Clarification from the agency

This vacancy announcement is open to current, permanent VA Employees, CTAP eligible, All Federal employees serving on a Career/Career-Conditional appointment; former competitive civil service employees eligible for reinstatement; Veterans eligible under the VEOA, as 30% Disabled Veterans, and under VRA; those eligible under the Employment Program for People with Disabilities, those eligible under Military Spouse and those eligible under ICTAP, and Land & Base Management.

Major duties include but not limited to:

• Responsible for the comprehensive management of electronic systems within the Ralph H Johnson VAMC.
• Performs design, installation, maintenance, and administrative duties on these systems as required.
• Works in all areas of the medical center, supports both patient care and ancillary services.
• Plans and performs schedules and unscheduled (emergency) maintenance on systems to ensure that they are operating properly, calibrated, and in compliance with applicable codes and standards.
• Seeks ways to reduce failures, eliminate safety hazards, and enhance accuracy and reliability.
• Recommends whether systems are to be removed from service, allowed to remain in service, or be restored to service.
• Responsible for all of the electronic systems at all satelite clinics in various geographical locations.

Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 7:30am - 4:00pm. Work schedule subject to change due to agency needs.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Electronic Technician/PD10971-A, PD10972-A, PD10973-A, PD534-50021-A, and PD534-07790-A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized.
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved.
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• You must have a current, valid driver's license.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Pre employment physical 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 dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial 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 or trial 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, 01/15/2026.

Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.

Specialized Experience GS-7: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-6 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include following specific layout and schematic diagrams to construct or package simple devices or subunits of equipment. Under the review of higher graded technicians performed maintenance, operations, testing, or development work.
OR
**OR One year of successfully completed graduate level education (18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours or the equivalent) in electrical engineering, electronics engineering, or engineering technology, or other directly related field of study if it provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. Note: You must attach a copy of your transcripts.

Specialized Experience GS-8: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-7 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of such experience may include preparing circuit diagrams, laying out circuits to provide adequate mechanical mounting support for components, constructing breadboard models of equipment, tracing circuitry, diagnosing malfunctions and adjusting controls to achieve peak performance or preparing schematics and wiring diagrams for completed equipment.
** OR 2 years of progressively higher level graduate education (36 semester hours, 54 semester hours) leading to a master's or equivalent degree in electrical engineering, electronics engineering, or engineering technology or other directly related field of study if it provided the knowledge, skill and abilities necessary to do the work of this position.
**OR a combination of successfully completed graduate level education, as described above, and professional experience, as described above: Note: You must attach a copy of your transcripts.

Specialized Experience GS-9: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-8 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of such experience may include planning own work and assuring that it met established technical requirements as documented in manufacturers' handbooks and reporting to scientists or officials who use the equipment in their work.

**OR 2-years of progressively higher level graduate education (36 semester hours, 54 semester hours) leading to a master's or equivalent degree in electrical engineering, electronics engineering, or engineering technology or other directly related field of study if it provided the knowledge, skill and abilities necessary to do the work of the this position.

**OR A combination of successfully completed graduate level education, as described above, and professional experience, as described above. Note: You must attach a copy of your transcripts.

Specialized Experience GS-10: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-9 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of such experience may include install, maintain, operate, and test electronic equipment which is specially designed, constructed, or modified to fill a specific function; work with subsystems that are complex because of miniature size, density of circuitry, lack of available documentation, etc; work on equipment in remote spots, high towers or in cramped quarters without time for trial & error approached or bulky test equipment.

Specialized Experience GS-11: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-10 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of such experience may include selecting or recommending approaches to solving unique design problems, developing new components or circuits in units or devices with very critical tolerances or performance characteristics, and conferring with scientists to gain understanding of the objectives desired.


Electronics technicians may have gained experience assisting in work situations including:

Maintenance, Fabrication, Testing and Evaluation/Research and Development, Sustainment, and 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.

Physical Requirements: The incumbent handles objects weighing up to (20) pounds routinely and occasionally handles objects up to fifty (50) pounds. Frequently, work will be performed in cramped and awkward positions. The work also requires prolonged periods of standing and walking. Technical, academic, and mental demands are considerable. The work performed is of a precise nature, requiring prolonged concentration. The incumbent often works under conditions of stress caused by the nature of the work and the necessity to meet deadlines. Incumbent is required to frequently travel to perform work at remote sites. Emergencies at these locations will require immediate response allowing very limited time for notice and preparation.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

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.

Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.

Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

• Resume

The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please make sure you have included other documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), documentation to support Veterans Preference claims, or ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees). You will not be contacted for additional information.

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

SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action (if applicable for Time in Grade and/or Eligibility):

• Most recent SF-50 if you are a current or former Federal employee
• An SF-50 showing your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade
• Award 50's do not provide sufficient information and will not be accepted for the purpose of verifying time-in-grade.
• Examples of appropriate SF-50's include:
  • Within grade increases at the highest grade held; or
  • Promotions with an effective date more than one year old; or
  • SF-50's at the highest grade held with an effective date more than one year old.

Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit Feds Hire Vets - Veterans - Job Seekers - Veterans' Preference.

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