Clarification from the agency

ALL US CITIZENS DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled using Direct-Hire Authority (5 CFR 337.201) for this occupation.

Major duties include, but not limited to:

• Boiler plant operators start, operate, adjust, stop, maintain and perform various operational repairs on three multiple fuel power boilers and related auxiliary and pollution control equipment in a safe and efficient manner. Due to the nature of the boilers, operators are not authorized to leave the boilers unattended, even for brief periods, without relief by a qualified operator. The boilers are capable of producing 105,000 pounds of steam per hour at 90 psi with the ability to fire on natural gas or #2 fuel oil. The high pressure boilers require constant attention to maintain efficiency and control the formation of pollutants. Operators maintain efficient combustion levels and ensure compliance with EPA and Texas Air Control Board by controlling the 02 and CO2 gases with installed Autoflame controllers as well as flue gas analyzers. Through the use of manual, automatic, or computer controls or control systems the boiler operators monitor, adjust, and control all phases of boiler plant operation.
• Use electronic, hydraulic, and pneumatic controls in conjunction with meters, gauges, and computer generated data to determine adjustments or corrections necessary for proper boiler operations or changing load demands. They operate auxiliary and pollution control machinery such as pumps, forced draft blowers, air compressors, deaerating equipment, heaters, condensers as well as all related auxiliary equipment necessary to supply steam for heating, laundry, food preparation, sterilization or other hospital facilities and equipment.
• Operators are responsible for routinely observing the instruments, gauges, meters, detectors, recorders, water level indicators, controls, water chemistry and equipment as well as computer generated data. Furthermore the operator is responsible for maintaining logs, records and other data to ensure proper tracking of steam produced, water and fuel oil usage, electricity, natural gas, laundry meters and chemical treatment of the boilers and related systems as appropriate as well as relaying information to other operators and the supervisor.
• Operators collect boiler, feed, condensate and water softener samples; analyzing and treating the systems as necessary and taking corrective actions as appropriate. They perform operational maintenance and repairs of moderate complexity such as repairing and replacing valves, gauges, pumps or other equipment as well as basic electrical repairs. They also operate emergency generators to meet plant electrical requirements when the main electrical source is unavailable. They check the operation of safety equipment such as flame extinction, automatic re-ignition, low water cut-outs, high pressure cut-outs, and purge type combustion safeties.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday; Rotating shifts = 8:00 am to 4:00 pm; 4:00 pm to midnight; Midnight to 8:00 am
Position Description Title/PD#: Boiler Plant Operator/PD00894A
Physical Requirements: Heavy lifting, 45 pounds and over; Climbing, use of legs and arms; Excessive heat; Excessive humidity; Slippery or uneven walking surfaces; Working on ladders or scaffolding; Working alone.

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
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• A complete application package; including Resume, Transcripts, etc. is required
• 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 identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, 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. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period , your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

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.



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 (includes 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.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Applicants will be referred in the order in which they were received.

Documents Accepted:

• Cover Letter
• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Disability Letter (Schedule A)
• Disability Letter (VA)
• License
• Other (1)
• PCS Orders
• Performance Appraisal
• Professional Certification
• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-15
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

Documents Required:

• Resume

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.

Next steps