Summary
The Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator performs a wide variety of duties related to the operation and maintenance of pre-treatment, primary and secondary waste water treatment processes, permit compliance, and other technical support duties at the Nogales International Wastewater Treatment Plant (NIWTP) for the Nogales Field Office (NFO), Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Division, Operations Department of the United States Section, International Boundary and Water Commission (USIBWC).
Clarification from the agency
Status Candidates (Merit Promotion and VEOA Eligibles), Certain Military Spouses, Former Overseas Employees, Peace Corps and AmeriCorps Vista, Schedule A, and certain Land Management Eligibles, and The Public.
Duties
OPEN UNTIL VACANCIES ARE FILLED, MAY BE EXTENDED/CLOSED PRIOR TO CLOSING DATE. FIRST CUTOFF DATE IS 11/30/2023. OTHER CUTOFF DATES WILL BE DETERMINED AS NEEDED.
- Performs collection and testing of wastewater to determine designated physical, chemical, and biological characteristics.
- Prepares samples for transport to outside laboratories.
- Increases or decreases chemical agents based on test results.
- Operates wastewater equipment such as pumps, gate valves, and outlets to adjust and regulate the flow of wastewater into and out of the system.
- Composes daily reports designed to meet federal and state requirements.
- Enters test results/data into a computer program.
- Performs preventative maintenance and limited repairs to wastewater equipment.
- Operates motor vehicles such as pickup trucks, sedans, or passenger vans.
- Operates dump and grit trucks, farm-type tractors, and forklifts.
- Preforms routine maintenance such as replenishing fluid levels and tire pressure.
Conditions of Employment
- You must be a U.S. Citizen or Naturalized U.S. Citizen.
- You must obtain and maintain a favorable background investigation.
- You must successfully complete a pre-employment medical examination.
- You must pass a pre-employment drug test and pass periodic drug testing thereafter; a positive result will prevent employment or subject you to disciplinary action, up to removal from the position.
- You may be required to serve a one-year probationary period.
- You must obtain and maintain direct deposit of your federal pay.
- You may be exposed to viruses and bacteria. Upon your request, you may receive preventative vaccinations against Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Typhoid Fever, Tuberculosis, and Tetanus at the agency expense.
- You must be able to lift up to 44 pounds unassisted and you must be able to lift over 45 pounds assisted.
- You must be able to sustain periods of substantial walking, bending, stooping, standing, crouching, stretching and reaching which will be evaluated during the pre-employment medical examination.
- You will be subject to work in confined spaces and strenuous work, and work in adverse weather conditions and temperature extremes.
- You may be exposed to loud noise, vibrations, dirt, gaseous fumes, cleaning solvents, oils, grease, and machines with dangerous moving parts.
- You may be required to use a face-fitted respirator.
- For Status Candidates Only: You must meet one or more criteria in the Area of Consideration section.
- License/Certifications (WG-07): You must posses, or obtain and maintain, within six months of appointment, a wastewater treatment plant operator grade level 1 license/certification acceptable to the State of Arizona.
- License/Certifications (WG-08): You must posses and maintain a wastewater treatment plant operator grade level 2 license/certification, acceptable to the State of Arizona.
- License/Certifications (WG-09): You must posses and maintain a wastewater treatment plant operator grade level 3 license/certification, acceptable to the State of Arizona.
- Driver License: You must possess and maintain a valid U. S. Motor Vehicle Driver License, without impeding restrictions, and issued by a U. S. state, the District of Columbia, or a U. S. territory.
- Driver License: (WG-07): You must possess, or obtain and maintain, within 6 months of appointment, a valid Class B Commercial Driver License (CDL), with a tanker endorsement, issued by a U. S. state, the District of Columbia, or a U. S. territory.
- Driver License: (WG-08 and WG-09): You must possess and maintain a valid Class B Commercial Driver License (CDL), with a tanker endorsement, that is issued by a U. S. state, the District of Columbia, or a U. S. territory.
- You may be required to work overtime.
Qualifications
Qualifications for initial cutoff date must be met by 11/30/2023.
Minimum Qualification Requirement - To qualify, there is no specific length of training or experience required; however, your resume must demonstrate enough experience to show your ability to perform the duties of a Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator (Open Until Filled)without more than normal supervision.
Grade Differential: Each grade levels perform a wide range of tasks similar to those described in the listing of functional area duties and responsibilities. At the lower grade levels the employee will be assigned work to further develop and refine their technical knowledge and skills. Assignments will combine productive work with ongoing training and instruction. Supervision received at the lower grade levels will be closer with oversight and review being provided on a regular basis.
Examples of such experience include: performing limited collection and testing of wastewater conveyed to and from the plant in order to determine designated physical, chemical, and biological characteristics; preparing automatic 24-hour composite samplers; collects wastewater samples at multiple designated sites; assisting in preparing samples for transport to outside laboratories; using automated laboratory testing techniques to perform the following: total solids; total volatile solids; suspended solids; total dissolved solids; conductivity; ultraviolet transmissivity; biochemical oxygen demand (BOD); chemical oxygen demand (COD); total residual chlorine; organic and ammonia nitrogen; alkalinity; hardness; toxic substances such as heavy metals); and fecal coliform (to indicate the presence of pathogenic bacteria); assists in increasing or decreasing chemical agents; assists with composing daily reports designed to meet federal and state requirements; operating a computer to input data; operating wastewater equipment such as pumps, gate valves, and outlets in order to adjust and regulate the flow of wastewater into and out of the system; using equipment such as bar racks, fine screens, grit settling basins, and separators to separate and retain solids in preparation for further treatment; adjusting equipment to ensure proper separation of settled matter from the liquid and processes non-settling solids through secondary stage equipment; reading and monitoring meters and gauges to maintain efficient wastewater treatment in accordance with prescribed standards; interpreting oral and written communication and instruction; using basic tools such as screwdrivers, wrenches, pliers, drills, wire-cutters, strippers, and soldering irons; performing simple corrective action to plant processes to manually or remotely regulate the flow of wastewater; operating a variety of motor vehicles such as pickup truck, forklift, wheel-mounted tractor, and/or farm tractor; and performing routine vehicle maintenance on motor vehicles such as a mobile crane, backhoe, dump truck, and other heavy duty equipment.
The following summarizes the qualification standard for this position found in the Job Qualifications System for Trades and Labor Occupations (Handbook X-118C) http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/x-118c/Tabindx.asp.
Your resume must have complete information: Please ensure your resume accurately reflects the duties and responsibilities under each position you have held with each employer. In describing your experience, please be clear and specific. It is your responsibility to make sure your resume states complete information for each job entry (beginning and ending dates of employment stated as MM/YYYY; and total hours worked per week). If your resume does not provide enough information regarding your work history for us to make a creditable qualification determination, your application package may be rendered disqualified and you will no longer be considered for this position.
Part-Time or Unpaid Experience: Credit will be given for appropriate unpaid work on the same basis as for paid experience. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. To receive credit for such experience you must indicate clearly the nature of the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the number of hours per week spent in such employment.
Education
Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience in order to qualify. For this job, you must meet the qualification requirement using experience alone - no substitution of education for experience is permitted.
Benefits
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Review our benefits
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
FOR DE ONLY/CATEGORY RATING: Your application will be evaluated and rated under Category Rating selection procedures. Once the application process is complete, a review of 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. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility. Qualified candidates will be assigned to a quality category. The quality categories are: 1) Best Qualified, 2) Well Qualified and 3) Qualified. Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following knowledge, skills, abilities or competencies: - Collection and Testing
- Operating Wastewater Equipment
- Vehicle Operations and Maintenance
- Wastewater Equipment Preventive Maintenance
Your rating will be based on both your entire application package as well as the responses to the assessment questionnaire. Please note that if, after reviewing your resume and or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your category rating can and will be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities, or you may lose consideration for this position.
The Category Rating Process does not add veterans' preference points, but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each category. Preference eligibles who meet the minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 per cent must be listed in the highest quality category (except in the case of scientific or professional positions at the GS-9 level or higher).
All applicants are required to submit the following documents as part of the application package:
- Resume: Your resume MUST state complete information for each job entry (beginning and ending dates of employment stated as MM/YYYY; and total hours worked per week). If your resume does not provide enough information regarding your work history for us to make a creditable qualification determination, your application package will be rendered disqualified and you may no longer be considered for this position.
- Completed on-line occupational questionnaire.
- Driver License: A valid driver license, without impeding restrictions, and issued by a U.S. state, the District of Columbia, or a U.S. territory is required. You MUST submit a copy of your driver license with your application package, or you will be rated ineligible.
- Commerical Driver License: (For WG-08 and WG-09) - You must submit a copy of your Class B Commercial Driver License (CDL), with a tanker endorsement, issued by a U. S. state, the District of Columbia, or a U. S. territory.
- License/certification: (For WG-08 and WG-09) - You must submit a copy of your Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator license/certification acceptable to the State of Arizona, (level 2 for WG-08) or (level 3 for WG-09).
All Merit Promotion (Status) applicants are required (as applicable) to submit the following documents as part of the application package:
- Proof of eligibility for merit promotion as described under the Area of Consideration section: All current or former federal employees MUST submit an SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action
- Proof of eligibility for appointment as described under the Area of Consideration section: Veterans appointment eligibility documentation.
All Applicants Claiming Veterans' Preference should include the following documents as part of the application package:
- Veterans' Preference Documentation (if applicable): All Veterans: DD-214 (Member 4 copy is preferred), which includes character of service, or for Active-Duty Service Members a certification which includes service dates, type of separation, and character of service. A "certification" is a written document from the armed forces that certifies the service member is expected to be discharged or released from active-duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted.
- Disabled Veterans: VA Disability Letter (with percentage of disability) OR document of disability determination from a branch of the armed forces which reflects a compensable service-connected disability rating.
- Derived Preference: The spouse, widow/widower, or mother of a veteran may be eligible to claim veterans' preference when the veteran is unable to use it. To do so, you must submit an SF-15 www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/sf15.pdf and the documentation required by that form. Veterans' Preference: For more information and/or to determine if you are eligible for Veterans' Preference, please visit www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx (for veterans) or www.fedshirevets.gov/job/familypref/index.aspx (for family members). Below is a website for veterans to gain access to their DD-214 online: www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records and the documentation required by that form.
To apply for this position, you must complete the Occupational Questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 11/30/2023 for first consideration.
- 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.
- Click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application package.
- It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.
- To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
- 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.https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12209897~
Next steps
Once the online questionnaire is received, you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. Based upon your score, you may be referred to the hiring official. If your name is referred to the hiring official, you may be contacted directly by that office for a possible interview.
You will receive status notifications through Application Manager or via email within 4-6 weeks.
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