Maintenance Mechanic

Veterans Health Administration • West Haven, CT

20d • Onsite

About The Position

This position is located at the West Haven Connecticut VA Medical Center. The position performs a wide range of tasks essential to the upkeep and maintenance of buildings, grounds, structures, fixtures, and utilities. Work is hands-on and mission-critical to maintaining a safe, functional environment for veterans, staff, and visitors. The position is organizationally assigned to the Maintenance and Repair (M&R) Section of Facility Service and supervised by the M&R Operations Supervisor. The primary purpose of the position is to provide maintenance, troubleshooting, repair and installation support for the plumbing, heating, and cooling systems throughout the Medical Center.

Requirements

• U.S. Citizenship; non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• Suitable for Federal employment, determined by a background investigation
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Services Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
• Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements ( https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents ).
• Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.
• As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest.
• A specific length of training and experience is not required, but you must show evidence of training or experience of sufficient scope and quality of your ability to do the work of this position.
• Evidence which demonstrates you possess the knowledge, skills, and ability to perform the duties of this position must be supported by detailed descriptions of such on your resume.
• Applicants will be rated in accordance with the OPM Federal Wage System Qualification Standards.
• 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: Equipment Assembly, Installation, Repair Interpret Instructions, Specifications (includes blueprint reading) Materials Measuring Instruments Technical Practices Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment Without more than normal supervision
• 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.

Nice To Haves

• Current and former Federal employees, please submit copies of the most recent SF-50 (Notice of Personnel Action). The SF-50 must identify the position title, series, grade, step, tenure and type of service (Competitive or Excepted). In some cases, more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held.

Responsibilities

• The incumbent performs a variety of tasks involved with installing, modifying, troubleshooting and repairing new and existing systems, including, but not limited to condensers, chillers, air handlers, compressed air, humidifying, dehumidifying, filtering, refrigerators, freezers and computer based Energy Management Control Systems (E1VICS).
• The incumbent maintains, repairs and installs new and existing plumbing systems, to include, but not limited to: high/ low pressure piping, sanitary sewer, steam heat, steam generation, circulating, vacuum, and condensate pumps, expansion tanks, radiators, lavatories, commodes, and water heaters.
• The incumbent works from building plans, blueprints and sketches to plan and layout routing of piping, vents, wiring, refrigeration lines, ductwork and valves.
• Able to perform at a journeyman level in the multiple trades involved in the duty performance of this position, to include: Air Conditioning /Refrigeration Mechanic and Plumber/Pipefitter.
• Able to read and interpret blueprints and wiring diagrams relative to the assigned equipment and utility systems.
• Able to read and understand technical manuals and instructions on air conditioning and refrigeration equipment, as well as pumps, valves, gas and oil fired boilers and furnaces.
• He/she must be able to estimate cost, both labor and material, and prepare lists of materials for the completion on any job to be done.
• Required to stand on his/her feet for long periods of time, crawl, stoop, climb ladders, work in close quarters and in inclement weather as required to access the various utility systems.
• He/she may be required to lift objects up to 50 pounds and is occasionally exposed to electrical hazards, pressurized steam, asbestos, mold, etc.
• Completes other duties as assigned to reach common team goals.

Benefits

• 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.
• Learn more about federal 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.

What This Job Offers

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