Lock and Dam Equipment Mechanic Job in Lake Charles, LA

Vacancy No. CERG250252665008HW Department U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Salary $35.68 to $41.63 Grade 5 to 10
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 9/22/2025 Close Date 9/26/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Lake Charles, LA


Summary

This is a Direct Hire Authority (DHA) solicitation utilizing the DHA for Certain Competitive Service Positions to recruit and appoint qualified candidates to positions in the competitive service.

About the Position: You will perform journeyman-level preventive maintenance, troubleshooting, repair, and overhaul of mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, and electrical systems supporting lock and dam operations. You will operate, maintain, and inspect a variety of complex systems and heavy equipment.

Duties

  • Maintaining, repairing, and overhauling mechanical, hydraulic, and electrical systems operating miter gates, culvert valves, tainter gates, and associated components.
  • Diagnosing and troubleshooting system malfunctions using schematics, wiring diagrams, and test equipment.
  • Repairing and operating mobile and floating plant equipment including 600-ton bulkhead cranes, diesel generators, and auxiliary piggyback cranes.
  • Conducting preventive and corrective maintenance inspections per formal in-house programs.
  • Serving as project primary or alternate Government Purchase Cardholder, timekeeper, and/or contract inspector.
  • Performing occasional Lock and Dam Operator duties including water level regulation, vessel movement coordination, and data reporting.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
  • Business travel up to 10% of the time.
  • Incumbent may be required to have an American Red Cross Standard First Aid card, CPR, and/or AED in good standing and/or wear prescribed uniform based on site specific requirements.
  • This position requires the completion of a pre-employment and annual physical examinations.
  • This position has a requirement to lift up to 50 lbs. in the regular performance of duties.
  • The position meets the criteria for random drug testing under the Department of the Army Drug-Free Federal Workplace Program.
  • This position has been designated "Mission Essential". In the event of severe weather conditions or other such emergency type situations (natural or man-made disaster) the incumbent is required to report to work or remain at work.
  • The duties of this position require the incumbent to possess or obtain and maintain a valid state Driver's License in one of the 50 U.S. states or possessions.

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.

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 at WY-05 (Screen Out Element): Ability to do the work of a Lock and Dam Equipment Mechanic without more than normal supervision. I have the ability to perform some common Lock and Dam Equipment Mechanic Operations. I have performed maintenance and emergency repairs on hydraulic, electrical, and mechanical systems at lock and dam facilities. I work under normal supervision of a work leader or journey-level employee who observes tasks in progress and upon completion to make sure they are properly performed. - Failure to meet this Screen Out Element will result in an ineligible rating.

Minimum Qualifications at WY-08 (Screen Out Element): Ability to do the work of a Lock and Dam Equipment Mechanic without more than normal supervision. I have the ability to perform common Lock and Dam Equipment Mechanic Operations. I have performed maintenance and emergency repairs on hydraulic, electrical, and mechanical systems at lock and dam facilities. Used tools such as multimeters and pressure gauges to find and fix equipment problems. Work is under supervision of a work leader or journey-level employee who reviews work for completion. - Failure to meet this Screen Out Element will result in an ineligible rating.

Minimum Qualifications at WY-10 (Screen Out Element): Ability to do the work of a Lock and Dam Equipment Mechanic without more than normal supervision. I have the ability to perform common Lock and Dam Equipment Mechanic Operations. I have performed maintenance and emergency repairs on hydraulic, electrical, and mechanical systems at lock and dam facilities. Read wiring diagrams and manuals to install and fix control systems like programmable logic controllers. Used tools such as multimeters and pressure gauges to find and fix equipment problems. Work is under normal supervision of a work leader or journey-level employee who observes tasks in progress and upon completion to make sure they are properly performed. - Failure to meet this Screen Out Element will result in an ineligible rating.

Ability To Do The Work Of The Position Without More Than Normal Supervision (Screen-out Element)

  • Physical Effort: Work requires frequent standing, stooping, stretching, climbing and crouching. Routinely lifts and carries items weighing up to 50 pounds. Uses coordination of eyes, hands, legs and body in installing, repairing, or testing equipment in confined spaces such as manholes, enclosed switchgear structures, or on overhead structures; climbs ladders and poles. Machinery on high lift structures is large and requires the skills of a heavy construction mechanic to effect repair or replacement.
  • Working Conditions: Work is performed indoors and outdoors during the day or night subject to inclement weather, on high structures usually over water that is frequently turbulent, in the proximity of moving machinery and high tension electrical equipment, on scaffolds and from slings or floating plant. Occasionally will work behind bulkheads or in tunnels below water level. Incumbent is subject to falls, drowning, electrical shocks, injury, or discomfort and when inside, exposure to moving machinery, electrical circuits and loud noises, and at times, dangerous icy conditions. Uses safety equipment such as life vests, protective ear devices, hard hats, hard toe shoes, respirators and protective clothing.

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.
  • 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 a(n) Engineers and Scientists (Resources and Construction) Career Field position.
  • 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.
  • This is a 1st shift position, hours for the shift are: 0600 to 1430.

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.

Once the announcement has closed, a review of 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, 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.

Veterans and Military Spouses will be considered along with all other candidates.

Required Documents

The documents you are required to submit vary based on whether or not you are eligible for preference in federal employment. A complete description of preference categories and the associated required documents is in the Applicant Checklist for Public 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 may be marked as incomplete and you may 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
  • This position requires a job-related license or certification. You MUST submit a copy of your license or certification with your application package or you will be rated ineligible. See: Transcripts and Licenses
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 above.

The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 09/26/2025 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/12805008).
  • 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
RG-W2R902 US ARMY ENGINEER DISTRICT-NEW ORLEANS
DO NOT MAIL
New Orleans, LA 70118
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 (as applicable) 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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