Engineering Equipment Operator

Summary

Reclamation is seeking a career professional looking for an opportunity to capitalize on their expertise as an Engineering Equipment Operator, WG-5716-10. You can make a difference in the West by assisting in meeting increasing water demands while protecting the environment. This position is located in either Glen Elder, Kansas or McCook, Nebraska.

Duties

At the full performance level (WG-10) the major duties of this position include, but are not limited to the following: Operation of agricultural tractors, skid steer, backhoe and other heavy equipment in support of maintaining and enhancing wildlife habitats, and regular maintenance of gravel road infrastructure. Preventative maintenance and repairs of tractors, skid steer, backhoe and other equipment such as sprayers, UTVs, light and heavy duty trucks, and equipment trailers. Work with staff and volunteers on a daily basis for the completion of wildlife habitat and visitor services related projects. Serves as the Collateral Duty Safety Officer for the four-refuge complex, to include annual safety inspections and routine maintenance and performance testing of safety equipment (e.g. fire extinguishers, smoke/CO2 detectors). Oversees projects where contractors are performing work on one of the Refuges and ensures all work is completed on time and in line with contract parameters while adhering to industry standards. Responsible for building and facility maintenance. Assists with fleet utilization, and purchasing, annual personal property inventories, and acting as Receiving Official for personal property.

Requirements

Must be a U.S. Citizen or National. Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication. Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service. Direct Deposit participation required. Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more, visit www.dhs.gov/EVerify/. Must possess and maintain a current, valid Class A Commercial Driver's License (CDL) throughout employment in this position. Applicants must provide proof of possession of CDL by closing date of this announcement. Pre-employment and random alcohol and drug testing are required. You will not be appointed to the position if a verified positive test is received. You must pass a pre-employment physical and reoccurring physical for arduous duty including clearances for wearing half-face and full-face respirators. You are required to complete training, obtain and maintain a government credit card with travel and purchase authority. You must be at least 21 years of age or older to operate government vehicles having a gross weight (GVW) rating of more than 26,000 pounds. You may be required to work on-call, evenings, holidays, overtime, and shift work. You may be required to travel overnight away from home up to 10 nights at a time. Travel is project based; periods of travel will be determined based on project needs. You must obtain and maintain Fall Protection and Rescue certifications (training will be provided). You must attend the following formal courses when schedule (training will be provided): Defensive Driving; Advanced First Aid; and CPR. *Additional Requirements located under qualifications*

Qualifications and evaluation

A review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the Assessment Questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses provided in the Assessment Questionnaire, or if you fail to submit all required documentation, you will be rated 'ineligible', 'not qualified', or your score will be adjusted accordingly. If a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications or experience, you can lose consideration for this position. Your resume must not exceed 2 pages. Only the document submitted as the "Resume" under the Documents section will be used to determine your qualifications/eligibility and for rating purposes. In the event you submit more than one resume, only the latest submission will be reviewed. Candidates will be rated and ranked using Category Rating procedures. These procedures place candidates with veteran's preference above non-preference eligibles within each category. Veterans with a service-connected disability of at least 10 percent are listed in the highest quality category. Under Category Rating, candidates will be rated and ranked into the following categories: Best Qualified - applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are highly proficient in all requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position Well Qualified - applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in most of the requirements of the job Qualified - applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in some, but not all of the requirements of the job. You will be evaluated on the following competencies and/or job elements: Ability To Do The Work Of The Position Without More Than Normal Supervision (SCREEN OUT) Ability to Drive Safely (Motor Vehicles) Ability To Interpret Instructions, Specifications, etc. (related to mobile equipment operation) Ability To Operate Safely (Non-Motor Vehicle) Operation of Motor Vehicles Reliability and Dependability as a Engineer Equipment Operator Work Practices (including keeping things neat, clean, and in order) If fewer than three eligible and available candidates per vacancy result, the agency will expand the group of candidates in accordance with the pre-announced supplement strategy and 5 CFR 332.402(f). Current or former displaced Federal employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP). To be considered under CTAP/ICTAP, you must be well-qualified, score at least 85 (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements), and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry.

Education

There is no substitution of education for experience for Federal Wage System (FWS) positions.

How to apply

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the 09/02/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows: Click the Apply Online button. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. To PREVIEW the application questionnaire, select the following link:https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13042920 Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date. To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To view the announcement status or your application status, visit: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status. Applicants who apply under this job opportunity announcement agree to have their application, associated documents and applicable personal information shared with other Bureaus/Offices within the Department of the Interior (DOI) who have vacancies within the same occupational series, grade, full performance level and in the same geographic location(s), including within the same metro/commuting area. Applying to this announcement does not replace the need to apply to other job opportunity announcements for which you wish to receive consideration.

Required documents

The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 09/02/2026 unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement: Resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed. If military or civilian, please include your rank and/or grade. Resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages and resumes longer than two pages will not be accepted. The minimum font size is 10-point for all body text. All resumes must maintain a minimum 0.5-inch margins on all sides to ensure readability and prevent excessive content compression. Including supplemental pages or attachments disguised as resume extensions are prohibited and will not be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications. Your 2-page resume must contain information sufficient to make a valid determination that you fully meet the qualification requirements. More information on how to write a Federal Resume: https://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/documents/resume/what-to-include Complete Required Assessment. Documentation that you meet the screen-outs. Veterans Preference Documentation, if applicable. Veterans must submit a copy of your latest Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, DD-214 (member 4 copy) or other Documentation of Service and Separation under Honorable Conditions, as listed on the SF15. If you are a Disabled Veteran, Purple Heart Recipient, or Parent or Spouse of a Disabled or Deceased Veteran, you must submit all additional proof required by the SF15, and if applicable, a completed SF15. You may request a copy of your Department of Veterans Affairs letter from www.va.gov/records/ or call 1-800-827-1000. If you are a veteran within 120 days of discharge, you must submit signed documentation from the Armed Forces certifying: 1) your expected release/retirement from active duty, 2) under honorable conditions, 3) your pay grade/rank/rate at time of discharge, 4) dates of active-duty service, 5) any campaign or expeditionary medals received, & 6) dated within 120 days of your separation. Interagency Career Transition (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP): You MUST submit proof of eligibility including 1) copy of the agency notice, e.g., RIF Separation Notice, Notice of Proposed Removal, etc.; 2) SF-50s (Notifications of Personnel Action) showing career/conditional tenure competitive status, promotion potential and duty location; and 3) your most recent performance appraisal. To exercise selection priority, displaced or surplus Federal employees must be well qualified. For more information visit: USAJOBS Help Center - Career Transition Programs (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL). Failure to submit any of the above-mentioned required documents will result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted. Do not submit photographs with your application package. Documents with photographs may not be seen by hiring officials - you must remove your image from all documents. Do not upload Adobe portfolio documents. Adobe portfolio documents are not viewable by our agency's staffing offices.

Additional information

Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement. Pay will vary based on the duty location for which you're selected. First time hires to the Federal government normally start at the step 1 rate. Please see the following pay scales for clarification on the hourly pay rate for each duty station: M084 - McCook, Nebraska AC-057R - Glen Elder, Kansas If otherwise eligible and qualified, you may be offered a recruitment or relocation incentive. The decision to offer an incentive will be made on a case-by-case basis and is neither promised nor guaranteed. For information visit: Recruitment Incentive or Relocation Incentive. A continued service agreement may be required if it is determined you are eligible for a permanent change in duty station (PCS), recruitment, or relocation incentive. Physical Demands: Heavy physical effort is used by the operator in constantly reaching, bending, turning, and moving hands, arms, feet, and legs to handle different sets of controls to operate the equipment and attachments. Considerable strain is caused by the constant vibration of the equipment and the jerking and jolting from operating over rough surfaces. Because of the location of some of the controls and attachments, the operator is frequently required to work in awkward or strained positions. The work is more strenuous because of the larger pieces of equipment and the frequent adjustments under more adverse operating conditions. Working Conditions: Work is performed in all types of weather, on hills, slopes, grades, rolling surfaces, and forested areas. The operator is exposed to injury due to the possibility of the equipment overturning. The operator is subject to noise, vibration, dust, dirt, and fumes from the motor exhaust. The operator must pay close attention to the equipment, attachments, and terrain. Work is also performed on various hazardous waste sites requiring the proper training associated in performance of work on the identified sites. The operation of larger and more complicated equipment in more difficult circumstances increases the exposure to injury, overturning, noise, and vibration. All Department of Interior (DOI) employees, their spouses, and minor children may not acquire or retain any claim, permit, lease, small tract entry, or other rights granted by the Department in Federal lands, with limited exceptions. Additional ethics prohibitions can be found here, https://www.doi.gov/ethics/ethics-prohibitions. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Providing false or misleading information on your resume or supporting documentation may result in removal from consideration or other action consistent with applicable federal hiring regulations. Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position.