Pilot Towboat Job in Huntington, WV

Vacancy No. RECE256666272228 Department U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Salary $42.60 to $49.71 Grade 13 to 13
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Part-time
Open Date 2/27/2025 Close Date 3/21/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Status Candidates
Locations:
Huntington, WV


Summary

About the Position: This position is located within the US Army Corps of Engineer's, Huntington District, Regional Rivers Repair Fleet, Command and Control, with duty location in Huntington, WV, where you will stand a pilot's watch with the responsibility for the overall operation of the vessel and safety of the plant and personnel while on watch and will be assigned to the Regional Rivers Repair Fleet.

Duties

  • Directs the making and breaking of tows from the pilothouse or bridge.
  • Assists with general maintenance and housekeeping duties to ensure the vessel is always kept clean and organized.
  • Receives oral or written instructions pertaining to plant, equipment, materials, and supplies to be moved or other missions for which vessel is utilized.
  • Conduct pilot's watch with the responsibility for the overall operation of the vessel and safety of the plant and personnel while on watch.
  • Operate controls governing navigation of the vessel and its tow.
  • Steers the vessel from the pilot house using pilot house controls for proper speed and direction considering factors such as river currents, direction and velocity of wind, depth of water, size of tow, and capacity and maneuverability of the vessel.
  • Participates in and occasionally conducts safety meetings and drills to ensure all assigned crew are trained and proficient in responding to vessel emergencies.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
  • Must possess a current U.S. Coast Guard license for either Operator of Uninspected Towing Vessels upon the Western Rivers with a Radar Observer (Rivers) endorsement.
  • Or Master of Towing Vessels Upon Western Rivers with a Radar Observer (Rivers) endorsement.
  • This position requires a pre-employment physical exam due to the physical requirement of the position.
  • This position requires the incumbent to frequently lift and carry items weighing 50 pounds.
  • Must possess a valid state driver's license to operate a motor vehicle in accomplishment of assigned duties.
  • Incumbent is required to sign a DA Form 5019-R, Condition of Employment, for certain civilian positions identified as critical under the Drug Abuse Testing Program.
  • Position requires Temporary Duty Travel (TDY) over 75% of the duty time.

Qualifications

If you do not meet one of the eligibility requirements under "Who May Apply", please apply on announcement number RECE256666272229HW which is open to all U.S. citizens.

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.


  • Current Department of Army Civilian Employees
  • Current Department of Defense (DOD) Civilian Employee (non-Army)
  • Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan
  • Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act
  • Military Spouses, under Executive Order (E.O.) 13473
  • Non-Department of Defense (DoD) Transfer
  • Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Reserve (MR) and National Guard (NG) Technician Eligible
  • Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Spouse Preference (MSP) Eligible
  • Priority Placement Program, DoD MR and NG Preference Eligible Tech Receiving Disability Retirement
  • Priority Placement Program, DoD Retained Grade Preference Eligible
  • Reinstatement
  • Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) of 1998



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 a(n) Pilot Towboat without more than normal supervision. Operating uninspected Towing Vessels upon the Western Rivers with Radar Observer (Rivers) endorsement or as Master of Towing Vessels upon the Western Rivers with Radar Observer (Rivers) endorsement. Experience working unsupervised as a towboat pilot operating and maintaining diesel driven inland river style towboats measuring over 100 feet in length and with over 2000 horsepower. Operating passenger vessels or towboats moving conventional barges and other marine equipment. Acting as lead deckhand while assembling or securing tows and competent using lines with capstans, winches and typical deck fittings. Reading and interpreting navigation charts and maps and remain up to date on marine regulations issued by the U.S. Coast Guard. Possession of a good working knowledge of marine equipment, propulsion systems and auxiliary systems. Checking machinery operation and performing minor routine maintenance. Conducting routine inspections of vessels to ensure safety and serviceability. Performing routine maintenance of the vessel to include scrapping and painting, line repairs and splicing. - 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
  • Ability to Drive Safely (Motor Vehicles)
  • Ability To Interpret Instructions, Specifications, etc. (related to mobile equipment operation)
  • Ability To Operate Safely (Non-Motor Vehicle)
  • Operation of Motor Vehicles
  • Reliability and Dependability as a Towboat Operator
  • Work Practices (includes keeping things neat, clean, and in order)
  • PHYSICAL EFFORT: The work of this position is sedentary in nature. Close hand and eye coordination is required when operating controls to maneuver vessel and tows in traffic and in confined areas. Extensive standing and walking may be necessary while standing watch.
  • WORKING CONDITIONS: Work is primarily performed inside in an enclosed pilothouse but also requires work outside of the pilothouse, subjecting the incumbent to varying climatic conditions. Hazards include occasional danger of falling overboard, falls on slippery decks or in climbing steep stairways, and injury from moving machinery. A life jacket is worn at all times when on deck. The incumbent is subject to hazards of heavy river traffic at night and during foggy weather.

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 probationary period may be required.
  • Appointment is subject to the completion of a favorable suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a background investigation.
  • Direct deposit of pay is required.
  • This is a(n) 24 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.

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.

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.

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.

You may claim Military Spouse preference.

Military Spouse Preference (MSP) applicants will receive preference consideration and will be placed (if selected) at the highest grade for which they have applied and are determined best qualified, up to and including the full performance level.

You may claim Priority Placement Program (PPP) preference.

DoD Priority Placement Program (PPP) Applicants will receive preference consideration at the full-performance grade level only.

Only MSP/PPP applicants currently occupying a formal training program position are entitled to exercise their priority status.

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:

  • 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 will be marked as incomplete and you will 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.
  • 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 (include hyperlink to attachment). 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 below.

The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 03/21/2025 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/12692228).
  • 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
RE-W2SM01 US ARMY ENGINEER DISTRICT-HUNTINGTON
DO NOT MAIL
Huntington, WV 25701
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.


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.


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