Duties

Summary

Incumbent serves as Boiler Plant Operator at Salem VAMC on a 12-hour per day, rotating shift. Incumbent has the responsibility to operate, maintain and make repairs to (3) dual-fuel (natural gas and fuel oil) fired high pressure boilers (130 psi), each with a 30,000 lb. per hour peak steam generating capacity, and one (1) dual-fuel fire tube boiler with a 15,000 lb. per hour peak steam generating capacity.

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Responsibilities

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

• Operate, maintain and make repairs to (3) dual-fuel (natural gas and fuel oil) fired high pressure boilers (130 psi), each with a 30,000 lb. per hour peak steam generating capacity.
• Operates and maintains a 500,000 gallon water softening plant which eliminates turbidity, alkalinity, and hardness by chemical process for sterilized processing, critical humidity control and laundry plant operations. Incumbent operates an 88 gallon per minute sodium zeolite and DE alkalizing water softening plant for furnishing feed water.
• Analyze feed-water, boiler-water, and condensate using standard chemical tests and determine the treatment and chemicals to be used to control chemical concentrations, remove impurities and entrapped gases, or stabilize fluctuating water conditions in the boiler.
• The incumbent will operate, adjust, and maintain auxiliary and pollution control equipment such as electrical or steam driven pumps, forced and induced draft fans, air compressors, deaerating equipment, feed water heaters, economizers, fuel heaters and delivery equipment, and demineralizing systems.

Work Schedule: Compressed/Flexible

Position Description Title/PD#: Boiler Plant Operator /1934

Physical Requirements: The Boiler Plant Operator frequently works in confined areas in and around boilers. S/He requires moderate to strenuous effort and long periods of walking, standing, climbing, bending, and crouching. S/He frequently lifts and carries boiler parts and chemical supplies weighing up to 50 pounds unassisted. Occasionally, and with assistance, she or he carries items weighing over 50 pounds.

Travel Required

Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
None

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job
• Subject to a background/suitability investigation
• Designated and/or random drug testing may be required
• May serve a probationary period
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• A complete application package; Resume, Transcripts, etc.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process

Qualifications

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

EXPERIENCE: A specific length of training and experience is not required, but you must show evidence of training or experience of sufficient scope and quality of your ability to do the work of this position. Evidence which demonstrates you possess the knowledge, skills, and ability to perform the duties of this position must be supported by detailed descriptions of such on your resume. Applicants will be rated in accordance with the OPM Federal Wage System Qualification Standards .

SCREEN-OUT ELEMENT: Your qualifications will first be evaluated against the prescribed screen out element, which usually appears as question 1 in the on-line questionnaire. Those applicants who appear to possess at least the minimal acceptable qualification requirement are considered for further rating; those who do not are rated ineligible and are eliminated. The potential eligibles are then rated against the remainder of the questions. The screen-out element(s) for this position is:

Ability to do the work of a journeyman level Boiler Plant Operator without more than normal supervision.

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.

Note: 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.

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be well-qualified, applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors if applicable, and must be proficient in most of the requirements of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website which can be found at https://www.opm.gov/ .

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.

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

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. Applicants will be referred in alphabetical order.

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Other

Drug test required
No

Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

Trust determination process
Suitability/Fitness

Required Documents

Documents Accepted:

• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Disability Letter (VA)
• Other (1)
• Resume
• SF-15
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action

Documents Required:

• Resume

Please review the above list(s) to ensure you have included all necessary documents required for your application.Not every applicant will require the same documents, therefore it is the applicants responsibility to ensure that their application package includes all necessary documents to determine qualifications and eligibility for appointment, such as a copy of your SF-50, transcript, ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees). You will not be contacted for additional information. Applicants will be deemed ineligible if supporting documentation is not submitted.

Veterans' Preference: Since the Direct-Hire Recruitment Authority is being used, traditional Veterans' Preference rules do not apply. Qualified veterans will, however, be given full consideration for this position.

Applications are accepted online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application.