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.

The purpose of this position is to serve as a Boiler Plant Operator Supervisor. The position is located in the Engineering Service of the Memphis VAMC and reports to the Assistant Chief of the Engineering Service. Major duties include, but not limited to:

• Supervise is the Boiler Plant Section which supplies steam for heating, cooking, humidification, sterilizers, and hot water for the 1,300,000+ square foot medical center.
• Supervisor of the Boiler Plant the incumbent has the full range of responsibility and control of all work operation of this unit.
• Responsible for both quantity and quality of the work production of each employee in this unit.
• Responsible for administering management programs to employees such as labor relations, safety program, cost reduction and suggestions.
• Must develop and carry out the maintenance plan for the unit, keeping in mind overall management policies and procedures. Supervises all work in systems related to operation and maintenance of boiler plant.
• This work may include such systems as: Proper function of boiler operation, testing of automatic equipment for proper operation and safety, maintaining proper log of operational data, preparing reports of boiler plant operation for submission to VACO, make tests of boiler water and prescribe chemical treatment required, maintain adequate supply of standby fuel oil for emergencies.
• Supervises seven Boiler Plant Operators. Takes and reviews work assignments; develops work standards, methods and procedures and coordinates work.
• Responsible for maintaining the proper materials, tools, and test equipment to accomplish work assignments of the unit without delay.
• Coordinates with contractors for contract work for maintenance, installations, and alterations, etc., in the Boiler plant. Coordinates with contractor personnel who have contracts with the VA Medical Center for new construction, alteration type work, maintenance, and testing of all plant equipment involved in the day-to-day operations of the medical center.
• Carries out the objectives and policies of the overall Engineering Service.
• Makes and approves leave schedules, makes daily work assignments, recommends promotions, takes necessary disciplinary actions and handles complaints of subordinates.

Work Schedule: Monday- Friday 7am to 3pm , 7:30am-4pm
Position Description Title/PD#: Boiler Plant Operator Supervisor/PD01788O
Physical Requirements: Boiler Plant Operator frequently works in confined areas in and around boiler and support equipment. The work requires moderate to strenuous effort and long periods of walking, standing, climbing, bending, and crouching. Operator must be able to lift and carry heavy parts and equipment weighing up to fifty pounds. Must make repairs from ladders, scaffolding and platforms, stretch, bend and crawl through small openings such as 12"X16" elliptical opening.

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.

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

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:

• Equipment Assembly, Installation, Repair
• Interpret Instructions, Specifications (other than blueprint reading)
• Lead or Supervise
• Technical Practices
• Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment

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