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Boiler Plant Operator

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This announcement has been extended. The new closing date is May 6, 2022. Applicants who applied previously need not reapply.

This position is located in the Utilities Section of Engineering Service at the Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System, West Campus. In this position you will maintain repairs and operate the Boiler Plant and related equipment and systems.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
04/18/2022 to 05/06/2022
Salary
$21.56 to - $25.15 per hour
Pay scale & grade
WG 9
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Montgomery, AL
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
CARZ-11463714-22-WRW
Control number
649319900

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Duties

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The major duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to:

  • In addition to the boiler plant system, which includes three fire tube boilers, you must also maintain, repair, and operate domestic hot water (backup) natural gas boilers that provide backup to the Chiller plant;
  • Maintain and repair auxiliary equipment to keep boilers operating efficiently;
  • Auxiliary equipment includes feed water, steam condensate pumps, fuel oil pumps, emergency diesel electrical generation, water treatment, deaerator, water softener, fuel tanks, condensate tanks, and other steam plant related equipment, controls, gauges, recorders, and electric motors, both single phase and three phase;
  • Operates boilers with the capacity between 40,000 to 100,000 or more pounds of steam per hour;
  • Maintains efficient combustion levels and ensures compliance with air pollution laws or regulations;
  • Adjusts fuel feeds and the volume and velocity of draft and other fire box variables to achieve maximum combustion efficiency with changing load demands or variations in fuel quality;
  • Maintains and repairs hot water boilers;
  • Operates and monitors energy management system;
  • Performs other related duties as assigned.
Work Schedule: Alternating shifts, which may include nights, weekends, and holidays.
Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
  • Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
  • You may be required to serve a probationary period
  • Pre-employment physical required
  • Subject to background/security investigation
  • Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
  • Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)
  • Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.

Qualifications

PHYSICAL EFFORT AND WORK CONDITIONS: Frequently carries parts and sets up equipment that weighs up to 50 pounds. Hoist, jacks and pulleys are operated to remove and replace large units. Most equipment is operated or repaired from floor level or through the use of ladder(s), fixed scaffolding and platforms. Incumbent must have good eyesight, use of all limbs, be able to walk, crawl, climb. Work is sometimes performed in cramped positions where bending, stooping, and/or crawling may be required for short periods of time during repair work.

Work is normally performed inside of Boiler Plant; however, on occasion, such as two persons being assigned to the same shift. The Boiler Plant produces high temperatures and considerable noise. You will be exposed to the hazards of shock, tripping, falling, burns, dust, fluids, and chemicals. Fumes may be generated from gas systems, oil systems, and chemicals. Steam header in the Boiler Plant normally has steam safety precautions to offset the above working conditions. Ear protectors, face masks, aprons, gloves, are provided and worn as required to meet safety requirements.

Applicants will be rated in accordance with the OPM Federal Wage System Qualifications. For this position, the job element method is used to match what you, the applicant, can do against what the work calls for. Your knowledge, skills and abilities will be compared to the knowledge, skills and abilities (called job elements) needed for success. Your qualifications will first be evaluated against the prescribed screen out element (WG-2 and higher only; screen-outs are not applicable to WG-1). Applicants who appear to meet the screen out element are considered for further rating; those who do not are rated ineligible and are eliminated from consideration. The potential eligibles are rated against the remainder of the job elements. While a specific length of training and experience is not required, your responses to the questionnaire must be supported by detailed descriptions of your experience on your resume.

You will be rated on the following Job Elements as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position:

  • Equipment Assembly, Installation, Repair
  • Interpret Instructions, Specifications (includes blueprint reading)
  • Operation of Equipment/Machinery
  • Without more than normal supervision
  • Work Practices


IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. 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.

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.

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

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.

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. For more information on how to apply using this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator within the office, contact the facility Human Resources Department at (334) 272-4670.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation and be found well-qualified (have a final rating of 85 or more before any Veterans preference points) for this vacancy. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process.

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.

How you will be evaluated

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

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s).

Your responses to the assessment questionnaire will be reviewed along with the information provided in your resume and supporting documentation to determine if you are qualified for the position. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your rating may be lowered and/or you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

Candidates who apply under All U.S. Citizens announcements will be rated and ranked using Category Rating procedures. Qualified candidates will be assigned to a quality category. The categories are defined as follows:

  • Best qualified - applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are highly proficient in all requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position;
  • Well qualified - applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in some, but not all, of the requirements of the job; and
  • Qualified - applicants possessing experience and/or education that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors.
Application of Veterans' Preference: Category rating and selection procedures place those with veteran's preference above non-preference eligibles within each category. Preference eligible applicants that meet the eligibility and qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent are listed in the highest quality category.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Financial disclosure not required.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

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