Boiler Plant Operator

Summary

The employee of this position will perform duties as a Boiler/METASYS Operator/Mechanic in the Utilities Section of Engineering Service at the Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System (CAVHCS), West Campus. The employee will operate and monitor the METASYS energy management system 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Duties

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Major duties and responsibilities include:

• Maintain, repair and operate (1) domestic hot water (backup) natural gas boilers in the Chiller Plant.
• Monitor, calibrate, and perform preventive maintenance, and repair equipment and systems.
• Maintain and repair auxiliary equipment to keeps boilers operating efficiently.
• Operate boilers with the capacity between 40,000 to 100,000 or more pounds of steam per hour.
• Maintain efficient combustion levels and ensures compliance with air pollution laws or regulations.
• Adjust 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.
• Use electronic, hydraulic, and pneumatic controls, and zone charts in conjunction with meters, gauges, and computer generated data to determine adjustments or corrections necessary for proper boiler operations or changing load requirements.
• Operate and repair hot water boilers.
• Monitor, calibrate, and perform preventive maintenance, and repair equipment and systems.
• Operate and monitoring the METASYS energy management system.
• Respond to alarms that include HVAC temperature controls, medication refrigeration temperature controls and fire alarms.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Sunday - Saturday, 24/7 Rotating Shifts

Position Description Title/PD#: Boiler Plant Operator/PD39430A and PD01546A

Physical Requirements: 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.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job
• Subject to a background/suitability investigation
• 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. 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.

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.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: This position serves as the Boiler Plant Operator, with the responsibilities to maintain, repair, and operate the Boiler Plant and related equipment and systems. The Boiler Plant systems include 3 fire tube boilers (gas fired with fuel oil backup as a standby) with auto, semi-automatic, and manual controls. This includes maintaining repairs and operating domestic hot water (backup) natural gas boilers in the Chiller Plant. The operator will monitor, calibrate, and perform preventive maintenance.

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 Job Elements:

• Ability to Do the Work of the Position without More Than Normal Supervision
• Equipment Assembly, Installation, Repair
• Interpret Instructions, Specifications (includes blueprint reading)
• Operation of Equipment/Machinery
• Technical Practices
• Work Practices

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

There is no substitution of education for experience for this position.

Additional information

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer (TJO). Please visit the Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP), va.gov/EMPLOYEE/docs/The-Fair-Chance-to-Compete-Act.pdf for more information.

A supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.

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 an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

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.



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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.