Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to the following: Internal Applicants: Applicants located at the facility. Status Applicants: U.S. Citizens with qualifying eligibilities. Federal Applicants: Current-Permanent Federal Employees, and those covered by the interchange agreement. VA Nationwide Applicants: Applicants employed by VA (VHA, VBA, NCA), but not located at the facility. Eligibility Info: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/ Proper documentation is required.

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Major duties include, but are not limited to:

• Participates in the management and planning of construction projects from inception through the punch list and activation.
• Maintains all facility master floor plans by utilizing Building Information Modeling (BIM) techniques (primarily Revit, AutoCAD, and other spreadsheet programs) drafting and editing techniques.
• Prepares, develops and reviews all engineering CADD (Computer Aided Design Drawings) drawings, plans, sketches, specifications, equipment schedules and other references applicable, or pertaining to, each project to assure the final design drafting product is acceptable for contract award.
• Develops design plans, equipment schedules, drawing sections, construction details, floor plan views, site plans and other common drawings for each project to show detail, complexity, size and unique features necessary for construction.
• Compiles data from a variety of sources and field verifies in order to accurately digitize changes to the existing floor plans.
• Converts data holdings by digitizing/scanning existing drawings, aerial photographs and maps using global positioning systems (GPS) to create new features.
• Develops architectural, mechanical heating, air conditioning ventilation, plumbing layouts and details, electrical power and lighting, structural and civil work.
• Utilizes established layering schemes or creates new layers as appropriate, that are consistent with existing and American Institute of Architects (AIA) standards, prints and plots scaled versions of drawings using large scale plotter/printers.
• Prepares plans, specifications and estimates for various projects specific to facility drawings, surveys and space planning which include multi-disciplinary architectural, fire and safety, mechanical, plumbing, electrical, telecommunication, analog and digital electronics and hazardous material abatement design.
• Serves as a Contracting Officer Representative (COR) on projects and inspects competitively bid construction and maintenance and repair projects to ensure compliance with drawings and specifications.
• Performs field investigations to gain first-hand knowledge of the Medical Center layout and to gather architectural and engineering data necessary to document conditions for design, construction and engineering records.
• Maintains the Facility Space File computer database.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Promotion Potential: This position is for GS-11. There is no promotion potential for this position.

Work Schedule: Full-Time, Monday-Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm
Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized
Telework: Adhoc, as outlined by agency policy
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Engineering Technician/PD094400
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Duty Station: Jefferson Barracks Division; however, the duty station may be changed to one of multiple locations within the VA St. Louis Health Care System based on the needs of the facility.

Work Environment: Work is sometimes performed in constructions areas with associated hazards which include, dusty and dirty areas, in the air and surfaces, loud noise levels, vibrations and extreme temperature and humidity. All other work is performed in a temperate office setting. Work hours may vary depending on Medical Center requirements to reduce the negative impact of projects upon patients and staff, which can include, night, weekend or extended work hours.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required.
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial 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.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 02/25/2026.

Individual Occupational Requirements

This series covers technical positions supervising, leading, or performing work involving applying a practical knowledge of the:

• methods and techniques of engineering or architecture; and
• construction, application, properties, operations, and limitations of engineering systems, processes, structures, machinery, devices, and materials.

Education and Training:

(for positions at GS-5 or equivalent): Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree (a) with major study in an appropriate field of engineering, construction, or industrial technology; or (b) that included at least 24 semester hours in any combination of courses such as engineering, engineering or industrial technology, construction, physics, drafting, surveying, physical science, or mathematics (or equivalent). At least 6 of the 24 semester hours must have been in drafting if the position has been designated by a drafting area of specialization.

Certification: Engineering technicians may be certified by the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies, an organization sponsored by the National Society of Professional Engineers. Certification by the Institute will be helpful as a measure of the technician's quality of experience.

OR,

Specialized Experience

(for positions above GS-4): Examples of qualifying specialized experience include technical work in: drafting, surveying construction estimating, physical science, mathematics, aerospace, architecture, chemicals, electrical or mechanical systems, mining, petroleum, or nuclear systems.

Experience in a trade or craft may be credited as specialized experience when the work provided intensive knowledge of engineering principles, techniques, methods, and precedents. Examples are trade positions with substantial developmental, test, or design responsibilities such as:

• Planner and estimator who analyzed designs for production purposes.
• Instrument maker or model maker who performed design or development work on devices fabricated.

Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-10. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.

You must provide SF-50(s) - Notification of Personnel Action, to verify your eligibility to apply to the Area of Consideration listed in the announcement and to verify that you possess the Time-in-Grade requirements for the position. The following information is provided to assist applicants in the submission of appropriate SF-50s to verify eligibility and time-in-grade requirements:

To verify your eligibility to apply to the area of consideration listed in the announcement, you must provide your most recent SF-50 if you are a current or former Federal employee.

An SF-50 showing your time-in-grade eligibility must also be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as outlined in the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade

An award 50's do not provide sufficient information and will not be accepted for the purpose of verifying time-in-grade.

Examples of appropriate SF-50's to document time-in-grade include:

Within grade increases at the highest grade held; OR,
Promotions with an effective date more than one year old; OR,
SF-50's at the highest grade held with an effective date more than one year old.

You may qualify based on your experience as described below:

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-10) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization which equipped you with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. Examples of qualifying specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to, technical work in: Drafting, architecture, civil, surveying, structural, electrical systems, and mechanical systems. Proficiency of using computers, software, and wide format printers to produce hard copies of drawings. Comprehensive knowledge and understanding of using BIM Technology (Revit) and Computer Aided Design Drawing software (CADD/AutoCAD) to manage and update as-built drawing databases (both digital and hard copy) of building and site drawings.

Preferred Experience: Experience with architectural building and civil site layout design.

Physical Requirements: The work involves regular, walking, climbing, bending and crawling in or around the Medical Center and construction sites.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

NOTE: Participation in the seasonal influenza program is a condition of employment and a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). It is a requirement that all HCP to receive annual seasonal influenza vaccination or obtain an exemption for medical or religious reasons. Wearing a face mask is required when an exemption to the influenza vaccination has been granted. HCP in violation of this directive may face disciplinary action up to and including removal from federal service. HCP are individuals who, during the influenza season, work in VHA locations or who come into contact with VA patients or other HCP as part of their duties. VHA locations include, but are not limited to, VA hospitals and associated clinics, community living centers (CLCs), community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs), domiciliary units, Vet centers and VA-leased medical facilities. HCP include all VA licensed and unlicensed, clinical and administrative, remote and onsite, paid and without compensation, full- and part-time employees, intermittent employees, fee basis employees, VA contractors, researchers, volunteers and health professions trainees (HPTs) who are expected to perform any or all of their work at these facilities. HPTs may be paid or unpaid and include residents, interns, fellows and students. HCP also includes VHA personnel providing home-based care to Veterans and drivers and other personnel whose duties put them in contact with patients outside VA medical facilities.

How you will be evaluated

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

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following Competencies for this position:

• Attention to Detail
• Customer Service
• Flexibility
• Integrity/Honesty
• Interpersonal Skills
• Learning
• Reading Comprehension
• Reasoning
• Self-Management
• Stress Tolerance
• Teamwork

Your experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

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; religions; 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.

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities [i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities], and/or Disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. Contact the Agency Contact for information on how to apply under this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator.