Summary
This is a Direct Hire Authority (DHA) solicitation utilizing the DHA for Domestic Defense Industrial Base & Major Range & Test Facilities to recruit and appoint qualified candidates to positions in the competitive service.
About the Position: This position overhauls, repairs, and maintains high- and low-pressure boiler systems and auxiliary equipment, to include precision mechanical repairs, safety control testing, plant operation, and hazardous materials handling.
Duties
- Operate gas/oil utility boilers and feedwater systems under varying loads. Maintain steam supply via watchstanding, burner modulation, bottom/surface blowdowns, and logs.
- Install, repair, and modify high-pressure steam mains, condensate piping, steam traps, and PRV stations to eliminate energy losses, prevent water hammer damage, and maintain continuous thermal utility delivery.
- Rig, fabricate, and maneuver heavy boiler vessels, drums, and casings using hoists, come-alongs, and torches to safely position and anchor oversized machinery in confined spaces.
- Analyze boiler water and condensate purity via titration tests for pH, hardness, and TDS. Adjust chemical metering pumps to prevent scale deposition.
- Execute seasonal boiler layup and alkaline boil-out commissioning via wet nitrogen capping, dry desiccant charges, and heated chemical flushes.
Requirements
Conditions of employment
- Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
- This position requires employees to pass pre-employment physical and annual physicals.
- This position requires you to obtain and maintain a valid stateside driver's license.
- This position is required to work shift work and rotating shifts.
- The position performs duties which involve surveillance and/or handling of hazardous waste. Must complete the introductory course in hazardous waste management within six months of being assigned to this position and attend annual refresher course.
- This position requires the use of protective devices include safety shoes, hard hats, coveralls, safety glasses, respirators, face shields, heavy gloves and ear plugs.
Qualifications
Who May Apply: US Citizens
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
There is no specific length of training or experience required. However, you must be able to demonstrate, through experience shown in your written application materials that you possess the sufficient knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the work of this position without more than normal supervision.
Minimum Qualifications (Screen Out Element): Ability to do the work of a(n) Boiler Plant Equipment Mechanic ~ without more than normal supervision. The ability to perform common boiler maintenance routines, equipment servicing, and basic operational tending tasks under guidance, and can assist in pulling and cleaning boiler tubes, chipping and laying standard firebrick, resurfacing handhole and manway gaskets, replacing basic valves and gauges, and operating boilers under established procedures - Failure to meet this Screen out Element will result in an ineligible rating.
- PHYSICAL EFFORTS In repairing boilers, employee lifts, stoops, and carries heavy objects such as bricks, burners, tubes, valves, and piping. May be required to work in cramped and awkward positions such as kneeling and crawling into boiler furnaces and drums through manholes. Requires physical dexterity to reach and use hands to check work concealed from view, and a high degree of rapid mental and physical coordination.
- WORKING CONDITIONS Work is almost entirely inside, outside, or on top of boilers and is in constant contact with dampness, soot, poor ventilation, noise, vibrations, steam and dirt. Works with hand and power tools and in close contact with safety valves, gauges and gas valves. Protective devices include safety shoes, hard hats, coveralls, safety glasses, respirators, face shields, heavy gloves and ear plugs.
Education
This job does not have an education qualification requirement.
Additional information
- Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
- You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship.
- This position requires a 1 year probationary period during which the agency evaluates your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In making this determination, the agency may consider your performance and conduct; agency needs and interests; whether your continued employment supports organizational or Government goals; and whether it promotes the efficiency of the Federal service. Continued employment requires written certification that it advances the public interest.
- Direct Deposit of Pay is required.
- Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees.
- If you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant, see the information in the Reemployed Annuitant information sheet.
- This is a(n) Installation Management Career Program position aligned under the Installations Career Management Directorate.
- Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
- Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement.
- Payment of Permanent Change of Station (PCS) costs is not authorized, based on a determination that a PCS move is not in the Government interest.
- Recruitment, Relocation, and Retention Incentives are not authorized.
- This position may require Overtime work.
- Position may require shift work and/or work on rotating shifts to cover work performed on weekends, holidays and/or in other situations.
- This position may require you to wear Personal Protective Equipment and/or clothing.
- Position may be filled as a Term Appointment NTE 1 year 1 day. Term appointments may be extended beyond of six (6) years, up to eight (8) years. With DoD approval, Term appointments may be extended beyond eight (8) years.
- Current permanent Federal employees (to include permanent Army employees) applying for a Term appointment will be appointed/converted into a Term appointment with no statutory return rights back to a permanent position.
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
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.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Once the announcement has closed, a review of your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.
If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position.
Veterans and Military Spouses will be considered along with all other candidates.
Required Documents
The documents you are required to submit vary based on whether or not you are eligible for preference in federal employment. A complete description of preference categories and the associated required documents is in the Applicant Checklist for Public Announcements.
As described above, your complete application includes your resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which prove your eligibility to apply. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further.
1. Your resume:
- Your resume must be two pages or less and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration.
- For each relevant work experience, make sure you include the employer's name, job title, start and end dates (include month and year), for qualifications purposes, the number of hours worked per week, and a brief description that show you can perform the tasks at the required level listed in the job announcement. If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as incomplete, and you may not receive consideration for this position.
- Use plain language. Avoid using acronyms and terms that are not easily understood. The hiring agency will not make assumptions about what's in your resume.
- If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations, and you may not be considered for this vacancy.
- For additional information, to include formatting tips, see: What to include in your resume.
2. Other supporting documents:
- Cover Letter, optional
- Most recent Performance Appraisal, if applicable
NOTE: Documents submitted as part of the application package, to include supplemental documents, may be shared beyond the Human Resources Office. Some supplemental documents such as military orders and marriage certificates may contain personal information for someone other than you. You may sanitize these documents to remove another person's personal information before you submit your application. You may be asked to provide an un-sanitized version of the documents if you are selected to confirm your eligibility.
How to Apply
To apply for this position, you must complete the online questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 11/03/2026 to receive consideration
- To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application (https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13094408).
- Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. As a reminder, your resume must be two pages or less and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. For additional information, refer to the 'Required Documents' section.
- You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
- After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
- You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application. Your resume selected in USAJOBS will be included, but you must re-select other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application may be incomplete.
- It is your responsibility to verify that your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan.
- Additional information on how to complete the online application process and submit your online application may be found on the USA Staffing Applicant Resource Center.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (
https://www.usajobs.gov/applicant/profile/dashboard/), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status.
Next steps
If you provided an email address, you will receive an email message acknowledging receipt of your application. Your application package will be used to determine your eligibility, qualifications, and quality ranking (as applicable) for this position. If you are determined to be ineligible or not qualified, your application will receive no further consideration.