Summary
You will serve as an Engineering Equipment Operator - FUL at the Southwest Louisiana National Wildlife Refuge Complex, with your primary duty station located in Hackberry, Bell City, or Lake Arthur, Louisiana. In this role, you will operate and maintain heavy equipment and perform a wide range of maintenance tasks in support of wildlife habitat management and refuge infrastructure needs across all refuges within the Complex. Continued in Duties Section...
Duties
Continued from the Summary section - Potential primary duty locations for this position: Bell City, LA (Cameron Prairie NWR) Hackberry, LA (Sabine NWR) Lake Arthur, LA (Lacassine NWR) You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work. 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. As a Engineering Equipment Operator (WG-08) your duties may include but are not limited to the following: Operates bulldozers, excavators, graders, skid steers, backhoes, loaders, farm tractors, ORUVs, and other heavy equipment to support land-management projects such as culvert replacement, levee repair, ditch cleaning, trail construction, mowing, and maintaining refuge roads and parking areas. Performs preventive maintenance and repairs on heavy equipment, agricultural tractors, vehicles, small engines, and attachments, including replacing hoses, belts, chains, filters, radiators, hydraulic components, tracks, bucket teeth, and diagnosing issues using test lamps, multimeters, onboard computers, and electronic analyzers. Works daily with refuge staff, volunteers, and small project teams to complete land-management, earth-moving, and habitat restoration projects; provides mentoring or serves as a safety instructor in equipment operation. Performs building and facility maintenance including electrical repairs, HVAC servicing, plumbing system installation/repair, masonry, carpentry, welding, concrete work, roofing, painting, and general structural maintenance across refuge facilities. Ensures safe operation of equipment and compliance with safety regulations by conducting inspections, maintaining a clean and orderly work area, using appropriate PPE, handling and disposing hazardous materials properly, and developing safe work approaches for land-management projects. Maintains equipment logbooks and input service, repair, and maintenance records into the Service's approved maintenance database; keeps written documentation current for all operated equipment. Applies herbicides and insecticides for pest management using trailer, backpack, and hand sprayers; follows product labels, regulatory requirements, and proper disposal procedures for surplus chemicals and containers. Performs additional refuge operational duties including operation of water control structures, installing fences and gates, posting boundary signs, habitat restoration activities, simple manual labor, and serving as a collateral-duty firefighter if desired.
Requirements
Must be a U.S. Citizen or National. 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 www.dhs.gov/EVerify/. 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 have the ability to obtain and maintain a valid Class A Commercial Driver's License (CDL) within 6 months of hiring. You are required to wear a uniform and comply with the uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided. Must have the ability to obtain and maintain a Pesticide Applicators License. You must be at least 18 years of age or older to operate government vehicles. 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 period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
Education
There is no substitution of education for experience for Federal Wage System (FWS) positions.
How you will be evaluated
This position is being filled under the Field Unit Local Hiring Authority. Under this authority, competitive rating, ranking, and veterans' preference procedures do not apply. The Servicing Human Resources Office will determine whether applicants meet the qualification and eligibility requirements described in this announcement. Applicants who meet these requirements may be referred to the selecting official on a certificate of eligibles for consideration. You must certify that you will maintain a permanent and exclusive residence within the defined vicinity of the field unit(s) listed in this announcement. Upon receipt of a completed application package, the Servicing Human Resources Office will review your resume and supporting documentation to determine whether you meet the minimum qualification requirements described in this announcement. Resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages. Resumes longer than two pages will not be reviewed. Applicants may submit only one resume. Only the document submitted as the "Resume" under the Documents section will be used to determine qualifications and eligibility. If more than one resume is submitted, only the most recent submission will be reviewed. If your resume is incomplete or does not demonstrate that you meet the qualification requirements or specialized experience described in this announcement, you may be determined ineligible or not qualified for further consideration. Providing false or misleading information on your resume or supporting documentation may result in removal from consideration or other action consistent with applicable federal hiring regulations. Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position.