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Posted: March 20, 2026 (2 days ago)

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Engineering Technician

Veterans Health Administration

Department of Veterans Affairs

Fresh

Salary

$61,722 - $80,243

per year

Closes

March 24, 2026More VA jobs →

GS-9 Pay Grade

Base salary range: $51,332 - $66,732

Typical requirements: 1 year specialized experience at GS-8. Master's degree or 2 years graduate study.

Note: Actual salary includes locality pay (15-40%+ depending on location).

Job Description

Summary

This job involves supporting engineering projects at a veterans' health facility by designing plans, estimating costs, creating specifications and drawings, and inspecting construction work to ensure quality.

It's ideal for someone with hands-on technical experience in building or engineering fields who enjoys practical problem-solving in a government healthcare setting.

A good fit would be a detail-oriented technician familiar with construction processes and basic engineering tools.

Key Requirements

  • One year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-08 level in engineering technical work, such as drafting, estimating, or inspecting construction projects
  • Practical knowledge of civil engineering methods for building construction, plus familiarity with architectural, mechanical, and electrical engineering
  • Proficiency in engineering principles, computer-aided drafting (CAD), and preparing drawings and specifications
  • Time-in-grade requirement: 52 weeks at GS-08 for current federal employees, with SF-50 proof
  • Basic occupational requirement: Technical experience in fields like drafting, surveying, construction estimating, or related sciences (e.g., physical science, mathematics, electrical/mechanical systems)
  • Alternative: Two years of graduate education (36 semester hours) or a master's degree in a relevant field, or a combination of education and experience
  • Certification by the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies is beneficial but not required

Full Job Description

The primary purpose of this position is to perform non-professional engineering work in order to design, prepare cost estimates, develop specifications, prepare drawings and inspect various types of construction projects throughout CTVHCS.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 03/24/2026.

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 announcement.

In 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 REQUIREMENT: 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.

Certification by the Institute will be helpful as a measure of the technician's quality of experience.

In addition to the individual occupational requirements, you may qualify based on your experience as described below: 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: Practical knowledge of the methods and techniques primarily in civil engineering as it pertains to building construction and good familiarity with related fields such as architectural, mechanical and electrical engineering to design projects, develop specifications and inspect work in progress; thorough knowledge of engineer and computer aided drafting to prepare all drawings.

OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have possess two (2) full years of graduate education (e.g.

36 semester hours) or a master's degree. (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 graduate level (as described above) (18 semester hours is considered to be one year of graduate level study).

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.

Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary. Some work may require movement between offices, hospitals, warehouses, and similar areas for meetings and to conduct work.

Work may also require walking/standing, in conjunction with travel to and attendance at meetings and/or conferences away from the work site.

Incumbent may carry and lift light items weighing less than 15 pounds.

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/.

Major Duties:

Duties Prepares detailed drawings which, because of the breadth of projects, incorporate features and principals of architectural, electrical, civil and mechanical engineering.

Develops and prepares assembly, detail and sectional isometric views of a variety of items such as steam and refrigeration layouts electrical schematics architectural layouts, building cross sections layouts of roads and grounds, etc.

Modify plans or make compromises to accommodate cost reductions, unavailability of desired materials, greater restrictions on space, and other unanticipated problems and propose acceptable alternatives that still achieve the desired end product Coordinates utility shut downs between contractor and CTVHCS to ensure the continuity of clinical operations.

Responsible for the completed drawings and specifications furnished to the contracting officer for the preparation of bids.

Frequently must modify plans or make compromises to accommodate cost reductions, unavailability of desired materials, greater restrictions on space, and other unanticipated problems and propose acceptable alternatives that still achieve the desired end product.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 7:00AM-3:30PM Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Engineering Technician/PD08582A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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Posted on USAJOBS: 3/20/2026 | Added to FreshGovJobs: 3/21/2026

Source: USAJOBS | ID: CAZM-12916470-26-KF