Summary This position functions as an Engineering Technician in the Facilities Management Services (FMS) for the consolidated Facilities Management Service (FMS), for both American Lake and Seattle Divisions. This is a full-time position at 40 hours per week. Responsibilities You will develop and manage a wide variety of complex construction projects from initial conception, through design to construction completion. You will conduct research type studies and interprets precedent designs, engineering handbook, journals, VA construction standards, manufacturer's literature, and standard specifications in proposing a design and layout. You will be responsible for technical engineering design and supervision of nonrecurring construction projects and minor construction projects. You will conduct engineering surveys, determines construction requirements, prepare plans and specifications, analyses equipment requirements, estimates labor status reports, and supervises construction progress. You will inspect material and equipment received on-site for adherence to approved samples of shop drawings, rejecting items of nonconformance. You will review and replies to contractor request for information (RFI's) to assure problem or questions are within or outside contract requirements providing clear, viable solutions to problems. You will maintain up-to-date data on each project for periodic input/update into the project scheduling system. Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30 am - 4:00 pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Engineering Technician (Draft)/PD41381A, PD41382A, and PD41383A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Physical Demands The work involves moderate physical demands in terms of field work, inspections, investigations, and surveys of facilities. This normally requires long periods of standing, walking, stooping, bending, and climbing. The work is also performed in an office setting doing paperwork, and in conference rooms negotiating the cost proposal submitted by the contractor. In addition, work requires ability to access a variety of areas and spaces to take measurements, obtain data from facilities and equipment, and conduct required inspections. Accuracy and precision are important. Incumbent must be physically able to climb, crawl, walk, stoop, sit, and have good hearing and eyesight. Work sometimes requires extended periods of time at a computer while producing drafted products, conducting research, reviewing design submittals, or writing reports. Work Environment Work is regularly performed in several environments: indoors in an office environment and in industrial settings (i.e. boiler plants and mechanical spaces). There are risks incurred while visiting construction sites and while performing inspection duties, such as noise, hot/cold weather, dust, working in close proximity to construction equipment. Employee may be required to wear protective clothing or use protective equipment such as hard hat, boots, gloves, hearing protections, and goggles. Incumbent may be exposed to hazards of tripping, falling, shock, burns, dust, fluids, chemicals, and a variety of diseases. Must comply with all safety codes, practices, etc. Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 You may be required to serve a probationary period Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. General restriction on movement after competitive appointment 5 CFR 330.502 Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement, 02/02/2024. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-08. For a GS-10 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09. For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-10. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. Basic Requirement: All applicants, regardless of grade level must meet minimum requirements. To be acceptable, experience in a trade or craft when the work provided intensive knowledge of engineering principles, techniques, methods, and precedents. Examples are trade positions with substantial developmental, test, or design responsibilities such as: Planner and estimator who analyzed designs for production purposes. OR Certification: Engineering technicians may be certified by the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies, an organization sponsored by the National Society of Professional Engineers. Certification by the Institute will be helpful as a measure of the technician's quality of experience. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: GS-9 Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-8 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience would typically include: independently accomplish various technical engineering, scanning, modeling, and analyzing tasks in support of Additive Manufacturing design, development, and production utilizing 3D printing technologies and other manufacturing techniques with little to no supervision from subject matter expert. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have two full years of graduate education or a master's degree. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. GS-10 Specialized Experience: You must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-9) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience includes: leading team to accomplish various technical engineering, scanning, modeling, and analyzing tasks in support of Additive Manufacturing design, development, and production utilizing 3D printing technologies and other manufacturing techniques while acting as the subject matter expert and advising multidisciplinary teams to ensure timely production of patient care medical devices. There is no educational substitution at this grade level. GS-11 Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-10 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience would typically include: responsible for coordinating project teams to accomplish various technical engineering, scanning, modeling, and analyzing tasks in support of Additive Manufacturing design, development, and production utilizing 3D printing technologies and other manufacturing techniques serving as the senior subject matter expert. Ensures all teams have the proper equipment, materials, and resources to complete their projects. Coordinating with the supervisory staff on the progress of various projects. There is no educational substitution at this grade level.? Preferred Experience: A year preparing contract drawings and specifications for competitively bid construction and maintenance repair work and experience working as a Contractor Officer Representative (COR). You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Cost Estimation and Analysis Design Oral Communication Project Management 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. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/. Education A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html. Additional Information Receiving Service Credit or 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. Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities [i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities], and/or Disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. Contact the Agency Contact for information on how to apply under this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal/VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.