LOCK AND DAM OPERATOR SUPERVISOR Job in Sault Ste. Marie, MI

Vacancy No. CERE259418904756 Department U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Salary $37.74 to $44.09 Grade 9 to 9
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 7/31/2025 Close Date 8/14/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Status Candidates
Locations:
Sault Ste. Marie, MI


Summary

About the Position: Serves as lockmaster at the Soo Locks, which has been designated as National Security Critical Infrastructure. During the regular work week (24 percent of the time), the Lock and Dam Operator Supervisor (Lockmaster) works under the direction of the Chief of the Lock Operations Branch (Chief Lockmaster). During shift work after regular business hours from Monday through Friday and on weekends, performs the duties without on-duty director supervisory guidance

Duties

  • Provides general instructions, sets overall priorities and policies, and is available for consultation on unusual problems or interpretation of policies or procedures.
  • Responsible for directing subordinates and controlling work operations and is held accountable to higher level management for the quantity, quality and efficient accomplishment of work under his jurisdiction.
  • Serves as the site’s Emergency Response Contact, working directly with employees, contractors, and other governmental agencies in emergency situations.
  • Makes independent interpretive decisions during non-business hours to problem solve and direct resources as necessary to resolve any issues that arise.
  • Reviews daily reports, logs, personal observations, and monitors marine radio channels and evaluates in terms of results achieved.
  • Coordinates with plant and survey chief to conduct survey as necessary after groundings or to direct plant resources as needed.
  • Maintains contact with the Canadian National Park Service navigation lock, and the U.S. Coast Guard on matters relating to lock closure and routing of vessel traffic

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
  • DRUG TESTING: This is a drug testing position; you must be willing to submit to drug testing when directed.
  • Incumbent will have to pass a pre-employment physical to meet physical requirements. This position requires an annual physical.
  • Work is subject to rotating shifts and/or irregular tour of duty to include weekends, nights, and/or holidays.
  • This position requires you to lift up to 40 pounds.
  • Work is subject to rotating shifts and/or irregular tour of duty to include weekends, nights, and/or holidays.
  • This position requires up to 25% TDY or travel away from the normal duty station.
  • This position requires the incumbent be able to obtain and maintain a determination of eligibility for a Secret security clearance or access for the duration of employment.
  • This position is supervisory as defined by the Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) General Schedule Supervisory Guide (GSSG). A one-year probation to assess your ability to perform supervisory duties is required unless previously completed.
  • This position has been designated "Mission Essential". In the event of severe weather conditions or other such emergency type situations the incumbent is required to report to work or remain at work as scheduled to support mission operations.

Qualifications

Who May Apply: Only applicants who meet one of the employment authority categories below are eligible to apply for this job. You will be asked to identify which category or categories you meet, and to provide documents which prove you meet the category or categories you selected. See Proof of Eligibility for an extensive list of document requirements for all employment authorities.

  • Current Department of Army Civilian Employees
  • Domestic Defense Industrial Base/Major Range and Test Facilities Base Civilian Personnel Workforce
  • Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan
  • Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act
  • Military Spouses, under Executive Order (E.O.) 13473
  • Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Reserve (MR) and National Guard (NG) Technician Eligible
  • Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Spouse Preference (MSP) Eligible
  • Priority Placement Program, DoD MR and NG Preference Eligible Tech Receiving Disability Retirement
  • Priority Placement Program, DoD Retained Grade Preference Eligible
  • Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) of 1998


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.

There is no specific length of training or experience required. However, you must be able to demonstrate, through experience shown in your written application materials that you possess the sufficient knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the work of this position without more than normal supervision.

Minimum Qualifications (Screen Out Element): Ability to do the work of a(n) LOCK AND DAM OPERATOR SUPERVISOR without more than normal supervision. I have the ability to perform the most difficult and complex lock and dam duties as a supervisor at a lock and dam facility; I have been responsible of dispatching and directing of a lockage of vessels using a marine radio telephone from an elevated control tower. I have determined the specific actions to take during equipment breakdowns, delays in operations, and accidents. I have supervised and controlled all marine traffic through a canal and the coordination of opening and closing of railroad bridges with vessel traffic. I have relayed information or passed on instructions to shift, as appropriate. I am skilled in informing vessel masters and boat operators of possible dangers in the lock area, lock rules and regulations, channel obstructions, water elevations, mooring positions, improper handling, etc. - Failure to meet this Screen Out Element will result in an ineligible rating.

  • Ability to Interpret Instructions, Specification, etc.
  • Ability to Lead or Supervise
  • Knowledge of Equipment Assembly, Installation, Repair, etc.
  • Operation of Equipment and Machinery
  • Technical Practices (theoretical, precise, artistic)

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

  • 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.
  • One year trial/probationary period may be required.
  • Appointment is subject to the completion of a favorable suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a background investigation.
  • Direct deposit of pay is required.
  • This is a(n) 18 Career Field position.
  • 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.
  • Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
  • Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement.
  • When you perform a Civilian Permanent Change of Station (PCS) with the government, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) considers the majority of your entitlements to be taxable. Visit https://www.dfas.mil/civilianemployees/civrelo/Civilian-Moving-Expenses-Tax-Deduction/ for more information.
  • Permanent Change of Station (PCS) allowances may be authorized, subject to the provisions of the Joint Travel Regulations and an agency determination that a PCS move is in the Government Interest.
  • The following special programs/incentives may be offered if it is in the best interest of the government:
    • Advanced in-hire (offered to new to federal service employees only)
    • Advanced Leave Accrual (offered to new to federal service employees only)
    • Permanent Change of Station entitlement (PCS)
    • Relocation/Recruitment Incentives

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.

Benefits

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.

Your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement. If you are minimally qualified, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine your level of experience. 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.

You should list any relevant performance appraisals and incentive awards in your resume as that information may be taken into consideration during the selection process. If selected, you may be required to provide supporting documentation.

You may claim Military Spouse preference.

You may claim Priority Placement Program (PPP) preference.

DoD Priority Placement Program (PPP) Applicants will receive preference consideration at the full-performance grade level only.

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP). If you are a Federal employee in the competitive service and your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority for this position. To receive selection priority, you must: (1) meet ICTAP eligibility criteria (2) be rated well-qualified for the position and; (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your ICTAP eligibility. To be considered well-qualified and receive selection priority applicants must satisfy all qualification requirements for the position and receive a score of 90 or above. Additional information about the program is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website.

Required Documents

The documents you are required to submit vary based on the authority you are using to apply (i.e., applying as a veteran, applying as a current permanent Federal employee, applying as a reinstatement, etc). Please review the following links to see which documents you need to provide to prove your eligibility to apply: Applicant Checklist for Internal/Merit Promotion Announcements.

As described above, your complete application includes your resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which prove your 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 may be submitted in any format and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement.
  • 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 qualifications determinations your resume must contain hours worked per week and the dates of employment (i.e., HRS per week and month/year to month/year or month/year to present). If your resume does not contain this information, your application will be marked as incomplete and you will not receive consideration for this position.
  • For additional information see: What to include in your resume.

2. Other supporting documents:
  • Cover Letter, optional
  • Most recent Performance Appraisal, if applicable
  • Proof of Eligibility to Apply: Your application must include the documents which prove you are eligible to apply for the vacancy. The Proof of Eligibility document describes authorities commonly used in merit promotion recruitment and what document(s) are required to prove you meet the requirements of the authority. You must meet the requirements of at least one of the authorities listed in the Who May Apply section above to receive further consideration.
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 08/14/2025 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/12774756).
  • Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. 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. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will 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://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), 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://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.

Agency contact information

Army Applicant Help Desk
Address
RE-W2SM07 US ARMY ENGINEER DISTRICT-DETROIT
DO NOT MAIL
Detroit, MI 48231
US

Next steps

If you provided an email address, you will receive an email message acknowledging receipt of your application. Your application package will be used to determine your eligibility, qualifications, and quality ranking for this position. If you are determined to be ineligible or not qualified, your application will receive no further consideration.


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.


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