Engineering Technician

Duties may include but are not limited to:

• Finding the facts and solutions for any deviations as they arise and preparing the necessary design modifications doing an estimate of probable costs and preparing a request to the Contracting Officer for additional services if necessary.
• Independently prepares engineering estimates for construction projects and equipment installation projects and prepares documents for Pre-Bid Conferences.
• Chairs pre-construction and pre-bid conferences for construction projects for Leasing and Engineering Service.
• Serves as the Contracting Officers technical representative on construction projects as assigned.
• Makes extensive contacts with other medical center personnel engineers and contractors to devise solutions when complex problems arise during the design and construction phase.
• Inspects and evaluates assigned construction projects to ensure contractor compliance with plans specifications and phasing.
• Provides for complete coordination of assigned construction projects between facility and construction activities.
• Prepares electrical plumbing hvac utility systems mechanical pneumatic civil and structural designs and layouts complete with specifications scope of work and cost estimates using the latest VA Estimating DATA.
• Makes on-site investigations has conferences with appropriate personnel on design requirements to collect data needed for independent design.
• Shows ingenuity and creative thinking in revising existing systems for different functions as required for new applications and designing new systems.
• Convey instructions clearly and concisely to others.
• Reviews the technical submissions from consultant engineers for compliance with the project mission.
• Technically monitors contractors and consultant engineers for large and small projects moving from project to project in the course of the day to ensure that all services contracted for by the government are properly carried out and that construction work does not interfere with the day to day operation of the Medical Center and outlying CBOCs.
• Prepares broad and complex architectural electrical civil plumbing heating and air conditioning drawings to constitute a legal contract for construction work.
• Researches the latest Dept. Of Veterans Affairs Construction Standards and specifications that will efficiently effectively and economically satisfy design 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: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required.
• 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 ( Effective May 7 2025 drivers 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)

• 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.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement 02/09/2026.

Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-08. The grade may have been in any occupation but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade as required by the this instance you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.

Individual Occupational Requirements

Basic Requirements:

Examples of qualifying specialized experience include 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.

Certification:

Engineering technicians may be certified by the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies an organization sponsored by the National Society of Professional Engineers. (CERTIFICATE REQUIRED)

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-08 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include but are not limited to: Operating automatic data systems including the ability to acquire a working knowledge of engineering software packages; Detailed understanding of automated drawing file management and principles of automated drafting and engineering design management; Measuring and using various measuring devices; Prepare reports write specifications; Knowledge of the principles and practices of engineering disciplines related to building construction and industrial plant maintenance; Interpret select adopt and apply numerous guidelines applicable to engineering design and the building trades; Knowledge of general construction techniques and practices. OR
• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have (2) full years of graduate education (36 semester hours) or a masters degree (education MUST be directly related to the work of the position). (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED). OR
• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond the first year of graduate level education (18 semester hours) directly related to the work of the position to qualify for the education portion of the combination qualification. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED).

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.