Maintenance Mechanic Job in Columbia, SC

Vacancy No. CBTB-13057621-26-EC Department Veterans Health Administration
Salary $21.98 to $25.64 Grade 5 to 5
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 9/11/2026 Close Date 9/22/2026
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Columbia, SC


Maintenance Mechanic

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
Engineering Service, Columbia VA Healthcare System

Summary

The incumbent will serve as a Maintenance Mechanic Helper under the general supervision of the Supervisory Maintenance Mechanic in the General Support Shop, with second level direction provided by the Maintenance Control Manager. Serving as a Maintenance Mechanic Helper in the Engineering,WJBD Veterans Hospital, the incumbent will assist in a variety of helper tasks primarily involving basic carpentry, plumbing, painting, equipment inventory and operations, installations, and laborer.

This job is open to

The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

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. NOTE: Only Two page resumes will be accepted.

Duties

Duties include but are not limited to:

  • Assist journeyman in the full range of carpentry involving the maintenance and repair of the facility.
  • Operates and uses a variety of tools by setting-up, adjusting, and maintaining tools to meet required specifications.
  • Plans and lays out work in accordance with drawings, sketches, blueprints and own knowledge of construction or needed repairs.
  • Assist in work involving structures, partitions panels, cabinets, bookcases, work benches and other items that use wood or wood substitutes.
  • Follows detailed instructions and independently accomplish routine tasks.
  • Assist with hole repair, surface preparation and refinishing of all interior and exterior surfaces of buildings, structures, equipment and furnishings, to include gypsum wall board, plaster and wood.
  • Install various types of dispensers (ie soap, towel, glove boxes etc.) and other wall hung equipment and furnishings.
  • Assist in installing signs, warning devices on walls, posts and other surfaces and structures throughout the facility.
  • Assist in assigning and reviewing inventory on container labels for incoming equipment, ensuring that the information provided matches incoming equipment identifiers on delivery reports.
  • Receives, stores and handles supplies, materials and equipment as related to the M&O section of Engineering service line.
  • Applies coating materials to a variety of surfaces or applies and finishes plaster surfaces in the construction and repair of interior walls and ceilings and stucco exterior walls.
  • Measure and cut materials to the required lengths and dimensions.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 7:00am - 3:30pm. Schedule subject to change to meet the needs of the Agency.
Position Description Title/PD#: Maintenance Mechanic/PD01401A
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized

Requirements

Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
  • All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
  • Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
  • Subject to background/security investigation
  • Pre-employment physical required
  • 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.
  • Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)
As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial 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 or trial 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 09/22/2026

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
  • 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.

Physical Requirements: Incumbent will often be required to make repairs that will demand great physical efforts to lift, pull, and push. Work involves very heavy physical effort, frequent lifting, running power mowers on grades or pushing heavy wheelbarrow loads of cement. They will be subjected to
working from ladders, climbing, crawling, bending, standing, crouching, and stooping for extended periods of time. Incumbent must use; move, and control heavy equipment, carry and set up ladders and scaffolding, and work from ladders and scaffold. Frequently, the incumbent will lift objects weighing over 40 pounds, and occasionally, with assistance, lift objects over 50 pounds.

Working Conditions: The incumbent work is performed inside or outside under various conditions of weather, temperature, and humidity. Incumbent may occasionally be exposed to extreme heat or cold. Sometimes works in noisy, damp, or dirty areas. Frequently works from ladders, stagings, or elevated platforms and/or in buildings and structures, ships, submarines or craft undergoing alteration or repair. Employee is subject to possible cuts, abrasions, and burns and may occasionally be exposed to the possibility of bruises or broken bones. Employee is required to follow occupational and safety procedures to eliminate or minimize these conditions and may be required to wear respiratory devices or protective clothing and equipment which may be restrictive and uncomfortable.

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

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.

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:

  • Resume


Documents Accepted:
  • Cover Letter
  • DD-214/ Statement of Service
  • Disability Letter (Schedule A)
  • Disability Letter (VA)
  • License
  • Other (1)
  • PCS Orders
  • Performance Appraisal
  • Professional Certification
  • Resume
  • Separation Notice (RIF)
  • SF-15
  • SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
  • Transcript


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 09/22/2026 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13057621.

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. If initial application submission is updated and resubmitted with a new resume, only the most current resume will be reviewed for consideration.

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.

Agency contact information

Edmund Crawford
Email
Edmund.Crawford@va.gov
Address
Columbia VA Health Care System
6439 Garners Ferry Road
Columbia, SC 29209
US

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.

Veterans Health Administration

OUR MISSION: To fulfill President Lincoln's promise to care for those who have served in our nation's military and for their families, caregivers, and survivors. How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate care to Veterans?

The VA has adopted Core Values and Characteristics that apply universally across the Department. The five Core Values define "who we are," our culture, and how we care for Veterans, their families and other beneficiaries.
The Values are Integrity, Commitment, Advocacy, Respect and Excellence ("I CARE").
As a VA professional, your opportunities are endless. With many openings in the multiple functions of VA, you will have a wide range of opportunities and leadership positions at your fingertips.

DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled using Direct-Hire Authority (5 CFR 337.201) for this occupation.

Agency contact information

Edmund Crawford
Email
Edmund.Crawford@va.gov
Address
Columbia VA Health Care System
6439 Garners Ferry Road
Columbia, SC 29209
US

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http://www.vacareers.va.gov/.