at Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration in Togus, Maine, United States
Job Description
Summary This Pipefitter position is in Facility Management at the VA Maine Healthcare System located at the Togus location. This position is full time at 40 hours per week. THIS OPEN & CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT (OCA) ESTABLISHES A STANDING REGISTER OF ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS, which closes on 4/1/2024. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be 9/26/2023 with subsequent reviews every other week as additional vacancies occur, or on an as-needed basis, until positions are filled. Responsibilities This Pipefitter position is in Facility Management Service at the Togus VA Medical Center, located at the Togus, Maine location. This position is a full-time at 40 hours per week. The purpose of this position is to serve as a Pipefitter and perform a variety of tasks involved in the maintenance of buildings, equipment and utilities systems. Primary responsibility will be in the plumbing and pipefitting trade. Duties include, but are not limited to: Know how to measure, cut, bend, and thread pipe and tile, and how to caulk and seal such things as elbows, union joints, tile pipe, faucets, and shower drains. Have knowledge of how various high-pressure piping systems and equipment, such as steam heating, steam generation, and vacuum systems, radiators, and circulating pumps, are installed and operate. Know how relief valves, check valves, pressure regulators, expansion joints, and other pressure supporting and controlling devices are installed and how they operate to control increases and decreases in pressure, flow, circulation, and expansion in the systems. Be able to lay out and install various kinds of piping, risers, and flexible branches at the proper level and incline; determine the placement and elevation to install expansion joints, pumps, gauges and pressure regulators in the combination needed to support the pressures of the systems and that ensure the proper operation of the systems. Be capable of reading blueprints, work orders, factory manual, operating instructions, etc. with a knowledgeable understanding to perform troubleshooting maintenance and inspection required by his work. Have a thorough knowledge of various equipment such as steam heating equipment, steam generators, sterilizers, valves, controlling devices, drain cleaning equipment, etc. Be able to determine the size and type of material necessary to do the whole job. Have skill in the use of tools and equipment such as sliding squares, measuring tapes, dividers, chalk lines, plumb bobs, templates, star drills, grinders, flange’s, hand and power pipe threaders and cutters and pipe wrenches. Work Schedule: Full Time Monday-Friday 7am-3:30pm Position Description Title/PD#: Pipefitter/PD00290A Compressed/Flexible Work Schedule: Not Authorized Telework/Virtual/Remote Work: Not authorized Relocation or Travel Incentives: Not authorized Recruitment Incentives: May be authorized Financial Disclosure: Not required Notifications: This position is in an AFGE Bargaining Unit position. This position is in the Competitive Service. Veterans’ preference does not apply Current and former Federal employees must submit copies of their most recent SF-50, (Notice of Personnel Action). The SF-50 must identify the position title, series, grade, step, tenure and type of service (Competitive or Excepted). In some cases, more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held. Requirements Conditions of 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. 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: Equipment Assembly, Installation, Repair Interpret Instructions, Specifications (includes blueprint reading) Measurement and Layout Technical Practices Troubleshooting Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment 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. Physical Requirements/Working Conditions: The incumbent is to work in crowded areas, on ladders, scaffolds and high places. He/she is required to perform heavy and laborious work such as lifting heavy radiators, pipe, equipment, etc., cutting and threading pipe by hand, etc. The incumbent is required to work in hot, greasy and dusty areas, that are isolated or contaminated exposing the incumbent to infectious and contagious diseases. The major portion of incumbent’s time will be spent indoors although it may be necessary to work out-of-doors during cold and inclement weather or in confined spaces. The incumbent is sometimes required to make installations and repairs in areas where bad smelling fumes are present. He/she is exposed to the possibility of strains, cuts, scrapes, burns and infections. The incumbent will use and follow all safety and risk management policies and regulations of OSHA, NFPA, EPA and JCAHO. Education There is no educational substitution at this grade level. Additional Information VA 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 wh
