Skip to main content
U.S. flag
Back to results

Engineering Equipment Operator (Seasonal)

Department of the Interior
National Park Service
National Capital Parks - East
This job announcement has closed

Summary

The primary purpose of the position is to operate one or more motor vehicles.

The typical seasonal entry-on-duty period for National Capital Parks-East is December-April but can be variable during these months due to weather conditions, project needs, or funding. Anticipated Entry on Duty: Beginning of December

Overview

Help
Job canceled
Open & closing dates
09/29/2025 to 10/13/2025
Salary
$32.52 to - $38.02 per hour
Pay scale & grade
WG 9
Locations
Greenbelt, MD
2 vacancies
Suitland, MD
2 vacancies
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Temporary - 1039 Hours
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
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
Yes
Announcement number
NC-1616-NACE-25-12792818-DE
Control number
846053100

Videos

Duties

Help

The major duties of the Engineering Equipment Operator position include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Operate heavy gasoline or diesel-powered engineering equipment to accomplish heavy construction and/or excavation work to grade surfaces to rough specifications on fairly level surfaces.
  • Operate heavy engineering equipment such as road graders, crawlers, tractors with bulldozer or angledozer blades, backhoes, front-end loaders, excavators, wheel loaders, trench diggers, skid steers, and large industrial tractors.
  • Operate equipment on relatively level roadways, parking lots, landfills, campgrounds, dikes, plains, plateaus, fields, and/or tundra with varying soil and sub-soil conditions.
  • Remove snow or debris from roads and parking lots during winter months and following weather events.
  • Perform pre-trip safety inspections on engineering equipment, and document and report deficiencies to a higher-level operator and/or supervisor.

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship required.
  • Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
  • Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males
  • Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program.
  • You will be required to submit to a drug test and receive a negative drug test result prior to appointment. In addition, this position is subject to random testing for illegal drug use.
  • You may be required to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of your official duties. Prior to your first official motor vehicle operation, and again every year thereafter (or more frequently if management determines such need exists), you will be required to sign an affidavit certifying to your possession of a valid State issued driver's license that is current and has not been revoked, suspended, canceled, or otherwise disqualified in any way to prohibit your operation of a motor vehicle. You will also submit a photocopy of your valid State issued driver's license prior to your first official motor vehicle operation, and again every year, or more frequently if management determines such need exists. Lastly, you may be required to submit (within a State sealed envelope or submitted directly by the State authorities), and at your own expense, all certified driving records from all States that discloses all valid driver's licenses, whether current or past, possessed by you. Please indicate in your application whether you possess a valid State driver's license.
  • You must possess and maintain a current Class A Commercial Driver's License .
  • You may be required to complete training and operate a four-wheel drive vehicle.
  • You will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.
  • You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work.
  • You may be required to travel overnight away from home up to 2 nights per month. You must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.
  • Government Charge Card: You may be required to complete training and obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority.
  • As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period. Please visit the Qualifications section for more details on the conditions of probationary periods for this position.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, you must have sufficient knowledge and ability in the following job-related factors:

  1. Ability to do the work of the position without more than normal supervision. (SCREEN OUT)
  2. Operation of Motor Vehicles.
  3. Work Practices (includes keeping things neat, clean, and in order).
  4. Ability To Interpret Instructions, Specifications, etc. (related to mobile equipment operation).
  5. Ability to Drive Safely (Motor Vehicles).
  6. Ability to Operate Safely (Non-Motor Vehicle).
  7. Reliability and Dependability as an Engineering Equipment Operator
Condition of Employment (SCREEN OUT): You must possess and maintain a current Class A Commercial Driver's License.

If your knowledge and ability in the SCREEN OUT factor above is not sufficient, you will receive no further consideration. In preparing your application, describe in detail the experience and training which you have had that specifically prepared you for this job and to perform the duties described for this job. Experience should be clearly described and documented in your resume. The qualifications reviewer will not assume performance of such duties by Job Titles alone. Address your knowledge, skills and/or abilities in the areas shown in the job-related factors.

Volunteer Experience: 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.

Continued Condition of Employment For Probationary Period: As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest will be evaluated. This probationary period is an extension of the appointment process and therefore requires the agency to determine if continued employment would advance the public interest, meet the organization goals and mission of the agency, and/or otherwise promote the efficiency of the service. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, the agency will 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.
Under applicable law, the employment of an individual serving a probationary or trial period automatically terminates when that period ends unless the agency affirmatively certifies, in writing, that the individual's employment should continue and that their appointment should be finalized. In the absence of agency action to affirmatively certify continued employment beyond the probationary or trial period, such appointments are terminated. 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.

Education

There is no substitution of education for experience for Wage Grade (WG) positions.

Additional information

This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if identical vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.

Non-Competitive Rehire Eligibility: Temporary seasonal employees can only maintain their non-competitive rehire eligibility if they work no more than a combined total of Temporary NTE less than 1040 hours anywhere in the National Park Service (NPS) within their established service year. Accordingly, non-competitive rehire eligibility allows for re-appointment to the same position or another position appropriate for temporary appointment with the same qualification requirements (5 CFR 316.402[b][7]), based on series and grade, anywhere in the major subdivision (NPS).

If you have held a temporary seasonal appointment in the past 12 months and have already worked the maximum temporary appointment less than 1040 hours during that period, you are still welcome to apply. However, please be aware that exceeding the limit of 1040 hours in your established service year will result in the loss of your non-competitive rehire eligibility.

The limit can be exceeded by working multiple temporary seasonal positions that result in a combined total greater than 1040 hours. The limit also can be exceeded by working a single temporary seasonal appointment that exceeds 1040 hours, unless granted an exception by OPM.

Employment may be terminated at any time due to fluctuations in funding levels, project needs, employee performance, or other considerations.

Physical Demands: Heavy physical effort is required in constantly climbing in and out of different machines, pushing and pulling levers continuously while machine is in operation, and lifting such items as opening and closing tail gates on dump trucks. Work is strenuous because of the large equipment operated, the frequent adjustments made, and the adverse operating conditions. Considerable strain is caused by the constant vibration of the equipment. The incumbent is required to frequently lift and carry items weighing up to 50 pounds, and often puts forth similar effort when pushing, pulling, turning, and positioning parts, assemblies, equipment, and tools.

Working Conditions: This position is required to perform work both inside and outside with most of the work performed outside. The incumbent works in rain, mud, snow, and in hot/cold temperatures and is frequently exposed to irritation or discomfort from noise, vibration, dust, dirt, fumes, exhaust, oils, heat, cold, and dampness. The incumbent is frequently subjected to the possibility of receiving cuts, abrasions, bruises, and strains while servicing and operating equipment. When working inside, the incumbent must ensure proper ventilation. The incumbent is required to follow prescribed safety practices and use safety equipment such as protective hearing devices and hard hats.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

How you will be evaluated

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

A review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the Assessment Questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses provided in the Assessment Questionnaire, or if you fail to submit all required documentation, you will be rated 'ineligible', 'not qualified', or your score will be adjusted accordingly. If a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications or experience, you can lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully; errors or omissions can affect your rating. Resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages and resumes longer than two pages will not be accepted. The minimum font size is 10-point for all body text. Headers may be slightly larger but must remain legible. All resumes must maintain a minimum 0.5-inch margins on all sides to ensure readability and prevent excessive content compression. Including supplemental pages or attachments disguised as resume extensions are prohibited and will not be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications.

Candidates will be rated and ranked using Category Rating procedures. These procedures place candidates with veteran's preference above non-preference eligibles within each category. Veterans with a service connected disability of at least 10 percent are listed in the highest quality category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level or higher. Under Category Rating, candidates will be rated and ranked into one of three categories:

  • Best Qualified - applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are highly proficient in all requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position
  • Well Qualified - applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in most of the requirements of the job
  • Qualified - applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in some, but not all of the requirements of the job.
You will be evaluated on the following competencies and/or job elements:
  • Ability To Do The Work Of The Position Without More Than Normal Supervision (SCREEN OUT)
  • Ability to Drive Safely (Motor Vehicles)
  • Ability to Interpret Instructions, Specifications, etc. (Related to Mobile Equipment Operation)
  • Ability to Operate Safely (Non-motor Vehicles)
  • Operation of Motor Vehicles
  • Reliability and Dependability as a Engineer Equipment Operator
  • Work Practices (Including Keeping Things Neat, Clean, and in Order)

Your session is about to expire!

Your USAJOBS session will expire due to inactivity in 8 minutes. Any unsaved data will be lost if you allow the session to expire. Click the button below to continue your session.