Machine Tool Work Inspector Job in Watervliet, NY

Vacancy No. MCGM-26-12961630-MP Department Army Tank-Automotive and Armament Command (TACOM)
Salary $35.03 to $40.87 Grade 12 to 12
Perm/Temp Temporary FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 5/15/2026 Close Date 5/26/2026
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Status Candidates
Locations:
Watervliet, NY


Summary

About the Position: This announcement is NOT intended for current, permanent Army employees. Current, permanent Army employees who would like to be considered for this time-limited assignment should instead apply to Announcement #MCGM-26-12961631-MP. Please see "Conditions of Employment" section below for further details.

This job is open to

Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)

Federal employees whose job, agency or department was eliminated and are eligible for priority over other applicants.

Military spouses

Military spouses of active duty service members or whose spouse is 100 percent disabled or died on active duty.

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

  • Performs complex final and in-process inspections of large caliber weapon components to determine that the physical and operating characteristics are within acceptable standards and specifications.
  • Determines acceptability on critically designed products such as multi lug light weight breech mechanisms, experimental composite materials used in light-weight gun barrels, electromagnetic cannon and liquid propellant firing systems.
  • Performs inspection on prototype and conventional weapons returned from the field for a variety of reasons (modifications, condemnation, unusual wear patterns, etc.) to determine components integrity and prepares written reports.
  • Recommends repair and modifications to component parts and sub-assemblies to correct faulty components identified during inspection.
  • Ensures that all inspection equipment, tools, gages, etc. used for inspecting and testing purposes is properly calibrated and functionally accurate.
  • Approves/disapproves processes using established procedures.
  • Utilizes oral and written communication (with operators, manufacturing supervision, and support organizations), to convey any problems that impede the production of repetitive defect free work.
  • Conducts pressure testing and gymnastication of breech mechanism assemblies through the use of complex mechanical and hydraulic equipment to determine whether assemblies conform to specifications.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

  • Position may be filled as a term appointment NTE 2 years. Term appointments may be extended beyond 6 years, up to 8 years. With DoD approval, term appointments may be extended beyond 8 years.
  • Current permanent Federal employees (to include permanent Army employees) applying for a term appointment will be appointed/converted into a term appointment with no statutory return rights back to a permanent position.
  • Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
  • This position requires the completion of a pre-employment Physical Examination and an annual examination thereafter to ensure the continued, required level of physical health, ability or fitness to perform the duties of the position.
  • This position requires the employee to use personal protective equipment provided by the employer.
  • Due to the nature of this position, employees may be required to work both planned and unscheduled overtime.
  • This position requires shift work.
  • Heavy lifting up to 44 lbs.
  • May be subject to one year trial/probationary period.
  • See "Additional Information" section for additional requirements.

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.

  • Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan
  • Military Spouses, under Executive Order (E.O.) 13473
  • Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Spouse Preference (MSP) Eligible
  • Reinstatement


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 an Machine Tool Work Inspector without more than normal supervision. (1) Performance of final and in-process inspections on a variety of complex equipment; (2) Inspecting for accuracy of measurements and dimensional accuracy, angels, radii, finish, hardness, concentricity and alignment of parts; and (3) Utilizing a variety of electronic measuring equipment such as indexing encoders, and profilometers - Failure to meet this Screen Out Element will result in an ineligible rating.

To meet the basic eligibility, you must receive at least two points on the screen-out element indicated above and must have an average of two points on all the job elements listed below. Your application will be further evaluated to determine if you meet the best qualified cut-off for referral to the selecting official.

  • Ability To Do The Work Of The Position Without More Than Normal Supervision Screen Out
  • Ability To Use Hand Tools for Machine Shop
  • Ability To Use Shop Drawings
  • Knowledge of Metals
  • Measurement and Layout
  • Operation of Machine Tools
  • Technical Practices (Theoretical, Precise, Artistic)
  • PHYSICAL EFFORT: Work requires standing, stooping, bending, stretching and working in tiring and uncomfortable positions. Required to lift/carry items weighing up to 44 lbs. Mechanical lifting devices/other employees are available to assist with lift of 45 lbs. and over. Requires good vision to work to close tolerances.
  • WORKING CONDITIONS: Work is generally done inside in areas that are air conditioned, well lighted, heated, and ventilated or in machine shop areas. May work outside or in areas that are drafty, hot, poorly lighted, noisy, and dirty. Subject to grease, coolants, and possibility of cuts, scrapes, and bruises.

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.
  • This is a Career Program 15 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.
  • 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.

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.

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 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.

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.

You may claim Military Spouse preference.

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:

  • Please limit your resume to 5 pages. If more than 5 pages are submitted, only the first 5 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications.
  • 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
  • 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.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

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 05/26/2026 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/12961630).
  • 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.

Agency contact information

Army Applicant Help Desk
Website
https://portal.chra.army.mil/hr_public?id=app_inq
Address
GM-W0K9AA US ARMY ARSENAL WATERVLIET
DO NOT MAIL
Watervliet, NY 12189
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.

Army Tank-Automotive and Armament Command (TACOM)

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Agency contact information

Army Applicant Help Desk
Website
https://portal.chra.army.mil/hr_public?id=app_inq
Address
GM-W0K9AA US ARMY ARSENAL WATERVLIET
DO NOT MAIL
Watervliet, NY 12189
US

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