Summary
The Boiler Plant Operator position establishes responsibilities and duties of operating a complex steam generation system comprised of three 500 HP multi-fuel high-pressure power boilers with a total installed heat input of 63,000,000 BTU per hour (21,000,000 BTU per hour per boiler) and a total installed steam generating capacity of 51,750 pounds per hour (17,250 pounds per hour per boiler), associated auxiliary equipment and systems, flue gas recirculation systems (FGR) and related controls.
Duties
- Skills and abilities to operate, fire, maintain, test, troubleshoot, repair, replace, or adjust sub-systems or components of a complex steam generation system.
- Utilizes comprehensive knowledge of the operational phases of high-pressure power boiler operations, maintenance, and repair, including federal codes/regulations, methods, practices, and techniques to oversee the safe and efficient production of high-pressure steam used by medical center facilities and their industrial systems and equipment.
- Works in concert with other Boiler Plant Operators under the leadership of the Boiler Plant Supervisor and the Lead Boiler Plant Operator.
- Boiler Plant Operator will start/stop baiters, pumps, and related equipment; increase/decrease boiler fires, adjust/activate pressure-reducing valves, adjust fuel and water controls, monitors condensate transfer and boiler feed water pressures and
adjusts pressure regulators and add/remove pumps to maintain feed water pressure, monitors flow rates, temperatures, and pressures of water, steam, air, gas, and oil.
- Checks trending software to ensure proper recording of boiler plant operations.
- Frequently checks water levels and steam pressure gauge to assure valves open/close and if water needs to be added or removed or to blow off steam to maintain safe operating levels.
- Responds within the boiler plant to any boiler plant equipment/systems malfunctions or medical center industrial systems emergencies impacting boiler plant operations and coordinates with non-boiler plant personnel, supervisors, and management regarding boiler plant concerns.
- Responsible for ensuring operational capability, the Boiler Plant Operator operates, inspects, monitors, tests, evaluates, interprets, and troubleshoots complex boiler plant systems, subsystems, components, and devices using a variety of test and diagnostic instruments, specifications, manufacturer publications, drawings, diagrams, schematics, etc. to quickly locate operational deficiencies, malfunctions, and areas of substandard performance, interprets results of these actions and determines appropriate action required to maintain safe and adequate steam production.
Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm
Position Description Title/PD#: Boiler Plant Operator/PD14151A
Physical Requirements: Work requires moderate to heavy physical exertion (10-80 pounds) while lifting, transporting, carrying, pulling, moving, handling, or setting up ladders, scaffolds, materials, chemicals, tools, equipment, etc. Repairs, maintenance, or observation work requires kneeling, stretching, pushing, pulling, crouching, stooping, bending, climbing, and walking/standing for long periods and when accessing confined spaces such as
Morrison tubes and condensate return and deaerator tanks through limited access manways. Incumbent works from ladders, scaffolds, platforms, ground level, or in hard-to-reach places requiring climbing ladders, reaching over and under while in cramped, awkward, tiring, and/or uncomfortable positions. Uses hand, eye, leg, and body coordination while performing assigned work.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job
- Subject to a background/suitability investigation
- Designated and/or random drug testing may be required
- You will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period, during which we will evaluate whether your continued employment advances the public interest.
- Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
- A complete application package; Resume, Transcripts, etc.
- Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents).
- Effective May 7, 2025, driver’s licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
- May be required to complete pre-employment physical examination.
- 90 day general restriction on movement applies for Direct Hire Authority6 ONLY. 5CFR 330.502
Qualifications
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
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 of your ability to do the work of this position. Evidence which demonstrates you possess the knowledge, skills, and ability to perform the duties of this position must be supported by detailed descriptions of such 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, which usually appears as question 1 in the on-line questionnaire. Those 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 are eliminated. The potential eligibles are then rated against the remainder of the Job Elements:
- Dexterity and Safety
- Equipment Assembly, Installation, Repair
- Interpret Instructions, Specifications (other than blueprint reading)
- Measuring Instruments
- Operation of Equipment/Machinery
- Technical Practices
- Without more than normal supervision
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; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.
Education
This job does not have an education qualification requirement.
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.
Required Documents
Documents Accepted:
- Cover Letter
- DD-214/ Statement of Service
- Disability Letter (VA)
- Professional Certification
- Resume
- Separation Notice (RIF)
- SF-15
- SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
Documents Required:
Please review the above list(s) to ensure you have included all necessary documents required for your application.Not every applicant will require the same documents, therefore it is the applicants responsibility to ensure that their application package includes all necessary documents to determine qualifications and eligibility for appointment, such as a copy of your SF-50, transcript, ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees).
You will not be contacted for additional information. Applicants will be deemed ineligible if supporting documentation is not submitted.
Veterans' Preference: Since the Direct-Hire Recruitment Authority is being used, traditional Veterans' Preference rules do not apply. Qualified veterans will, however, be given full consideration for this position.
Applications are accepted online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application.
How to Apply
All applicants are encouraged to apply online.
To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 10/17/2025 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12808301.
1. 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.
2. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.
NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date. You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USA Jobs account and clicking on Applications. Information regarding your application status can be found in the USAJobs Help Center.
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.
Beginning September 27, 2025, Federal agencies will only accept resumes up to two pages in length to comply with the Merit Hiring Plan. Resumes longer than two pages will result in ineligibility for further consideration for the position. USAJOBS will not allow you to upload or build resumes longer than two pages, and you will need to update the resumes in your profile before applying for a job. Resumes should include information relevant to the knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies of the position to which you are applying. VA is unable to make assumptions about qualifications if not clearly listed.
Resumes must be legible so they can be reviewed for eligibility, minimum qualifications and other position requirements listed in the job announcement.
Your resume must be 5MB or less. We recommend saving and uploading your resume as a PDF to maintain formatting and number of pages. We also accept GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, TXT, PDF, ODT or Word (DOC or DOCX). We do not accept PDF portfolio files. We recommend using a sans-serif font size like Lato, if available. Other widely available options are Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open San Source Sans Pro, Roboto or Noro Sans. Make your page margins 0.5 inches. Consider using 14-point size font for titles and 10-point for the main text in your resume. The resume builder can help you create a resume using these recommendations and uses the information in your USAJOBS profile to help you get started.
Helpful Hints for Creating a Two-Page Resume:
- Prioritize most relevant and recent experience
- Use concise, results focused language
- Align language from the job announcement
- Focus on demonstrating skills and competencies
- Remove outdated or unrelated experience
- Use the USAJOBS resume builder
Additional guidance on this new requirement and resume building tools can be found at:
Next steps
After the vacancy announcement closes, applicants are evaluated to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email.