Summary

NIST is seeking a Utility Systems Repairer-Operator Supervisor to lead central utility plant operations that support critical research, laboratory, and facility functions across the Institute. This position oversees the continuous delivery of steam, chilled water, and compressed air; directs plant operations and emergency response activities; and ensures safe, reliable, and efficient utility services essential to mission continuity and facility operations.

This job is open to

Internal to an agency

Current federal employees of the hiring agency that posted the job announcement.

Clarification from the agency

CTAP eligibles, internal to an agency

Duties

This position is responsible for planning, directing, and controlling the work operations of a central utility plant through subordinate supervisors to ensure the safe, reliable, and efficient delivery of utility services.
In this position, you will:
- Plan, direct, and control plant operations through subordinate Utility Systems Repairer-Operator Supervisors responsible for multi-shift operations.
- Exercise second-level supervisory authority, including assigning work, establishing priorities, and evaluating the performance of subordinate supervisors.
- Coordinate and integrate the operation, maintenance, and repair of high-pressure boiler systems, chilled water systems, compressed air systems, and co-generation equipment.
- Analyze plant operations and system performance data to identify trends, evaluate efficiency, and direct corrective actions to maintain reliable and continuous operations.
- Establish and enforce operating procedures, ensuring compliance with safety standards, regulatory requirements, and manufacturer specifications.
- Coordinate plant operations with internal organizations, including engineering and maintenance staff, to support operational requirements and planned or emergency outages.
- Coordinate with external utility providers regarding service conditions, outages, and load requirements that may impact central plant operationsPlan and allocate personnel, equipment, and materials to meet workload demands and maintain balanced and efficient work operations.
- Oversee the implementation of preventive and predictive maintenance programs to support system reliability and operational continuity.
- Ensure accurate documentation of plant operations, including logs, reports, and operational data used to monitor performance and support decision-making.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

U.S. citizenship
Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service
Suitable for Federal employment
Satisfactory completion of a pre-employment medical examination
Applicants must possess Universal CFC Certification for handling refrigerants.
Bargaining Unit Position: No

Qualifications

There are no specific length or level of experience requirements. The applicant's overall background of experience, education, and training must clearly demonstrate the ability to independently perform Supervisory Utility Systems Repairer/Operator duties at a second-level supervisory capacity. This includes planning, directing, and controlling work operations through subordinate supervisors responsible for the operation, maintenance, and repair of high-pressure steam boiler plants, large industrial chiller systems, and associated utility systems, and ensuring safe, efficient, and compliant plant operations.

Applicants must meet the screen out elements and achieve an overall score of at least fifty (50%) or higher

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). 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.

The qualification requirements in this vacancy announcement are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Job Qualification System for Trade and Labor Occupations Handbook.

If requesting reconsideration of your qualification determination, please refer to the following site: Applicant Reconsideration

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

This position is covered by the Federal Wage System. The FWS is a uniform pay-setting system that covers Federal appropriated fund and non-appropriated fund blue-collar employees who are paid by the hour. For more information regarding the FWS, visit http://www.opm.gov/oca/wage/.

We may share your application package with other selecting officials at NIST with opportunities like this one. Additional selections may be made through this vacancy.
Click all links in this vacancy announcement to view additional information or instructions.
You MUST select at least ONE ELIGIBILITY in order to be considered for this position.
All documents submitted for this announcement must be legible in order to make qualification or eligibility determinations.

A supervisory probationary period may be required.

This position has physical requirements which include but may not be limited to:
- Heavy lifting, 45 pounds and over
- Moderate lifting, 15-44 pounds
- Light lifting, under 15 pounds
- Heavy carrying, 45 pounds and over
- Moderate carrying, 15-44 pounds
- Light carrying, under 15 pounds
- Straight pulling - 5 hours
- Pulling hand over hand - 5 hours
- Pushing - 5 hours
- Reaching above shoulder
- Use of fingers
- Both hands required
- Walking - 10 hours
- Standing - 10 hours
- Crawling - 4 hours
- Kneeling - 4 hours
- Repeated bending - 8 hours
- Climbing, legs only - 4 hours
- Climbing, use of legs and arms
- Both legs required
- Operation of crane, truck, tractor, or motor vehicle
- Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously
- Near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4
- Far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other
- Both eyes required
- Depth perception
- Ability to distinguish basic colors
- Ability to distinguish shades of colors
- Hearing (aid may be permitted)

This position has environmental factors which include, but may not be limited to:
- Outside
- Outside and inside
- Excessive heat
- Excessive cold
- Excessive humidity
- Excessive dampness or chilling
- Dry atmospheric conditions
- Excessive noise, intermittent
- Constant noise
- Dust
- Silica, asbestos, etc.
- Fumes, smoke, or gases
- Solvents (degreasing agents)
- Grease and oils
- Radiant energy
- Electrical energy
- Slippery or uneven walking surfaces
- Working around machinery with moving parts
- Working around moving objects or vehicles
- Working on ladders or scaffolding
- Working below ground
- Unusual fatigue factors - Confined Space
- Working with hands in water
- Vibration
- Working closely with others
- Working alone
- Protracted or irregular hours of work

NIST strives to build a flexible and encouraging work environment to bring out the best in our employees. To help our employees balance responsibilities at home and at work, NIST offers a variety of work-life flexibilities. For more information, please visit our Careers website.

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.

How you will be evaluated: We will review your resume, optional cover letter and supporting documents to assess your qualifications for this position. Please be sure that your resume and supporting documents include detailed information to support your qualifications for this position. Failure to provide sufficient and/or legible evidence in your resume or supporting documents may result in a "not qualified" determination. You MUST select at least ONE eligibility (i.e., how you wish to be considered) to receive consideration for this position.

Rating: Applications will be assessed on the following competencies:

Ability to Interpret Instructions, Specifications, etc. (Includes Blueprint Reading)
Ability to Lead or Supervise
Ability to Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment
Knowledge of Equipment Assembly, Installation, and Repair, etc.
Technical Practices (Theoretical, Precise, Artistic)

Applicants must meet the screen out elements and achieve an overall score of at least fifty (50%) or higher. Subject Matter Experts may be used for qualification determinations. If the minimum qualifications and eligibility requirements are met, your application will be rated and ranked among others, based on your responses to the online questions regarding your experience, education, training, performance appraisals, or awards relevant to the duties of the position. Your rating may be lowered if your responses in the online questions are not supported by the education and/or experience described in your application.
To preview the questionnaire, click here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12957392

Referral: If you are among the top qualified candidates, your application may be referred to a selecting official for consideration. You may be required to participate in a selection interview. You will be referred depending upon your eligibility (i.e., Merit candidate, veterans preference, etc). Please review the Evaluation Process on how applicants are review and referred based upon how they wish to be considered for the position.

CTAP or ICTAP eligibility: If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee eligible for the Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP), you must be determined eligible and rated as well-qualified to receive special selection priority. "Well Qualified" means that in addition to meeting the minimum qualification requirements and selective placement factor(s), if applicable, you must receive a score of 85 or higher. Please review the following site regarding required documents to support CTAP or ICTAP eligibility and additional information regarding this authority - CTAP/ICTAP Eligibility

Required Documents

The documents required vary based on how you're applying (i.e., as a veteran or disabled veteran, current or former Federal employee, etc.). Please review the Required Documents for this position to find out if there are any documents required with your application. Failure to submit required documents, based upon how you apply, may result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package.

A complete application includes: 1) A resume, 2) vacancy question responses, and 3) submission of any required documents. Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, or if the documents submitted are illegible you may not be considered for this position (or may not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible).

Resume: All applicants must submit a resume by creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one of their choosing. Cover letters are optional. To receive any credit for relevant experience, please list the month/year and the number of hours worked for experience listed on your resume. We suggest you preview the online questions, as you may need to customize your resume to ensure that it supports your responses to these questions. Please refer to the Resume Guidance on how to build an effective resume. Only resumes up to 2 pages will be accepted. Applicants with resumes exceeding 2 pages will be removed from consideration. Reference the USAJobs Help Center for additional recommendations and instructions.

Reinstatement: If you are a former federal employee (separated from Federal service for at least 1 year) and wish to be non-competitively reinstated for a higher grade or full performance level than which you left federal employment, you MUST provide a copy of your separation SF-50 (the "position occupied" block on the SF-50 should show a "1" and your "tenure" block should show a "1" or "2") AND the last performance appraisal you received from your federal employment which shows at least a fully successful rating.

How to Apply

Click 'Apply' and we'll walk you through a multi-step process to attach a resume and any required documents. While working an application, you may review, edit, delete and update information. You must complete the online application process and submit any required documents by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, the closing date of the announcement.

Once your application has been submitted, you will receive a confirmation notification by email. The Human Resources Office will evaluate your application to determine your eligibility for the position. After the evaluation is complete, you will receive another notification regarding the status of your application.

Need help applying?

If you are experiencing any difficulties with the online application process (anything after you have clicked the 'Apply Online' button), please contact the Agency Contact listed on this announcement between regular business hours (8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. ET). If you receive any kind of error message, please be ready to provide a screenshot or, at a minimum, the error message text and number. We will provide you with a technical support number for further assistance if necessary.
If you are having trouble with USAJOBS (searching for jobs, account password/profile issues, or Resume Builder), please visit the USAJOBS Resource Center. We regret that we are unable to support any issues with USAJOBS, as this service is not maintained by the NIST.
If you are experiencing a significant hardship that hinders your ability to apply online, please contact the Agency Contact listed on this announcement prior to the vacancy closing date and during regular business hours to discuss your situation.

Agency contact information

Lauren Beyer

Email: lauren.beyer@nist.gov

Address: Gaithersburg Facility Maintenance Division
100 Bureau Drive
Gaithersburg, MD 20899
US

Next steps

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/.

We will update applicant statuses when:

A qualification determination is made. If found not qualified/eligible, no additional updates will be provided.
Applications are referred to the selecting official.
A selection decision has been made.

Please notify us if your contact information changes after the closing date. Also, note that if you provide an inaccurate email address or if your mailbox is full or blocked (e.g., spam-blocker), you may not receive important communication, which could affect your consideration for this position.

Utility Systems Repairer Operator Supervisor Job in Gaithersburg, MD