.
  • Completion of a resident trade school course of at least 1 year in the manufacture, repair, or maintenance of equipment for up to 1 year of general experience.

Specialized Experience (for positions above GS-5): Examples of qualifying specialized experience include:

  • Working as a skilled mechanic or maintenance worker, sales or service engineer, or planner or estimator in a technical group dealing with manufacture, utilization, repair, or operation of equipment.
  • Reviewing and applying technical specifications and requirements.
  • Analyzing equipment and forecasting spare parts requirements.
  • Reading and interpreting engineering change orders, equipment requisitions, shop orders, and work orders.
  • Analyzing contract specifications and examining pertinent equipment to determine if specifications are met.
  • Analyzing or supervising maintenance, repair, or production operations to determine methods of improvement.

Additional information

Although it is the Library's policy to afford the maximum pay benefit to employees when setting rates of pay, a new appointee who has had no previous Federal service will generally be paid at step one of the grade.

The Library of Congress is an equal opportunity employer. Women, minorities, and persons with disabilities who meet eligibility requirements are strongly encouraged to apply.

Applicants must submit a complete application package that is received by the closing date of this announcement.

Appointment/retention is subject to a favorable evaluation of an appropriate personnel security/suitability investigation. For more information, please see:Vetting Process

This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please email ADA@loc.gov. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

Applicants with disabilities may be considered under special hiring procedures and must submit an appropriate certificate of eligibility when applying for this position. The proof or disability/certification may be issued by the State Vocational Rehabilitation Office, Disability Services or Career Services office of the applicant’s college or university, or the Department of Veterans Affairs. The letter must verify that the applicant has a severe disability and must be dated within three years of the date of the application.  Certification from health care providers are not accepted. For more information contact the Library's Office of EEO/Diversity Programs at 202-707-6024 or email spp@loc.gov. FAILURE TO SUBMIT YOUR CERTIFICATION WILL CAUSE YOUR APPLICATION TO NOT BE CONSIDERED UNDER THE SELECTIVE PLACEMENT PROGRAM.
 
The Library of Congress is the national library of the United States and is part of the Legislative Branch of the Federal government. As such, all positions are in the excepted service.

The Library reserves the right to fill a lesser or greater number of vacancies indicated during the life of this vacancy announcement.

Initial permanent appointments to the Library of Congress require completion of a one-year probationary period. Probationary periods served at other Federal agencies do not count toward this requirement.

The Library of Congress may offer repayment for all or part of federally insured student loans. However, not all service units within the Library of Congress participates in the repayment of federally insured student loans. Therefore, determination to repay a federally insured student loan is subject to approval by the appropriate service unit.

A “Not to Exceed" (NTE) status is used to identify an appointment with a specific ending date. However, the Library has the right to separate a NTE employee at any time due to either performance issues or budget constraints.

Are you a veteran?  Please indicate the type of veterans' preference you are claiming in your application materials and/or applicant profile and provide the appropriate supporting documentation to validate your claim.  Those applying for 5-point preference must submit Member Copy 4 of your DD 214.  Those applying for 10-point preference must fill out an SF-15 (click here for the form) and provide the required documentation listed on the back of the form.  If required supporting documentation is not attached, Veterans' Preference will not be considered in the application process.
 

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

The Library of Congress evaluates applicants through an applicant questionnaire and a structured interview. Applicants may also be screened for some jobs through licensing, certification, and/or education requirements, a narrative/application review, and/or a preliminary telephone interview. The knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) that are marked with a double asterisk (**) in the vacancy announcement and the applicant questionnaire are considered the most critical for a position. To be considered for final selection, applicants must demonstrate fully acceptable experience in these designated KSAs in the narrative/application review, preliminary telephone and/or full structured interview. The various assessment tools listed above are designed to verify or explore applicants' experience, knowledge, and training directly related to the job in order to identify the best qualified applicants for selection.

For more information regarding eligibility requirements, please see the Library of Congress Merit Selection Plan, Section 8.5, at: Merit Selection Plan


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