Summary
About the Position: Serves as Head Dam Operator for the Northern Area Office, Blue Marsh Lake. Responsible for Operation and Maintenance duties involving an earthen-filled, multi-purpose dam with hydraulically controlled intake/outlet systems, operation and maintenance of the Bernville Protective Works, Day Use Area, Visitor Center, Stilling Basin, two launch areas, primitive camping areas, and remote parking access areas.
This job is open to
Clarification from the agency
See "Who May Apply" in the "Qualifications" section for more information on who is eligible to apply for this position.
Duties
- Develops daily, weekly, monthly work schedules and sequence of operations for subordinates.
- Directs and/or performs the operation and maintenance of all equipment and machinery for opening and closing of selective withdrawal,
service and emergency dam gates
- Oversees the maintenance of reservoir water levels, and the regulation of reservoir flows in accordance with established operational guides
- Directs the operation and maintenance of all auxiliary equipment including pumps, motors, energy generator, etc.
- Periodically tests and inspects all equipment and machinery for wear, corrosion and general deterioration and reports need for more extensive repairs and malfunctioning of equipment to higher authority
- Inspects, performs or directs maintenance and minor repair of dam structures including spillway, intake structure, outlet tunnel, cut and fill slopes (to correct cracks, seepage, spalling, loss of grade, loose rip-rap, etc.)
- Oversees the operation and maintenance of the Bernville Protective Works, which involves: large levee and ponding areas, pump
station with ten pumps, two retention dams, sluice gates, pressure gates, and the 105,000 gallon fire water storage tank
- Directs and/or performs maintenance operations and inspections of Day Use Area facilities
- Maintains the operation of beaches, recreation areas; Stilling Basin; Visitor Center; roads; landscape; gutters; catch basins and culverts; buoy system; parking areas and appurtenant structures to include the sewage collection and treatment system.
- Oversees the maintenance and repair of 300 gallon sprayer, mowing machinery, dump truck, deck-over-wheels trailer, salt spreader, tractor with backhoe/front-end loader, and other equipment assigned to maintenance functions.
- Answers questions from the public, provides tours and briefings.
- Provides cross training of permanent maintenance personnel on dam operations to include reading of instrumentation, recording data,
gate changes and other operations necessary in the absence of dam operators.
- Establishes deadlines and priorities on the basis of general work schedules and methods, and policies established in conjunction with and approved by higher levels of supervision.
Requirements
Conditions of employment
- Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
- May be required to serve a one year probationary period, if not already completed.
- Must be willing to take and pass a pre-employment drug and alcohol test and must be willing and able to pass random drug and alcohol
(to include urine analysis) tests thereafter.
- Must have a valid state driver's license.
- Must be able to obtain and maintain a USACE license to operate boats/vessels, less than 26 feet in length.
- Must be willing and able to lift objects weighing more than 50 lbs.
- Must be willing and able to travel away from your permanent duty station up to 25% of the time.
- Must be able to obtain and maintain a CPR, First Aid and Dam Safety license/certificate.
- Required to take a pre-employment physical and every two years therafter.
Qualifications
Who May Apply: US Citizens
In order to qualify, you must meet the experience requirements described below. 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; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document.
Minimum Qualifications (Screen Out Element): Ability to do the work of a(n) HEAD DAM OPERATOR without more than normal supervision. Qualified applicants must show in their resume the ability to do the work of a Head Dam Operator such as administration, operation and maintenance of a multipurpose flood control project; operation and maintenance of vehicles and equipment; plan and direct the work activities of lower graded employees. - Failure to meet this Screen Out Element will result in an ineligible rating.
Physical Effort:
Periodically lifts and moves objects weighing fifty (50) pounds or more. Frequent arm and leg movement in manipulating gears and controls when operating equipment.
Working Conditions:
Work is usually performed outdoors with frequent exposure to long periods or hot sun or freezing temperatures. Subject to certain hazards (burns, fumes, shock, drowning, cuts, bruises) in performing and overseeing maintenance details
Education
This job does not have an education qualification requirement.
Additional information
- This announcement uses the DHA for Certain Personnel of the DoD Workforce direct hire authority to recruit and appoint qualified candidates to certain positions in the competitive service
- Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
- You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship.
- This position requires a 1 year probationary period during which the agency evaluates your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In making this determination, the agency may consider your performance and conduct; agency needs and interests; whether your continued employment supports organizational or Government goals; and whether it promotes the efficiency of the Federal service. Continued employment requires written certification that it advances the public interest.
- Direct deposit of pay is required.
- Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees.
- If you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant, see the information in the Reemployed Annuitant information sheet.
- This is an Engineers and Scientists (Resources and Construction) Career Program position aligned under the Construction, Analysis, Science, Infrastructure & Engineers (CASIE) Career Management Directorate.
- Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
- Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement.
- Payment of Permanent Change of Station (PCS) costs is not authorized, based on a determination that a PCS move is not in the Government interest.
- Relocation or recruitment incentive may be authorized pending management and district approval and interest.
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
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.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
As vacancies occur, the Human Resources Office will review your resume to ensure you meet the hiring eligibility and qualification requirements listed in this flyer. You will be rated based on the information provided in your resume, along with your supporting documentation.
If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.
Veterans and Military Spouses will be considered along with all other candidates.
If selected, you may be required to provide additional supporting documentation.
Required Documents
Your complete application includes your resume and other documents which prove your qualifications and eligibility to apply. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further.
1. Your resume:
- Your resume must be two pages or less and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration.
- For each relevant work experience, make sure you include the employer's name, job title, start and end dates (include month and year), for qualifications purposes, the number of hours worked per week, and a brief description that show you can perform the tasks at the required level listed in the job announcement. If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as incomplete, and you may not receive consideration for this position.
- Use plain language. Avoid using acronyms and terms that are not easily understood. The hiring agency will not make assumptions about what's in your resume.
- If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations, and you may not be considered for this vacancy.
- For additional information, to include formatting tips, see: What to include in your resume.
2. Other supporting documents:
NOTE: Documents submitted as part of the application package, to include supplemental documents, may be shared beyond the Human Resources Office. Some supplemental documents such as military orders and marriage certificates may contain personal information for someone other than you. You may sanitize these documents to remove another person's personal information before you submit your application. You may be asked to provide an un-sanitized version of the documents if you are selected to confirm your eligibility.
How to Apply
To apply for this position, you must complete the online questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 10/30/2026 to receive consideration.
- To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application (https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13088317).
- Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. As a reminder, your resume must be two pages or less and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. For additional information, refer to the 'Required Documents' section.
- You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
- After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
- You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application. Your resume selected in USAJOBS will be included, but you must re-select other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application may be incomplete.
- It is your responsibility to verify that your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan.
- Additional information on how to complete the online application process and submit your online application may be found on the USA Staffing Applicant Resource Center.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (
https://www.usajobs.gov/applicant/profile/dashboard/), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status.
Next steps
Eligible applicants will be referred to the hiring manager. The selecting official may choose to conduct interviews.
Acknowledgement and Notice of Results letters will be sent by the hiring office.The evaluation will be based on the information you provide.
You should expect that we will verify performance, suitability, and security information and take that information into account in making employment offers.