Engineering Equipment Operator

Summary

You will serve as a Engineering Equipment Operatorwith US Fish and Wildlife Service.

This position is a Engineering Equipment Operator, WG-5716-10 working in Corvallis, Oregon, for the R1-Willamette Valley National Wildlife Refuge Complex.

Pay will vary based on grade level and/or duty location for which you're selected. First time hires to the Federal government normally start at the step 1 rate.

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Duties

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As a Engineering Equipment Operator (WG-10) your duties may include but are not limited to the following:

• Operate a variety of gasoline- or diesel-powered heavy engineering and construction equipment-such as bulldozers, excavators, road graders, skidsteers, and loaders-to perform earthmoving and grading tasks across varied terrain such as flat, hills, steep slopes, grades, rolling surfaces, rocky or soft grounds, and forests.
• Operate motor vehicles-such as truck-and-trailer combinations, platform trucks, fuel trucks, stake trucks, and dump trucks-typically exceeding 32,000 lbs GVW, to transport equipment and materials safely across project sites.
• Operate heavy equipment safely and precisely near buildings, towers, trees, drop-offs, waterlines, vertical drop-offs, rocks, levees, dams, canals, and other structural or natural obstacles.
• Operate crawler tractors and similar equipment on flat or rolling terrain to grade surfaces, compact soils, and/or spreading surfacing materials to exact specifications.
• Conduct disking, chopping, mowing, rototilling, digging, loading and rough-grade leveling to support ditch cleaning, culvert installation, and various other purposes.
• Performs preventive maintenance, inspections, servicing, and minor repairs on heavy equipment, construction equipment, and/or motor vehicles, maintaining accurate logbooks and records in the approved system.
• Adjust equipment attachments for proper position, level, angle, and depth while equipment remains in motion, without stopping the power unit.
• Use electrical, mechanical, carpentry, plumbing, welding, painting, or other trades skills to maintain, repair or construct a variety of buildings or structures and items such as signs, fences, frames, etc.

Physical Effort: Very strenuous heavy physical effort is required in the operation and frequent adjustment of large pieces of equipment and attachments, often under adverse operating conditions. Location of the controls and attachments frequently requires work in awkward or strained positions. Additional physical requirements may be required due to facility maintenance assignments and tasks regarding ladders, confined spaces, lifting, stooping, bending, twisting, etc. Considerable energy is needed working in small confined spaces or elevated areas, and operating equipment over rough surfaces. Work normally requires extensive standing, walking, kneeling and bending. Lifts, carries and sets up, parts, equipment and objects or loads up to 50 pounds, unassisted, and up to 100 pounds with assistance..

Working Conditions: Work is accomplished both in an office setting (5%) and outdoors (95%). Due to operations of large and complicated equipment, often in rough terrain, the operator is exposed to injury resulting from equipment overturning, and is subject to noise, vibration, dust, fumes, grease, dirt, and moving parts of equipment and machinery. Work performed outside is in a variety of settings where steep terrain, extremely uneven, rocky and slippery footing is normal. Temperature extremes are common.

Employee is regularly exposed to the possibility of shock, cuts, scrapes, and bruises, falls, falling material, or injury from equipment associated with power equipment or hazardous materials. Work demands conformance to safety requirements including the use of a variety of personal protective equipment such as: protective clothing, hardhats, hearing protection, safety glasses, goggles, gloves, steel toe heavy leather boots, respirator, and other personal protective items.

Serious injury may result from getting caught in operating equipment, or from collisions with automobiles when operating on or near public roads.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• Must provide proof of U.S. citizenship.
• Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.
• Direct Deposit participation required.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more, visit
• Pre-employment and random alcohol and drug testing are required. You will not be appointed to the position if a verified positive test is received.
• Must have and maintain a valid driver's license throughout employment.
• Must possess and maintain a valid Commercial Driver's License (CDL) with Class A endorsement.
• You are required to wear a uniform and comply with the uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.
• A physical examination will be required, or a statement regarding physical ability will need to be completed. You must maintain physical fitness standards throughout employment.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest will be evaluated. This probationary 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 your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

Although no specific amount of experience, education or training is required, applicants must meet a minimum level of ability in relation to the position and the Assessment Questionnaire in order to be rated qualified for consideration. To be qualified candidates must meet any screen out element(s) listed at an "acceptable" level, and must achieve an average rating of at least "acceptable" on all of the elements. Only education, training, or experience acquired before the closing date of this announcement will be considered.

SCREEN-OUT ELEMENT: Your qualifications will first be evaluated against the prescribed screen out element, which usually appears as question 1 in the on-line questionnaire. Those applicants who appear to possess at least the minimal acceptable qualification requirement are considered for further rating; those who do not are rated ineligible and are eliminated. The potential eligibles are then rated against the remainder of the Job Elements.The screen out element for this position is: Ability to do the work of a Engineering Equipment Operator without more than normal supervision.Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following job elements:

1. Operation of Motor Vehicles.

2. Ability To Interpret Instructions, Specifications, etc.

3. Work Practices (Knowledge of Equipment Assembly, Installation, Repair, etc.).

4. Ability To Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment.

5. Ability to Drive Safely.

If your knowledge and ability in the SCREEN OUT factor above is not sufficient, you will receive no further consideration. In preparing your application, describe in detail the experience and training which you have had that specifically prepared you for this job and to perform the duties described for this job. Experience should be clearly described and documented in your resume. The qualifications reviewer will not assume performance of such duties by Job Titles alone. Address your knowledge, skills and/or abilities in the areas shown in the job-related factors.

Volunteer Experience: 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.

Education

There is no substitution of education for experience for Federal Wage System (FWS) positions.

Additional information

This position will be filled under the Field Unit Local Hiring Authority. Eligibility is limited to applicants who reside within the defined local commuting area at the time of application. For this announcement, the local commuting area is the area from which individuals can reasonably commute to the duty station under normal conditions. The defined vicinity for this position is: approximately 50 miles or 60 minutes from Corvallis, Oregon, for the R1-Willamette Valley National Wildlife Refuge Complex duty station. You must provide proof of residency within the defined vicinity (e.g. mortgage or property deed, lease/rental agreement, utility bill, insurance policy, etc.). See the Required Documents section for information on how to verify current residence.

This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if identical vacancies.

All Department of Interior (DOI) employees, their spouses, and minor children may not acquire or retain any claim, permit, lease, small tract entry, or other rights granted by the Department in Federal lands, with limited exceptions. Additional ethics prohibitions can be found here,

Current surplus and current or former displaced Federal individuals who have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) must be well qualified for the position to receive consideration for special priority selection. Well qualified means that the applicant meets the following: OPM qualification standards for the position; all selective placement factors, where applicable; special qualifying conditions that OPM has approved for the position, where applicable; is physically qualified with reasonable accommodation, where appropriate to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry; and is rated by the organization at least at the well qualified level.

Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position.

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.

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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.

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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.