Engineering Equipment Operator

Smithsonian Institution

District of Columbia, District of Columbia$33 - $38Full-timePosted 21h ago

Get more Mechanical Engineering openings

A short daily email when similar roles appear in District of Columbia, District of Columbia. No account needed.

Summary

The Smithsonian Institution is the world's largest museum, education, and research complex, with 21 museums and the National Zoo. This position is located in one of the SI facilities serviced by the Office of Facilities Management (FM), Smithsonian Institution (SI). The Office of Facilities Management is responsible for all Smithsonian facilities, many of which are designated as historic and all of which are visited by millions of people each year.

Duties

The Engineering Equipment Operator is responsible for operating a variety of engineering equipment in support of Transportation Branch operations. In this position, you will: Operate heavy equipment in conjunction with the construction, maintenance and repair operations; digs trenches for water, sewer, electric and gas lines. Perform grading inside and outside of the building using track steer, skid steer and front loader. Operate equipment close to buildings, trees, drop-offs, rocks, etc. Adjust attachments to equipment generally without stopping power units, this machinery includes, but is not limited to, forklifts, wheeled tractors (up to 3,000 pounds draw pull capacity), truck cranes (motor driven 6,000 pounds), backhoe, power sweepers, two-ton road rollers, front end loaders, bobcat, automotive vehicles (1/4 to 8 tons), etc.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment Physical Requirements: This position requires the physical ability to perform moderately heavy work including lifting and carrying heavy objects up to 70 lbs.; work outside in all weather conditions with exposure to dirt, dust, pollen and insects; climb ladders and stairs; and stand and walk for extended periods. Qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the job opportunity announcement. For information on the Job Qualification System for Trades and Labor Occupations, see OPM's website. Additional Requirements: At a minimum, candidate must have a Commercial Driver's License (CDL), Class B with P (Passenger) Endorsement. (Candidate must submit a photocopy of CDL License, front and rear) Candidate must pass a pre-screening Drug Testing. Candidate must register with Clearinghouse Register | Before You Register (dot.gov) Candidate must meet medical requirements. Candidate must have and maintain a clean driving record, to include no major or serious violations as defined by the respective state. Candidate must be available to be retained on or called in for duty during emergencies such as floods, storms, etc., to perform duties as necessary. Candidate must maintain a Smithsonian issued travel card in good standing.

Qualifications and evaluation

Applications will first be evaluated to determine whether the following screen out element is met: Ability to do the work of an engineering equipment operator without more than normal supervision. If an applicant meets the screen-out element, the following Job Elements will be evaluated: Ability to operate motor vehicles. Knowledge of work practices (including keeping things neat, clean and in order). Ability to interpret instructions, specifications, etc. (related to mobile equipment operation). Ability to Drive Safely (Motor Vehicle). Ability to Operate Safety (Non-Motor Vehicle). Ability to be reliable and dependable as an engineering equipment operator. BASIS OF RATING: Once the announcement closes, your application will be automatically evaluated and rated by the system and a Human Resources Specialist. To determine if you are qualified for this job, a review of your application and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the occupational questionnaire. The numeric rating you receive is based on your responses to the questionnaire. The score is a measure of the degree to which your background matches the knowledge, skills, and abilities required of this position. If, after the Human Resources Specialist reviews your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that the score you have received is not a true reflection of your qualifications and/or experience, your score can and will be adjusted to more accurately reflect the information you provided that support your abilities. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Your resume should provide detailed information regarding how your education and experience relate to this position, including the major duties and qualifications criteria listed. Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA): If you are applying for a VEOA appointment, you must be a veteran and must be honorably separated and either a preference eligible or have substantially completed 3 or more years of active service. ("Active Service" under this law means active duty in a uniformed service and includes full-time training duty, annual training duty, full-time National Guard duty, and attendance, while in the active service, at a school designated as a service school by law or by the Secretary concerned.) A veteran who is released under honorable conditions shortly before completing a 3-year tour is also eligible. Noncompetitive Appointment Authorities: The following links contain information on the eligibility requirements to be considered under a noncompetitive appointing authority: Primary Appointing Authorities for Career and Career-Conditional Appointments Hiring Authorities for Veterans People with Disabilities Important Note: Your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses to the occupational questionnaire or other assessment tool for consistency. If a determination is made that you have rated yourself higher than is supported by your resume, you will be assigned a rating commensurate to your described experience. Your resume should provide sufficient information regarding how your education and experience relate to this position, including the major duties and qualifications criteria listed. You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Benefits

The Federal Government offers a comprehensive benefits package. Please see Benefits at https://www.si.edu/OHR/benefits for a complete description. Flexible Spending Accounts - https://www.fsafeds.com/ Health Insurance - http://www.opm.gov/insure/health/index.asp Leave - http://www.opm.gov/oca/leave/index.asp Life Insurance - http://www.opm.gov/insure/life/index.asp Long Term Care Insurance - http://www.ltcfeds.com Retirement Program - https://www.opm.gov/retirement-services/

How to apply

Click on the "Apply Online" button on the upper right side of the page. Please Note: You must apply for this position online through the 'Apply Online' button and submit required supplemental documents (if they are relevant to you). Your resume must be no more than two (2) pages. You may submit required documents by uploading them online during the application process. The complete application package, including any required documents, is due in the Smithsonian Office of Human Resources on the closing date of the announcement by 11:59 PM Eastern Time. If you are unable to apply online, paper applications may be accepted with prior approval of the Contact Person listed below.

Required documents

Your application package should include the following documents: Resume - Your resume can be uploaded and attached to your application or created using the USA Jobs on-line resume builder. Ensure your resume contains the job title (including the occupational series and grade if it is Federal), job-related qualifications, starting and ending dates (month and year), and hours worked per week, for each employment period. It is your responsibility to ensure all information is submitted. Failure to include this information may result in disqualification for the position. For assistance with creating a resume, please click USAJOBS Help Center - How do I write a resume for a federal job? Current and former employees MUST submit a copy of their Standard Form (SF)-50, β€œNotice of Personnel Action,” that indicates proof of status and time-in-grade eligibility. SI Trust employees are ineligible for Merit Promotion consideration unless you submit a Standard Form (SF) - 50, "Notice of Personnel Action", that indicates proof you previously held a 'status' position and proof of time-in-grade. The SF-50 must include your position title, series, grade, step, salary, type of service (competitive or excepted in block 34), and tenure (1 or 2 in block 24). Please provide a SF-50 that shows the length of time you have been in your current/highest grade level. Examples of appropriate SF50s include: Appointments, Reassignments, Within-grade/range increases or Promotion actions. NOTE: Pay adjustments and award SF-50s do not include the length of time in your current position, therefore, they are NOT acceptable SF-50's on their own. You may need to provide more than one SF-50. Failure to provide the appropriate SF-50(s) may prevent you from receiving consideration for this position. Unofficial school transcripts, if the position has an education requirement or if you are using education to qualify. If selected for the position, you must provide an official transcript before appointment. Proof of U.S. accreditation for foreign study, if applicable. Proof of Veteran's Preference - DD214 (Member 4 Copy) if you are requesting a special appointment authority, such as VRA or VEOA Proof of severe disability if you are requesting special placement consideration. Proof of eligibility for a military spouse appointment, such as a permanent change station military order. Proof of eligibility for any other special appointing authority not specifically mentioned here. Candidate must have a CDL Class A or B commercial driver license (CDL) (Candidate must submit a front and back photocopy of CDL License)

Additional information

This position is included in the bargaining unit. Recruitment Incentive: Recruitment incentive(s) may be authorized for this position. However, approval for incentives are contingent upon various availability. If authorized, certain incentives will require the incumbent to sign a service agreement to remain in the Federal government for a certain time period. Note: This statement does not imply nor guarantee an incentive will be offered and paid. Selections may be made for vacancies across the Smithsonian Institution (SI). By applying to this position, you agree to allow your application and other personal information to be shared with one or more SI hiring officials for employment consideration for same/similar positions within the location(s) identified in this announcement.

The average job posting receives 250 applications.

Stand out by tailoring your resume to this specific role. Our AI resume builder highlights the skills and experience that matter most to this employer.

Frequently asked questions

Who is hiring for Engineering Equipment Operator at Smithsonian Institution ?+
Smithsonian Institution is actively hiring for this Engineering Equipment Operator role. Click "Apply Now" to submit your application directly on Smithsonian Institution 's careers page β€” Careeronaut doesn't charge employers or candidates for referrals.
When was this Engineering Equipment Operator role posted?+
This listing was first posted on 2026-08-17. We pull the latest copy from the source feed daily, and any role that's taken down gets removed from Careeronaut within seven days so you don't waste time on stale listings.
How should I apply to this Engineering Equipment Operator role?+
Start by tailoring your resume to the posting β€” most applicants send generic CVs and the first filter recruiters use is keyword relevance. Careeronaut's AI does this automatically: paste the job description, get a matched resume in under a minute, and download as PDF or DOCX.
Where can I find more Mechanical Engineering jobs in District of Columbia, District of Columbia?+
Browse all open mechanical engineering roles in District of Columbia, District of Columbia on the listing pages linked below. You can filter by salary, remote-friendly, and posting date.