Air Conditioner Equipment Operator

Veterans Health Administration • Atlanta, GA

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The incumbent operates, monitors, and adjusts central plant systems supporting a major medical center with 24/7 patient care operations. Equipment includes high-pressure steam boilers, large-capacity centrifugal chillers, pumping systems, and digital building automation systems (BAS). The role requires rotating shifts, including nights, weekends, and holidays, to ensure uninterrupted plant operations.

The operator monitors system readings, starts and stops equipment, responds to alarms and abnormal conditions, performs routine walkthroughs and basic maintenance, conducts boiler and chilled-water chemical testing, and records shift activities in operator logs and the computerized maintenance management system (CMMS). The role also includes responding to equipment failures and utility emergencies, following established emergency procedures, and providing written and verbal shift handovers.

The employee follows applicable VA, EPA, OSHA, and Joint Commission standards and uses required personal protective equipment (PPE). Lockout/tagout and confined-space procedures apply. The position requires frequent facility walking, climbing ladders, working in confined spaces, and performing maintenance in various positions. Visual acuity is needed to read gauges, meters, and computer displays, and manual dexterity is needed to operate controls and perform maintenance tasks. The work schedule rotates between 11:00 a.m.–11:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m.–11:00 a.m.; it may change based on agency need.

Requirements

• Provide evidence of training or experience of sufficient scope and quality to demonstrate the ability to perform the work; no specific length of training or experience is required.
• Demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and ability to perform the duties, supported by detailed descriptions on the resume.
• Meet the screen-out and job-element qualifications, including dexterity and safety; knowledge of equipment assembly, installation, and repair; operation of job-family equipment and machinery; technical practices; use of measuring instruments; and work without more than normal supervision.
• U.S. citizenship is required, except that non-citizens may be appointed when qualified citizens cannot be recruited in accordance with VA policy.
• Be suitable for Federal employment as determined by a background investigation.
• Register with Selective Service if male and born after December 31, 1959.
• Complete the required online onboarding and provide acceptable identification for pre-employment requirements.
• Complete a one-year probationary period, subject to written certification that continued employment advances the public interest.
• As VA Health Care Personnel, receive annual seasonal influenza vaccination or obtain an exemption for medical or religious reasons; employees with an exemption must wear a face mask.

Nice To Haves

• Recruitment or relocation incentives may be authorized for highly qualified applicants.

Responsibilities

• Operate four high-pressure Cleaver-Brooks steam boilers and four centrifugal chillers (Trane CVHF and York YK models).
• Monitor steam pressure, temperatures, water levels, chiller suction and discharge pressures, condenser and evaporator temperatures, and electrical load measurements.
• Start, stop, and transition boilers and chillers according to facility load and energy-efficiency requirements.
• Use BAS interfaces and control panels to maintain operation of steam and chilled-water systems.
• Respond to alarms and abnormal conditions, taking corrective actions within operator authority.
• Conduct routine mechanical-room walkthroughs to verify equipment status and identify potential issues.
• Conduct boiler and chilled-water chemical testing and apply appropriate chemical treatment.
• Perform routine maintenance, including lubrication, filter changes, minor adjustments, and preventive-maintenance tasks.
• Maintain operator logs, system readings, and CMMS entries for shift activities.
• Respond to boiler or chiller failures, utility outages, BAS alarms, fire events, and urgent medical-center utility demands.
• Execute emergency shutdowns or equipment transitions in accordance with established protocols.
• Provide verbal and written shift-turnover reports.
• Follow VA, EPA, OSHA, and Joint Commission safety standards; participate in safety drills and maintain required training or certifications applicable to assigned duties.
• Use required PPE and follow lockout/tagout and confined-space procedures.

Benefits

• Federal employees and their families have access to a comprehensive benefits package; contact the hiring agency for information about benefits specific to this position.
• VA may, upon request and approval before appointment, credit job-related non-federal experience or active-duty uniformed military service toward the annual-leave accrual rate; approval is not guaranteed.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Education Level: No Education Listed