Requirements
Conditions of employment
- Must successfully complete a background investigation.
- May be required to serve a one-year probationary period.
- Must participate in Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds for salary payments
- Use of respirator and annual respirator fit testing and training required.
- U.S. Citizenship is required.
Applicants must have a valid driver's license.
Annual physical examinations are required to be certified for using a respiratory system for a limited number of tasks.
An annual respirator fit testing and training is required.
Heavy physical effort will be required in constantly reaching, bending, turning and moving hands, arms, feet, and legs to handle different sets of controls to operate tools, equipment, and vehicles. Due to the nature of some duties, the incumbent is required to work in awkward positions, on ladders and scaffolds, and will handle objects weighing up to 50 pounds.
Working Conditions: Duties at the Ridge telescopes and on other areas of the mountain are recurring. The environment can be extreme, and range from dry heat to bitter cold. Travel to the Ridge or higher over a mountain road an be hazardous, and involve exposure to snow and rain, lightning, and flash floods.
Qualifications
Your overall experience and training must indicate that you have the minimum knowledge, skills, abilities needed to perform the duties of this position. Specialized Experience includes: performing 2-4 of the following trades carpentry, painting, electrical, and plumbing, welding and roofing; ability to perform trades under minimal supervision; ability and skill in operating two- and four-wheel drive passenger cars, trucks, forklifts, front-end loaders, backhoes, cranes, man lifts, etc. on unpaved, steep, mountainous roads, and experience using most hand and power tools associated with the trades.
There is no substitution of education for experience for this position. Qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement. Additional information on the Job Qualification System for Trades and Labor Occupations can be found on OPM's web site at http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/x-118c/index.html.
Additional information
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.
The Smithsonian offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, vacation and sick leave, holidays, health/life insurance, accident insurance, and excellent retirement program options. Please see Benefits at http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/hr/benefits/fed/table.html for a complete description.
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.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications below.
Applications will first be evaluated to determine whether the following screen out element is met:
- Ability to perform the work of a maintenance worker with minimal supervision (screen-out).
If an applicant meets the screen-out element, the following Competencies will be evaluated:
- Broad knowledge of multiple trades, including carpentry, plumbing, painting, electrical repair, and general maintenance
- Broad knowledge of multiple trades, including carpentry, plumbing, painting, electrical repair, and general maintenance
- Ability to troubleshoot issues across several systems and determine appropriate repair methods
- Knowledge of building codes, safety regulations, and proper material selection
- Ability to interpret work orders, blueprints, sketches, and manufacturer instructions
Applicants who meet or exceed the screen-out element will be assigned to one of three category groups based on job-related criteria:
Best Category - Meets the screen-out element and excels in most of the job related elements above.
Better Category - Meets the screen-out element and satisfies most of the job related elements above.
Good Category - Meets the screen-out element, but does not satisfy most of the job related elements above to a substantive degree.
This category rating process does not add veterans' preference points or apply the "rule of three", but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-veterans within each category. A selecting official may make selections from the highest quality category (Best Category) provided no veteran in that category is passed over to select a non-veteran in that category unless the requirements of 5 U.S.C. 3317(b) or 3318(b) are satisfied.
Veterans who meet minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent must be listed in the highest quality category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-9 grade level or higher.
Applicants who have not submitted a resume in the USAjobs system and/or have not answered all of the announcement questions will not be considered for this position.
Important Note:
Your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses to the occupational questionnaire or other assessment tool for consistency. If a determination is made that you have rated yourself higher than is supported by your resume, you will be assigned a rating commensurate to your described experience.
Your resume should provide sufficient information regarding how your education and experience relate to this position, including the major duties and qualifications criteria listed.
You may preview questions for this vacancy.