Utility Systems Operator

Veterans Health Administration • Erie, PA

3d • Onsite

About The Position

The Utility System Operator (USO) is assigned to the Utility Plant in Facilities Management Service at the Erie VA Medical Center. The operator is responsible for maintaining, repairing, and safely operating three Williams and Davis gas/oil combination boilers and two 600-ton York centrifugal chillers. The role also monitors alarms for medical gas, generators, refrigerator/freezers, and engineering control systems.

The operator monitors and controls boiler plant operations, adjusts fuel feeds and combustion variables to meet changing loads, operates the emergency electrical generator when the main power source cannot provide the necessary power, and operates the connected chiller plant and its associated equipment. The position tests and analyzes water used in boiler and chiller systems, maintains and repairs safety devices and burner management controls, inspects boiler settings and refractory linings, and performs preventive, scheduled, and emergency maintenance on boilers and auxiliary equipment.

The work involves diagnosing and repairing integrated electrical, mechanical, pneumatic, hydraulic, and electronic systems, using technical information and operating instructions that may be vague or incomplete. Work schedules vary across first, second, and third shifts, Sunday through Saturday. Other duties may be assigned.

Requirements

• 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.
• Knowledge, skills, and abilities related to the duties must be supported by detailed descriptions in the resume.
• Ability to assemble, install, and repair equipment; interpret instructions and specifications; operate equipment and machinery; and apply technical practices without more than normal supervision.
• Must be a U.S. citizen.
• Must complete a background/suitability investigation; designated or random drug testing may be required.
• Selective Service registration is required for males born after December 31, 1959.
• Must submit a complete application package, including resume and transcripts where applicable.
• Selected applicants must complete online onboarding and provide acceptable identification for pre-employment requirements.
• Must serve a one-year probationary period.
• Resume must be no longer than two pages beginning September 27, 2025, and must be legible and clearly document relevant qualifications.

Responsibilities

• Maintain, repair, and safely operate three Williams and Davis gas/oil combination boilers and two 600-ton York centrifugal chillers.
• Monitor medical gas alarms, energy management system alarms, and alarms for generators, refrigerator/freezers, and engineering control systems; use judgment to notify appropriate personnel.
• Use controls, meters, gauges, and computer-generated data to adjust boiler operations for proper operation and changing load requirements.
• Adjust fuel feeds, draft volume and velocity, and other firebox variables to achieve combustion efficiency as loads or fuel vary.
• Operate the emergency electrical generator when the main electrical source cannot meet plant requirements.
• Operate and maintain the chiller plant and associated condenser water pumps, chilled water pumps, cooling towers, and pump and fan variable-frequency drives.
• Test and analyze boiler feed water, boiler water, condensate return water, chilled water, and chiller condenser water using standard chemical tests.
• Test, adjust, maintain, and repair boiler safety devices, including flame safeguard systems, switches, timers, water column safety devices, probes, sensors, steam safety valves, and fuel valves.
• Inspect boiler settings and refractory linings for deterioration or heat-stress damage.
• Monitor, adjust, and control boiler plant operations using manual, automatic, semi-automatic, and microprocessor controls.
• Maintain, calibrate, and repair safety devices using tools such as manometers, multimeters, combustion analyzers, test gauges, and infrared thermometers.
• Operate, adjust, maintain, troubleshoot, and repair auxiliary plant equipment, including fuel delivery systems, de-aerating equipment, water treatment equipment, and air compressors.
• Monitor and test boiler systems to identify malfunctions and potential problems with controls, valves, piping, pumps, and related components.
• Perform preventive, scheduled, and emergency maintenance on boiler feed water pumps, fuel oil pumps, air compressors, controls, valves, piping, plant electrical systems, and related equipment.
• Maintain burner management control systems, including electronic and electromechanical controls, using ultraviolet and related testing devices.
• Diagnose, isolate, and repair malfunctions in integrated electrical, mechanical, pneumatic, hydraulic, and electronic systems, and maintain specified accuracy, sensitivity, and tolerances.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Federal employees and their families have access to a comprehensive benefits package; specific eligibility depends on position type.
• Newly appointed federal employees may request credit for job-related non-federal experience or active-duty uniformed military service when determining annual leave accrual; approval is not guaranteed.

What This Job Offers

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