Engineering Technician

Summary This position is located within the Engineering Service at the St. Cloud VA Medical Center in St. Cloud, MN. The Engineering Technician performs a variety of work requiring application of extensive technical knowledge involving various established engineering methods, procedures, techniques, and practices. Learn more about this agency Duties ***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION*** Major duties include but are not limited to the following: Meets with contractors for the purpose of resolving problems requiring interpretation or clarification of plans and specifications. Solves routine problems and seeks advice on complex engineered issues. Inspects projects to determine adequacy of workmanship and materials and calls any deviations to the attention of the Contracting Officer for corrective action. Makes final inspection recommendation to approve or disapprove unless unusual circumstances are found which would be relayed to appropriate personnel. Meets with personnel to determine specific needs as well as through the interpretation of written and oral instructions, physical inspections, specifications, photographs, and sketches. Prepares contract drawings, station drawings, and revised station drawings through the use of computer software (Auto Computer Aided Design (CAD), or similar) Develops via CAD, drawings, layouts, and plans required for the use of project engineers for proposed additions, improvements, alterations, modifications, repairs, equipment installation, and new construction, as requested. Planning/coordinating, estimating, designing, drafting, specification writing, and inspection of projects Develops construction estimates using current estimating manuals, software, and local bidding trends. Verifies bids for purchase orders, equipment and services, construction negotiations, and project submissions for recurring maintenance projects and for the less complex non-recurring maintenance (NRM) projects Develops all assigned projects within the constraints of time, space, and funding available, following conventional, well established engineering practices. Makes recommendations regarding various construction related items based on interpretation of contract documents to Project Section Manager, Contracting Officer, and contractors. Performs design, construction and related contract management of complex projects as assigned. Configures drawing computer files to isolate trade divisions, i.e., electrical, plumbing, HVAC, etc., through the use of cross-references. Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved Requirements Conditions of employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 Physical Requirements: Most of the work is performed indoors in a well-lit, temperature and sound controlled office setting. However, the employee may be exposed to the hazards of weather, dirt, dust etc. associated with construction settings while making "on-site" inspections of assigned projects. The employee must be physically able to climb, crawl, walk, stoop, sit and stand to perform assigned duties. The employee is also expected to comply with all safety codes and other practices described in the Engineering and Medical Center Safety Manuals. Subject to background/security investigation 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. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Required Documents" below for details. 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. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may 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. Upon completion of your probationary, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications TO QUALIFY FOR THIS POSITION AT THE GS-11 GRADE LEVEL, APPLICANTS MUST MEET ONE OF THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: At least one (1) full year of specialized experience that equipped me with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position, and that is typically in or related to the work of this position. To be creditable, this experience must have been equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-10) in the Federal Service. Technician experience includes supervising, leading or performing work involving applying a practical knowledge of the (1) methods and techniques of engineering or architecture and (2) construction, application, properties, operations, and limitations of engineering systems, processes, structures, machinery, devices and materials. Qualifying specialized experience includes technical work in drafting, surveying construction estimating, physical science, mathematics, aerospace, architecture, chemicals, electrical or mechanical systems, mining, petroleum, or nuclear systems. Experience in a trade or craft may be credited as specialized experience when the work provided intensive knowledge of engineering principles, techniques, methods, and precedents. Examples are trade positions with substantial developmental, test, or design responsibilities such as: Planner and estimator who analyzed designs for production purposes; Instrument maker or model maker who performed design or development work on devices fabricated. NOTE: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. ~OR~ SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION FOR EXPERIENCE: Successfully completed three (3) years of graduate education or an internship that is directly related to the work of the Engineering Technician position in the field of engineering. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. ~OR~ COMBINATION OF EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION: Equivalent combination of successfully completed graduate level education and specialized experience as described above which meets the total experience requirements for this grade level. The education portion must include graduate courses directly related to the work of the Engineering Technician position in the field of engineering. NOTE: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/. Education IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. NOTE: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional information Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation and be found well-qualified (have a final rating of 80 or more before any Veterans preference points) for this vacancy. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/. Note: Per "Executive Order 14251: Exclusions from Federal Labor-Management Relations Programs", this position is no longer eligible for bargaining unit participation. Expand Hide  additional information Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution. 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. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits. Review our 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.