Utility Systems Operator

Summary

The Utility System Operator (USO) is assigned to the Utility Plant, in Facilities Management Service, at the Erie VA Medical Center. The USO is responsible for the maintenance, repair, and safe operation of 3 Williams & Davis gas/oil combination boilers, producing steam capacity of 6,900 LBS/HR (1) and 13,800 (2) each; and (2) each 600-ton centrifugal chillers The USO monitors alarms for various systems including medical gas, generators, refrigerator/freezers, and engineering control systems.

Duties

Work Schedule: Will vary 1st, 2nd and 3rd shift, Sunday - Saturday Position Description Title/PD#: Utility Systems Operator/PD02177A Major Duties include but not limited to: Responsible for maintenance, repair, and safe operation of three Williams and Davis gas/oil combination boilers, Models (1) 4200-200S and (2) 4400-200S producing steam capacity of 6,900 LBS/HR (1) and 13,800 (2) each; and (2) each 600 ton centrifugal chillers York OPTI-View computer controls. Monitor all medical gas alarms and energy management system alarms and make educated judgment calls for notification to proper personnel. Use electronic, hydraulic, mechanical and pneumatic controls in conjunction with meters, gauges, and computer-generated data to determine adjustments or corrections necessary for proper boiler operations or changing load requirements. 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. Operate emergency electrical generator to meet plant electrical requirements when the main electrical source is unable to provide the necessary power. Operate a chiller plant that is physically connected to the Boiler plant. Consisting of two 600-ton York centrifugal chillers. Perform all necessary operations to maintain the chiller plant and associated equipment, such as Condenser water pumps, chilled water pumps, condenser water cooling towers, pump and fan VFD's. Responsible for testing and analyzing boiler feed water, boiler water, condensate return water, chilled water, and chiller condenser water using standard chemical tests. Tests, adjust, maintain, and repair boiler safety devices such as flame safeguard systems, pressure switches, pressure differential switches, limit switches, timers, water column safety devices, electric/electronic probes and sensors, steam safety valves, and automatic/manual fuel valves. Visually inspect boiler settings and refractory linings for signs of deterioration and failure due to heat stress. Through the use of manual, automatic, semi-automatic, microprocessor controls or systems, the incumbent monitors, adjusts and controls all phases of boiler plant operations. Use electronic, hydraulic, and pneumatic controls, charts, recorders, meters, gauges, and computer-generated data to determine adjustments or corrections necessary for proper boiler operations or changing load requirements. Use tools such as manometers, multi-meters, combustion analyzers, test gauges, infrared thermometer to maintain, calibrate, and repair safety devices. Incumbent operates, adjusts, maintains and repairs auxiliary plant equipment. Repair, troubleshoot and maintain boilers and auxiliary equipment. Auxiliary equipment may include fuel delivery systems, de-aerating equipment, water treatment equipment, and air compressors that often require regular adjustment and maintenance to meet rigid tolerances. Monitor and test the operation of boiler systems in order to identify malfunctions and potential problems with equipment such as automatic controls, valves, piping, pumps, and related components. Perform preventative, scheduled, and emergency maintenance on equipment including boiler feed water pumps, fuel oil pumps, air compressors, automatic controls, valves, piping, pumps, plant electrical systems and related components and other boiler plant systems. Will maintain burner management control systems including electronic and electro-mechanical controls utilizing ultra-violet, and related testing devices. Devices repaired and maintained are characterized by electrical, mechanical, pneumatic, hydraulic, and/or electronic systems with interrelated functions that require the incumbent to deal with all aspects of an integrated assembly to successfully complete work on any of the components. Items serviced are characterized by a variety of data-sensing units, computing assemblies, actuating mechanisms, display indicators, and related controls that are collectively combined and integrated into a complete unit of information gathering devices. Apply broad experience and specialized knowledge of electrical, mechanical, pneumatic, and/or hydraulic theory and a working knowledge of electronics to diagnose, isolate, and repair malfunctions, and to achieve and maintain critical accuracies, sensitivity levels, and precise tolerances in aligning and adjusting complex instrument systems, components, and mechanisms. Work from manufacturers' technical information sources and operating instructions that may be vague or incomplete. Other duties as assigned. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service.

Requirements

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 Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 A complete application package; including Resume, Transcripts, etc. is required 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 identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Beginning September 27, 2025, Federal agencies will only accept resumes up to two pages in length to comply with the Merit Hiring Plan. Resumes longer than two pages will result in ineligibility for further consideration for the position. USAJOBS will not allow you to upload or build resumes longer than two pages, and you will need to update the resumes in your profile before applying for a job. Resumes should include information relevant to the knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies of the position to which you are applying. VA is unable to make assumptions about qualifications if not clearly listed. Resumes must be legible so they can be reviewed for eligibility, minimum qualifications and other position requirements listed in the job announcement. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary 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 and evaluation

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Applicants will be referred in the order in which they were received.

How to apply

All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 08/25/2026 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13040744. 1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire. 2. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package. NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date. You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USA Jobs account and clicking on Applications. Information regarding your application status can be found in the USAJobs Help Center. To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.

Required documents

Documents Accepted: Cover Letter DD-214/ Statement of Service Disability Letter (Schedule A) Disability Letter (VA) License Other (1) Performance Appraisal Professional Certification Resume Separation Notice (RIF) SF-15 SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action Transcript 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.

Additional information

Your resume must be 5MB or less. We recommend saving and uploading your resume as a PDF to maintain formatting and number of pages. We also accept GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, TXT, PDF, ODT or Word (DOC or DOCX). We do not accept PDF portfolio files. We recommend using a sans-serif font size like Lato, if available. Other widely available options are Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open San Source Sans Pro, Roboto or Noro Sans. Make your page margins 0.5 inches. Consider using 14-point size font for titles and 10-point for the main text in your resume. The resume builder can help you create a resume using these recommendations and uses the information in your USAJOBS profile to help you get started. 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. 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.