Utility Systems Repairer-Operator Job in Lawrence, KS

Vacancy No. BIE-12825078-26-IM Department Bureau of Indian Education
Salary $34.67 to $40.44 Grade 9 to 9
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 12/2/2025 Close Date 1/2/2026
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Status Candidates
Locations:
Lawrence, KS


Summary

This position is part of the Haskell Indian Nations University, Bureau of Indian Education (BIE). As a Utility Systems Repairer-Operator you will be responsible for providing repair, operation & maintenance services in heating, cooling and boiler systems, plumbing, electrical, carpentry, painting, locksmith, and general maintenance.

This job is open to

Federal employees - Competitive service

Current federal employees whose agencies follow the U.S. Office of Personnel Management's hiring rules and pay scales.

Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)

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

Veterans

Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces or a spouse, widow, widower or parent of a veteran, who may be eligible for derived preference

Military spouses

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

Individuals with disabilities

Individuals who are eligible under Schedule A.

Native Americans

Native Americans or Alaskan Natives with a tribal affiliation.

Clarification from the agency

INDIAN PREFERENCE: Preference in filling vacancies is given to qualified Indian candidates in accordance with the Indian Preference Act of 1934 (25 USC 5116 (reclassified from 472)). Verification Form BIA 4432 must be submitted with the application if claiming Indian Preference. Indian preference eligibles may be appointed under the Excepted Service Appointment Authority Schedule A, 213.3112(A)(7).

Duties

As a Utility Systems Repairer-Operator WG-4742-9, your typical work assignments may include the following under supervision:

  • Provides utility system repair services, electrical, and general maintenance to the offices, academic and shop buildings, classrooms, student union, gymnasiums and the auditorium.
  • Performs trouble shooting with various types of meters of instruments on electrical equipment, boilers, furnace, kitchen equipment, well controls, pumps/motors, electrical controls, lighting and electrical systems.
  • Performs a wide variety of journeyman level painting and coating materials application.
  • Performs a wide variety of journeyman level carpentry work constructing, altering, maintaining and repairing buildings and structures.
  • Performs locksmith duties at the journeyman level to overhaul and repair all types of padlocks, rim locks, door closers and panic hardware in or on buildings or structures.
  • Performs maintenance and repairs on the plumbing system, such as repair of replacement of defective pipes of the water supply and sewer systems, pumps and pipe of the hot water boiler system, etc.
  • Provides a variety of services of a general nature in preventative maintenance, scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, emergencies, general repairs and service calls.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

  • Be sure to read the 'How to Apply' and 'Required Documents' Sections.
  • U.S. Citizenship is required.
  • A background security investigation will be required for all new hires. Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication.
  • As a condition of employment, you will be required to serve a 2-year trial or 1-year probationary period during which your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest will be evaluated.
  • If you are a male applicant born after 12/31/1959, you are required to register under the Military Selective Service Act and the Defense Authorization Act of 1986, in order to be eligible for appointment to this agency.
  • Driving Requirement (Required only at time of appointment): Incumbent may be required, as an incidental duty, to operate a government-owned or leased motor vehicle, in the performance of duties, therefore, a valid driver's license is required.
  • You must possess a EPA Section 608 Technician Certification.

Qualifications

Applicants will be rated in accordance with the OPM Federal Wage System Qualifications. For this position, the job element method is used to match what the applicant can do against what the work calls for. The knowledge, skills, and abilities of applicants are compared with the knowledge, skills, and abilities (called job elements) needed for success. If applicants have the ability to do the work, they are considered eligible for the job. Applicants who appear to meet the prescribed Screen-out element are considered for further rating; those who do not are rated ineligible and are eliminated from consideration. While a specific length of training and/or experience is not required, applicant responses to the questionnaire must be supported by detailed resume work history information. Assumptions will not be made regarding applicants' experience and duties performed.

Applicants will be rated on the following Job Elements:

  • Ability To Do The Work Of The Position Without More Than Normal Supervision (Screen-Out)
  • Knowledge of Equipment Assembly, Installation, Repair, etc.
  • Technical Practices (theoretical, precise, artistic) and Ability to Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment
  • Ability To Interpret Instructions, Specification, etc. (Includes Blueprint Reading)

SELECTIVE PLACEMENT FACTORS: In addition to the specialized experience applicant must possess the additional knowledge, skills, and abilities requirements. If you do not possess the required certification specified below, you will be rated ineligible. You MUST provide a copy of the certification at the time of applying for this position.
  • EPA Section 608 Technician Certification

Only experience obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered.

Education

This position does not have a positive education requirement at this grade level. Therefore, no transcripts are required.

Additional information

Initial appointments to the competitive or excepted service: The probationary or trial period is an extension of the appointment process and therefore requires the agency to determine if continued employment would advance the public interest, meet the organization goals and mission of the agency, and/or otherwise promote the efficiency of the service. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, the agency will 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.
Under applicable law, the employment of an individual serving a probationary or trial period automatically terminates when that period ends unless the agency affirmatively certifies, in writing, that the individual's employment should continue and that their appointment should be finalized. In the absence of agency action to affirmatively certify continued employment beyond the probationary or trial period, such appointments are terminated. Upon completion of your probationary or trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) Documentation: The CTAP/ICTAP provides placement assistance (click here for more details, here for DOI's policy) to permanent Federal civilian employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated. Applicants claiming eligibility must submit a 1) copy of their most recent performance appraisal, 2) proof of eligibility, 3) most current SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with their application. To be considered, applicants must be well-qualified (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements), score at least 85 on the assessment questionnaire, and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry.

Status Candidates: Consideration will be given to Non-Indian applicants (Status or Reinstatement eligibles) in the absence of a qualified Indian preference eligible. Applicants not entitled to Indian Preference or Veteran's Preference must be Federal civilian employees with competitive status or former Federal civilian employees with reinstatement eligibility and must submit latest Notification of Personnel Action, SF-50, as proof.

Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA): Preference eligibles may apply for permanent positions (career or career-conditional appointments) under merit promotion procedures for VEOA appointments; however, veteran's preference is not a factor in these appointments. To be eligible for a VEOA appointment, a veteran must be a preference eligible OR veteran separated after 3 or more years of continuous active service performed under honorable conditions. Applicants must submit a copy of their DD-214 (Member Copy 4) for verification of eligibility. For more information about this program and to determine whether you are eligible, click here.

Bargaining Unit Status: Position is covered by Bargaining Unit/Union - Federation of Indian Service Employees, American Federation of Teachers Local 4521.

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.

Please limit your resume to no more than 2 pages. If more than 2 pages are submitted, only the first 2 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications.

Once the announcement has closed, your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine if you meet the qualifications listed on this announcement. To determine if you are minimally qualified, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your application to determine your level of experience.

Please follow all instructions carefully, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires successful completion of additional assessments, which may include a medical examination, drug test, physical readiness test, written examination, and structured interview. These assessments measure the critical competencies that are required to successfully perform the job.

This position requires successful completion of the following assessment: Structured Resume Review. Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following job elements:

  • Ability to Do the Work of the Position without More Than Normal Supervision
  • Ability to Interpret Instructions, Specifications, etc. (Includes Blueprint Reading)
  • Knowledge of Equipment Assembly, Installation, and Repair, etc.
  • Technical Practices and Ability To Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment


Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you inflated your qualifications and or experience, you may lose consideration. Errors or omissions may affect your qualification. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action.

To preview the announcement questionnaire, click here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12825078

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes:

1. Resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, dates specified in month and year format, and the resume must reflect full and/or part-time or total number of hours worked (i.e., work 40+ hours a week, rather than indicating full-time). If part-time, the hours must be annotated to be able to pro-rate the amount of qualified specialized experience. If military or civilian, please include your rank and/or grade.

  • Resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages and resumes longer than two pages will not be accepted. The minimum font size is 10-point for all body text. Headers may be slightly larger but must remain legible. All resumes must maintain a minimum 0.5-inch margins on all sides to ensure readability and prevent excessive content compression. Including supplemental pages or attachments disguised as resume extensions are prohibited and will not be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications.
2. Complete all required assessments.

3. Certification:
EPA Section 608 Technician Certification. Must be submitted with application.

4. All other supporting documents (if applicable) such as:
  • Current & Former Federal Employees:
    • Most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, if applying as a status candidate with current or former Federal Service. An SF-50 showing your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted and should include your position title, pay plan/series/grade, tenure and the type of appointment (i.e. Competitive or Excepted). Please be aware that award SF-50's do not provide sufficient information and will not be accepted for the purpose of verifying time-in-grade.
    • Due Weight for Performance Appraisals and Awards, please submit 1) a copy of your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation and 2) a list of any awards (e.g. superior performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increase, etc.) you received in the last 5 years. Any performance appraisal/evaluation and award documentation you provide will be forwarded to the selecting official. The selecting official will review this documentation and give it due weight consideration during the overall selection process. If you do not have your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation, please submit a statement as to why it is not available. Please indicate if any prior performance appraisals/evaluations were at an acceptable level.
  • If claiming Indian Preference, Form BIA 4432. The form must be completed by the appropriate official with the Federally recognized tribe where the applicant is enrolled as a member. No other form will be accepted.
  • If claiming Veterans Preference, you must submit your preference eligibility documents or certification of expected discharge or release from active duty.
    • If you are claiming 5-points veterans' preference, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 (member 4 copy) or other proof of eligibility.
    • If you are claiming 10-point veterans' preference, you must also submit an SF-15 plus the proof required by that form including your DD-214 (member 4 copy), SF-15 and VA letter, or other proof of eligibility.
  • CTAP/ICTAP Documentation, if applicable. 1) Proof of eligibility (e.g., Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force (RIF) Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal); 2) SF-50 that documents the RIF separation action; and 3) most recent performance appraisal.

FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES: Former Federal Employees are required to indicate whether they received a Voluntary Separation Incentive Payment (VSIP) buyout in their previous employment with the Federal government, and are required to submit a copy of the applicable Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) regarding the VSIP. The majority of individuals, who accept reemployment with the Federal government within 5 years of receiving the VSIP amount, must repay the gross amount of the separation pay prior to reemployment.

NOTE: Persons submitting incomplete applications will be given credit only for the information they provide. The applicant is responsible for submitting all required documentation in support of their application in order to receive full credit for their Indian preference, veteran preference, experience, training, and/or education. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION WILL NOT BE SOLICITED FROM THIS OFFICE.

How to Apply

A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date of the announcement 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.
  • 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.
  • IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE AND/OR EMPLOYMENT STATUS.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account, 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/.

If you are unable to apply online, require reasonable accommodation in the application process, or an applicant with a disability, please contact Ira Mesplie at (785) 764-7579 or ira.mesplie@bie.edu for alternate application instructions.

Notification to Applicants:
  • Applicants who apply under this job opportunity announcement agree to have their application, associated documents and applicable personal information shared with other Bureaus/Offices within the Department of the Interior (DOI) who have vacancies within the same occupational series, grade, full performance level and in the same geographic location(s), including within the same metro/commuting area. Applying to this announcement does not replace the need to apply to other job opportunity announcements for which you wish to receive consideration.
  • Additional selections may be made from this announcement if identical vacancies occur within 90 days from the closing date.

Agency contact information

Ira Mesplie
Phone
(785) 764-7579
Email
ira.mesplie@bie.edu
Address
Haskell Indian Nations University
155 Indian Ave, Box #5021
Lawrence, KS 66046
US

Next steps

Once the online questionnaire is received you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. After a review of your complete application is made you will be notified by email of your rating and or referral to the hiring official. If further evaluation or interviews are required you will be contacted.


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