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.

This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until May 22, 2026. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be April 27, 2026. Eligible applications received after the initial cut-off date will be referred as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis until positions are filled.

• Uses electronic, hydraulic, and pneumatic controls, and zone charts in conjunction with meters, gauges, and computer-generated data to determine adjustments or corrections necessary for proper boiler operations or changing load requirements.
• Monitors and tests the operation of high pressure steam boiler systems in order to identify malfunctions and potential problems with equipment such as automatic controls, valves, electrostatic precipitators, lime slurry systems, piping, pumps, and related components.
• Performs operational maintenance (e.g. lubricate equipment and power clean water tubes) and repairs of limited complexity on mechanical parts and systems and may be required to perform limited or basic electrical repairs.
• Uses the proper tools for boiler and associated equipment maintenance, including the instrumentation.
• Take samples of the boiler feed water and test them for the proper level of chemical additives. Based upon the results of these tests, adjusts the level of the chemicals that are fed into the boiler water to achieve the proper operating levels.
• Performs preventative and scheduled maintenance on plant systems and equipment including boiler feed pumps, fuel oil pumps, air compressors, turbines, generators, boiler fixtures, and combustion fans.
• Installs, maintains, and repairs a variety of complex equipment and systems involving high pressure steam generating boilers with complicated components, critical requirements, and rigid tolerances.
• Provides comprehensive control and operational readiness of all high-pressure steam boilers supplying the main hospital and all outlying support structures.
• Operates and maintains high pressure boilers and their auxiliary equipment controls.
• Starts up any boiler and bring it to the state where it can take its share of the load.
• Executes proper boiler blow down procedures and the proper soot blowing procedures.
• Operates medical center fire safety codes.
• Set up fire watches till the alarm situation is rectified.
• Calls in vendors to perform corrective procedures to get buildings out of alarm status.
• Performs plumbing work involving maintenance and repair of a wide variety of piping, plumbing fixtures (lavatories, commodes, sink, disposals, bathtubs and shower fixtures).
• Make electrical repairs by removing ad replacing defective parts.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: First 90 days training Monday -Friday 6:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.; then permanent schedule: West Roxbury, MA campus: Tuesday-Saturday 6:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. and Jamaica Plain, MA campus: Tuesday- Saturday 10:00 p.m. - 6:00 a.m.
Position Description Title/PD#: Boiler Plant Operator/PD523-00308-A
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Recruitment Incentive: May be Authorized
Permanent Change of Station: Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required

Notifications:

• This position is in the Competitive Service.
• Current and former Federal employees may submit copies of their most recent SF-50, (Notice of Personnel Action). The SF-50 must identify the position title, series, grade, step, tenure and type of service (Competitive or Excepted). In some cases, more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held.
• This position is covered by a special rate.
• Selectees may be required to work at any VA Boston Healthcare System campus or CBOC, as needed.
• Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job
• Subject to a background/suitability investigation
• 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.

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.

Qualifications

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.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 05/22/2026.

Skills and Knowledge Required by the Position: The incumbent must have a journeyman's knowledge of the operation and maintenance of high pressure boilers and their auxiliary equipment and controls. Specifically, they must be familiar with performing the following functions:

• Must be familiar with pneumatic and direct digital controls and their operation on equipment used in boiler controls.
• Must have knowledge of boiler construction and know the characteristics of all associated boiler equipment.
• Must know how to start up idle boilers and equipment so as to get them operational in emergency situations in a timely manner.
• Must know how to take samples of the boiler feed water and test them for the proper level of chemical additives.
• Must know how to adjust the level of the chemicals that are fed into the boiler water to achieve the proper operating levels based upon the results of these tests.
• Must know how to switch from operation on natural gas, the primary fuel, to fuel oil and back again.
• Must have knowledge of sounding fuel oil tanks, receiving deliveries of oil, and putting information in the log book.
• Must know the techniques for lining up fuel oil systems to take action from the fuel tanks, and the procedures for shifting fuel oil from one tank to another.
• Must have a working knowledge of plumbing, steam fitting and electricity.
• Must be intimately familiar with the proper lock out/tag out systems that are used on the boilers to isolate all the various energy sources while working on boiler and equipment maintenance.
• Must have the ability to interpret drawings, manuals and technical guides, and lay out work as necessary.
• Must have a journeyman's knowledge of the operation and maintenance of high pressure boilers ad their auxiliary equipment and controls.
• Must be able to use the proper tools for boiler and associated equipment maintenance, including the instrumentation used to measure or rectify a situation to keep boilers and equipment operating in a safe and proper manner.
• Must be able to perform minor repairs and make adjustments to instruments so as to operate in a safe and efficient manner.
• Must be physically capable of lifting of up to 50 pounds is required as is the ability to walk and climb stairs as a great amount of the time required to conduct readings on equipment throughout all levels of the boiler plant.

Physical Requirements: The position requires moderate to strenuous effort and long periods of walking, standing, climbing, bending and crouching. The incumbent must work from ladders and catwalks, at times above 20 feet, and in cramped spaces. The incumbent must frequently lift and carry objects up to 50 pounds and may be required to handle heavier loads with the assistance of lifting devices or other workers.

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:

• Ability to Do the Work of the Position without More Than Normal Supervision
• Dexterity and Safety
• Inspect
• Plan and organize work
• Shop Practices
• Troubleshooting

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.

Resume Reminder: Your resume must include the following information each job listed:

1. Job title
2. Duties (be as detailed as possible)
3. Month & year start/end dates (e.g. June 2007 to April 2008)
4. Full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week)

Please be aware that your answers will be verified against information provided on your resume. Be sure that your resume clearly supports your responses to all of the questions by addressing your work experience in detail.

An incomplete application will receive a rating of IFFM (ineligible due to missing forms). Requests for reconsideration will not be considered for applicants who fail to submit a complete application package. We cannot be held responsible for incompatible software or fax transmissions.

Documents Accepted:

• Cover Letter
• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Disability Letter (Schedule A)
• Disability Letter (VA)
• 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