Utility Systems Repairer-Operator

About the role

This position serves as a Utility System Repairer-Operator located at the VA St. Louis Health Care System (VASTLHCS) under the supervision of the Energy Plant Operations Supervisor and assigned to the Energy Plant of the Facilities Engineering Services (FES). The Energy Center consists of 6 chillers, water pumps, and piping systems, roof top package units, building pressure controls, refrigeration, mini-split HVAC systems, split HVAC systems, air handlers, and whole building exhaust systems.

Responsibilities

Major duties include, but are not limited to:

• Energy Plant: Responsible for Boiler Plant automation and BAS that integrates and uses special computers to store operating parameters and initiates adjustments when systems become out of range or in alarm conditions.
• Responsible for repairing, operating, and maintaining three 1000 hp at 35,000 lbs/hr boilers, one 350 hp boiler and two 600 hp boilers operating on dual fuel (natural gas or oil) fired boilers.
• Chillers and HVAC/R: Responsible for the operation, maintenance, and repair of Building Automation Systems (BAS) and all types and brands of temperature, humidity, and all volumetric controls, both individually and in any combination.
• Diagnoses, troubleshoots, modifies, repairs, replaces, and installs critical and special purpose HVAC/R equipment and systems that provide specific and critical climatic conditions throughout the entire Medical Center.
• Engineering Response Coordination: Communicates with Medical Center administration and determines and coordinates the proper engineering response; correcting issues themselves including work performed by air conditioning equipment operators (through BAS), electronic industrial controls mechanics (for controls sequencing at component controllers), air conditioning equipment mechanics (at air handler units via variable frequency drives and at terminal units), electricians (resetting of tripped breakers) and pipefitting/plumbing (repair of systems that are non-operational).
• Administrative Duties: Calculates, tracks, documents, and creates reports for all energy consumptions and utilities for the entire campus and records the data; drafts Interim Safety Measures (ISMs) for critical power boilers and auxiliary boiler equipment, ensuring the continued safe and efficient operations of the Boiler Plant to prevent the shutdown of the Medical Center; performs other related duties as assigned.

Requirements

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement. As a condition of employment, 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. Evaluation may consider performance and conduct; agency needs and interests; whether continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of the probationary period, employment will be terminated unless you receive written certification that your continued employment advances the public interest.

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 to demonstrate your ability to do the work of this position. Evidence must be supported by detailed descriptions 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 (usually question 1 in the online questionnaire). 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 eliminated. Potential eligibles