Engineering Technician

Veterans Health Administration • Grand Junction, CO

11d • Onsite

About The Position

The Engineering Technician position is with the Department of Veterans Affairs at the VA Western Colorado Health Care System (WCHCS). The role performs a broad range of engineering and administrative work related to project development, design, construction, facility records, and asset management. The technician develops capital project submissions for design and construction, including scopes of work, funding estimates, and justifications based on VA Gap Analysis. The position applies engineering and construction practices and requirements, including applicable VA, OSHA, and NFPA standards, and coordinates with services and contractors to develop and deliver projects within scope and available funding.

The position also supports in-house designs and construction administration, reviews contractor documentation and payment estimates, helps close out construction projects, and maintains facility drawings, utility plans, space files, environmental records, real estate records, and Capital Asset Inventory data. Work includes field verification and visits to construction areas and other facility spaces. The role is not virtual and follows a Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. schedule. Promotion to the full performance level may be possible without further competition when regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship is required.
• Meet the applicable qualification requirements by the announcement closing date.
• For GS-9, have one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-7, or qualify through the stated graduate education substitution or a qualifying combination of education and experience.
• For GS-11, have one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-9; educational substitution is not available at this grade level.
• Specialized experience includes knowledge of computer-aided drafting and engineering drawing practices; engineering, architectural, and construction principles and methods; technical review of designs, construction methods, concepts, and specifications; and knowledge of VA policies and procedures.
• GS-11 specialized experience includes independently estimating material quantities, adapting standard details, interpreting drawings and specifications, identifying and correcting deficiencies or conflicting data, and using electronic design and project systems.
• Current or former federal employees subject to time-in-grade rules must meet the applicable 52-week requirement and submit supporting SF-50 documentation.
• Complete the required application steps, questionnaire, and online assessment.
• Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must be registered with Selective Service.
• Complete required background/security investigation and online onboarding; provide acceptable identification for employment requirements.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is required for VA Health Care Personnel.
• Serve a one-year probationary period or two-year trial period, as applicable.
• The work requires a combination of sedentary activity and physical effort, including walking, standing, carrying light items, driving or traveling by motor vehicle, and prolonged standing, bending, and stooping. Work may involve construction sites, confined spaces, scaffolding, mechanical equipment rooms, and noisy, dirty, close-quarter areas; lifting may involve items weighing less than 50 pounds.

Nice To Haves

• Certification by the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies may be helpful as a measure of the technician's quality of experience.
• Experience with Adobe Acrobat, AutoCAD, MicroStation, Revit, Bentley BIM applications, Project Wise, Dr Checks, or similar software packages is relevant to GS-11 qualifications.

Responsibilities

• Develop capital project submissions for design and construction, including scopes of work, funding estimates, and project justifications based on VA Gap Analysis.
• Perform engineering functions related to project development and planning to maintain Health Care System services and facilities.
• Prepare in-house designs, cost estimates, construction drawings, and specifications for new construction, alterations, major repairs, and replacement projects.
• Conduct site investigations and coordinate conferences with relevant services to establish design requirements and needed information.
• Ensure designs meet required scope and available funding, and reflect current engineering practices, OSHA standards, NFPA standards, and VA Construction Standards.
• Administer construction projects in accordance with Engineering, WCHCS, and VHA policies, procedures, and guidelines.
• Review contractor pay estimates, submittals, progress, measurement data, and reports of materials and equipment used; discuss discrepancies with contractors.
• Close construction projects by confirming substantial-completion items are delivered, reviewing contractor red-lines, coordinating as-built record drawings, filing project records, obtaining releases, and updating national records in PTR.
• Maintain master facility records, including drawings, space files, permanent environmental records, and real estate records.
• Maintain and update record drawings of WCHCS buildings, structures, utilities, and grounds using AutoCAD; field-verify changes and keep drawings current.
• Maintain and update Master Utility Plans and make plans available for design and construction activities.
• Track space changes approved by the Projects and Space Committee and update record documents and space files; field-verify changes from capital projects, contracted work, and internal renovations.
• Update Capital Asset Inventory records and related reporting requirements.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• The VA describes a comprehensive federal employee benefits package for employees and their families; specific benefits depend on position type and eligibility.

What This Job Offers

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