Summary
This full-time position is that of a Maintenance Mechanic - Painter/Plasterer/Carpenter and is within the Facility Maintenance Service (FMS) at the VA Central Western Massachusetts Healthcare System located in Leeds, MA. Approximately 40% of the incumbent's work in this position will involve painting, 30% will involve plastering/wall repair, and 30% will involve carpentry.
This job is open to
Clarification from the agency
ALL US CITIZENS
DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled using Direct-Hire Authority (5 CFR 337.201) for this occupation.
Duties
Major duties and responsibilities include:
- Carpentry- Setting up and operating the full range of industrial woodworking and related machinery.
- Carpentry- must possess the skills to install new, or sharpen old saw blades, and lubricate portable and stationary table saws.
- Painter- must possess the skill to assemble spray painter parts, install/remove spray guns, lubricate airless spray paint machine.
- Painter - Must understand the importance of the new Safety Data Sheet (SDS) under the new Global Harmonization System (GHS) and how it pertains to the worker and building occupants.
- Plasterers- Receive assignments then reviews work to be completed, interpret sketches and decide work methods or processes best suited to complete the job.
- Carpentry- Ability to lay out work, determine material and equipment needs, plan and accomplish a wide range of work sequences ranging from basic repairs to complex project segments
- Apply coating materials by accepted industry techniques. Read and apply directions that relate to the mixture, use, and application of various kinds of coating materials, paints, solvents, and pre-coating agents.
- Uses knowledge of wood, metal and wood substitute materials, and standard industry accepted construction techniques. Determines the proper grade, size, and type of lumber or wood substitute material required for the job.
- Ability to mix all types of plastering materials. Knowledge to install or replace metal, wood, or gypsum lath. Skilled in applying tape to joints between wallboards and applying and finishing joint compound to assure an even surface.
- Carpentry - Measure for layouts such as those required constructing footings for structural foundations and constructing concrete forms and related structures.
- Uses all the necessary Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to ensure work is completed safely and in compliance with all OSHA and VA laws, regulations and requirements.
- Plastering on all types of backgrounds such as metal, wood, gypsum wallboard, wire & wood lath and masonry surfaces, as well as repair and patching of plaster and stucco surfaces.
- Painting - Applies materials to match, texture, decorative, thickness, and level requirements and skill in matching, tinting, toning, and blending coating materials, and in combining agents (catalysts, drying agents, and retardants) with coating materials.
- Plastering- Apply Gypsum and plaster coats to a level 5 finish.
- Carpentry- Applies techniques in order to construct, install, repair, wood and metal construction, wood substitute structures and items requiring close tolerance fit and structural soundness.
- Skilled in the use of common plastering trade tools, such as trowels and floats to provide a smooth finish, as well as brushes, sponges, and other materials to obtain the proper texture.
- Skilled in the use of tools and equipment such as brushes, rollers, spray guns, trowels, screeds, straight edges, wet and other thickness gauges and paint tinting machine.
- Applies knowledge in the safe and proper procedures used to Lock Out Tag Out (LOTO) tools and equipment when performing maintenance, repairs or set up.
- Able to layout ceiling grids for ceiling tiles without more than normal supervision.
Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:00am - 3:30pm
Position Description Title/PD#: Maintenance Mechanic/PD00466A
Physical Requirements:Painting requires preparing and coating surfaces from ladders, scaffolds, aerial lifts and platforms, where the surfaces to be coated are in cramped and hard-to-reach places. In addition, the incumbent must be able to work above shoulder height up to 75% of the time. Frequently lift, carry, and set up materials and equipment that weigh up to 10 pounds. Occasionally, they may handle materials and equipment that weigh 40 pounds and over. Plastering requires heavy lifting of up to 100 pounds while carrying mortar, scaffolds, ladders, and other materials. When working in a shop, carpenters may stand for extended periods while operating machines such as bench planers, saws and drill presses. When at a job site, strenuous physical exertion is sometimes required when handling heavy and bulky materials such as sheets of plywood, framing members, and other building and construction materials. This requires standing, stooping, bending, kneeling, climbing, and working in tiring and uncomfortable positions.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- U.S. Citizenship; non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
- Suitable for Federal employment, determined by a background investigation
- Selective Services Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
- 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.
- Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.
As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary 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, 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.
EXPERIENCE: A specific length of training and experience is not required, but you must show evidence of training or experience of sufficient scope and quality of your ability to do the work of this position. Evidence which demonstrates you possess the knowledge, skills, and ability to perform the duties of this position must be supported by detailed descriptions of such on your resume. Applicants will be rated in accordance with the
OPM Federal Wage System Qualification Standards.
SCREEN-OUT ELEMENT: Your qualifications will first be evaluated against the prescribed screen out element, which usually appears as question 1 in the on-line questionnaire. Those applicants who appear to possess at least the minimal acceptable qualification requirement are considered for further rating; those who do not are rated ineligible and are eliminated. The potential eligibles are then rated against the remainder of the Job Elements:
- Equipment Assembly, Installation, Repair
- Interpret Instructions, Specifications (includes blueprint reading)
- Materials
- Measuring Instruments
- Technical Practices
- Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment
- Without more than normal supervision
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.
Education
This job does not have an education qualification requirement.
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.
IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Applicants will be referred in the order in which they were received.
Required Documents
Documents Required:
Documents Accepted:
- Cover Letter
- DD-214/ Statement of Service
- Disability Letter (Schedule A)
- Disability Letter (VA)
- License
- Other (1)
- PCS Orders
- Resume
- Separation Notice (RIF)
- SF-15
- SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
Please review the above list(s) to ensure you have included all necessary documents required for your application. Not every applicant will require the same documents, therefore it is the applicants responsibility to ensure that their application package includes all necessary documents to determine qualifications and eligibility for appointment, such as a copy of your SF-50, transcript, ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees).
You will not be contacted for additional information. Applicants will be deemed ineligible if supporting documentation is not submitted.
Veterans' Preference: Since the Direct-Hire Recruitment Authority is being used, traditional Veterans' Preference rules do not apply. Qualified veterans will, however, be given full consideration for this position.
Applications are accepted online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application.
How to Apply
All applicants are encouraged to apply online.
To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 11/06/2025 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12820313.
1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
2. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.
NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date. You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USA Jobs account and clicking on Applications. Information regarding your application status can be found in the USAJobs Help Center.
Beginning September 27, 2025, Federal agencies will only accept resumes up to two pages in length to comply with the Merit Hiring Plan. Resumes longer than two pages will result in ineligibility for further consideration for the position. USAJOBS will not allow you to upload or build resumes longer than two pages, and you will need to update the resumes in your profile before applying for a job. Resumes should include information relevant to the knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies of the position to which you are applying. VA is unable to make assumptions about qualifications if not clearly listed.
Resumes must be legible so they can be reviewed for eligibility, minimum qualifications and other position requirements listed in the job announcement.
Your resume must be 5MB or less. We recommend saving and uploading your resume as a PDF to maintain formatting and number of pages. We also accept GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, TXT, PDF, ODT or Word (DOC or DOCX). We do not accept PDF portfolio files. We recommend using a sans-serif font size like Lato, if available. Other widely available options are Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open San Source Sans Pro, Roboto or Noro Sans. Make your page margins 0.5 inches. Consider using 14-point size font for titles and 10-point for the main text in your resume. The resume builder can help you create a resume using these recommendations and uses the information in your USAJOBS profile to help you get started.
Helpful Hints for Creating a Two-Page Resume:
- Prioritize most relevant and recent experience
- Use concise, results focused language
- Align language from the job announcement
- Focus on demonstrating skills and competencies
- Remove outdated or unrelated experience
- Use the USAJOBS resume builder
Additional guidance on this new requirement and resume building tools can be found at:
To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click
Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
Next steps
After the vacancy announcement closes, applicants are evaluated to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email.