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Engineering Equipment Operator

Department of Agriculture
Forest Service
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Seven (7) positions as Engineering Equipment Operator will be filled on the Pacific Northwest Region, R6.

The incumbent is responsible for supporting roads and other natural resource related projects, operates heavy equipment and performs maintenance related work on such equipment.

For additional information about the duties of this position, please contact Sarah Rockey at 360-497-1113 and sarah.rockey@usda.gov.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
11/21/2023 to 12/05/2023
Salary
$27.74 to - $32.36 per hour

Varies depending on location. See EDUCATION section for location and wage.

Pay scale & grade
WG 10
Locations
Bend, OR
1 vacancy
Carson, WA
1 vacancy
Cle Elum, WA
2 vacancies
Leavenworth, WA
3 vacancies
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
25% or less - You may be expected to travel 25% overnight travel for site visits, meetings and/or training.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
24-R6-GVA-12208897-DP-BE
Control number
761284900

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Duties

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  • The incumbent performs the operation of a variety of heavy equipment for road maintenance, watershed restoration, facilities maintenance, fuels reduction, and the support of other natural resource projects.
  • The work is generally performed in steep, hilly, rocky, and other types of adverse terrain. Operates engineering and construction equipment such as graders, excavators, tractors with bulldozer or angle dozer blades, and front-end loaders.
  • Excavate, backfill, grade, or level earth to rough specifications on all types of terrain. Moves earth on mountains and steep slopes, rocky or soft ground.
  • Incumbent performs rough grading as well as fine surfacing on flat or rolling terrain. Incumbent adjusts equipment attachments for proper positioning and working order, making adjustments without stopping the power unit or the equipment.
  • Steer and operate by using clutches, levers, brakes, and valves according to the slope or tilt. Operates dozers and mastication equipment on steep, hilly, rough terrain and transports heavy equipment to job site.
  • The incumbent is required to have a good degree of mechanical ability and skill to perform preventive maintenance and minor repair of equipment. Completes all agency required administrative duties.
  • Employee will be required to wear protective clothing or use protective equipment.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
  • Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service or exempt.
  • Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
  • Successful completion of one-year probationary period, unless previously served.
  • Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
  • Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit E-Verify.
  • This position requires the selectee to obtain or possess a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL).
  • Must possess and maintain a valid State Driver's License.
  • This is a test designated position. You will be subject to preemployment and random testing. Appointment is based on a negative result. This announcement constitutes 30 days advance notice.
  • If selected, you must register with the DOT Clearinghouse as a driver at https://clearinghouse.fmcsa.dot.gov/Register and complete a Query Consent. You must respond to the consent within 24 hours.

Qualifications

In order to qualify, you must meet the eligibility and qualifications requirements as defined below by the closing date of the announcement. For more information on the qualifications for this position, visit the Office of Personnel Management's Federal Wage System Qualifications Standards.

Your application and resume must clearly show that you possess the experience requirements. Transcripts must be provided for qualifications based on education. Provide course descriptions as necessary.

Basic Requirement:
WG-5716-10:
You must possess the Basic Requirements identified below to be considered eligible for this position. Your application or resume must clearly show that you possess the appropriate experience requirements to successfully perform the duties of Engineering Equipment Operator Leader. Applicants will be evaluated on their ability to perform the duties of the position rather than length of experience. Eligibility will be determined by the relevance, scope and quality of all experience and training, regardless of where or how acquired. Applicants will be ranked and rated based on their knowledge of the job elements identified in this announcement.

Screen-out Job Element: Applicants must show the Ability To Do The Work Of The Position Without More Than Normal Supervision-demonstrate your ability to complete the work without more than normal supervision of an Engineering Equipment Operator using equipment such as graders, tractors with bulldozer or angle dozer blades, front-end loaders, backhoes, trench diggers, and large industrial tractors with pan or scraper attachments to push, pull, fill, pile or load gravel or earth?

In addition to the above requirements, applicants will be ranked and rated based on their knowledge of the job elements identified below:

  • Ability To Do The Work Of The Position Without More Than Normal Supervision (Screen-out)
  • Operation of Motor Vehicles
  • Work Practices (includes keeping things neat, clean and in order)
  • Ability to Interpret Instructions, Specifications, etc. (related to mobile equipment operation)
  • Ability to Drive Safely (Motor Vehicles)
  • Reliability and Dependability as an Engineering Equipment Operator Leader
Additional Requirements (Screen-out):
  • Commercial Driver's License (CDL) - Must possess and maintain a valid Class A Commercial Driver's License (CDL) with tanker endorsement or obtain one within 90 days of placement into the position.
  • Drug Testing - This is a Testing Designated Position (TDP) under the Department of Transportation (DOT)/Forest Service Alcohol and Controlled Substance Testing Program. Applicants must acknowledge this requirement to submit to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use unless they currently occupy a TDP under the DOT/Forest Service Alcohol and Controlled Substances Testing Program.
To receive consideration for this position, you must meet all qualification requirements on the closing date of this announcement.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Work Experience: Your resume must clearly document the following for each block of work experience; the beginning day, month and year the work assignment started and ended; the hours worked per week; position title, and series and grade if applicable; and description of duties performed. This information must be provided for each permanent, temporary or seasonal appointment/work assignment or volunteer work and should be clearly documented as a separate block of time. Incomplete, inaccurate or conflicting work history may not be credited for qualifications purposes. This can result in an applicant not being considered for the position.

Education

There is no substitution of education for basic requirement.

Position Location:

Bend, OR HR. rate $28.45-$33.21
Carson, WA HR rate $32.86-$38.43
Cle Elum, WA HR rate $27.74-$32.36
Leavenworth, WA HR rate $27.74-$32.36
Randle, WA HR rate $30.01-3$5.04

Additional information

The USDA Forest Service has legislative authority to recruit and fill Permanent (Career/Career-Conditional), Temporary, and Term Appointments under the USDA Demonstration Project. Under this authority, any U.S. citizen may apply.

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP eligibles must meet the agency's definition for a quality candidate as provided in the How You Will Be Evaluated section of this announcement to be considered.


This position is not eligible for telework.

The Forest Service may use certain incentives and hiring flexibilities, currently offered by the Federal government, to attract highly qualified candidates. Additional information is available at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/pay-and-leave-flexibilities-for-recruitment-and-retention/

This is a bargaining unit position and is represented by either NFFE, AFGE, or NAGE.

Physical Effort: Must be able to lift 50 lbs. Heavy physical effort is used by the operators in constantly reaching, bending, and moving hands, arms, feet and legs to handle different sets of controls to operate the equipment and attachments. Work also involves frequent arduous travel and rigorous field work requiring walking, standing, and manually lifting for projects involving roads, trails, fish passage, ski areas, and other associated activities and operations.

Working Conditions: Work is performed in all types of weather, on hills, slopes, grades, rolling surfaces, and forests. The operators are exposed to injury due to the possibility of the equipment overturning.

We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies.

How you will be evaluated

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

You will be evaluated in accordance with the category rating procedure as defined in the USDA Demonstration Project Plan. Applicants who meet the basic minimum qualification requirements established for the position will be placed in the Eligible category. You will be further evaluated against criteria for placement in the Quality category. This evaluation is based on the level of your experience, education, and/or training as determined by your responses to the Assessment Questionnaire. Individuals with veterans' preference are listed ahead of applicants who do not have veterans' preference within each category.

Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your score may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities, or you may be found ineligible. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action up to including removal from the Federal service.

To view the application form, visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12208897

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