Facility Operations Specialist

Full Job Description

The Facility Operations Specialist is responsible for the Water Quality Program, the Viewpoint temperature monitoring system, Fuel Storage system and serving as a Contracting Officers' Representative for maintenance and operation.

The incumbent serves as the Facility Operations Specialist located within the Operations and Maintenance Section of Facilities Management Service at the VA Sierra Nevada Healthcare System (VASNHCS).

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 02/20/2026.

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-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09. 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 for the GS-9, Facility Operation Specialist Education: Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study -- engineering, industrial arts, property management, or business administration.

OR Experience: Specialized Experience (for positions above GS-5): Examples of qualifying specialized experience include: Managing a maintenance program for office or apartment building complexes, hospitals, recreation facilities, military, or other special-purpose installations, including planning maintenance activities, and developing preventive maintenance programs.

Conducting surveillance activities over construction and maintenance operations performed by a variety of private contractors, including reviewing project plans and specifications for workability, informing contractors of construction and reporting requirements, and supervising operations for conformance with project plans.

Performing maintenance or construction work, including estimating material and labor costs for a variety of construction or maintenance projects (such as construction or maintenance of brick, frame, structural steel, reinforced concrete, and other type structures ranging from one- or two-story buildings to larger structures), directing actual work operations, and maintaining appropriate contacts with the organization funding the project.

IN ADDITION TO THE INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR FACILITY OPERATIONS GS-1640, APPLICANTS MUST MEET THE MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS: You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-09 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.

Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Working knowledge of main life safety utility systems and components such as generators, automatic transfer switches, transformers, boilers, medical gases, compressors, air handling units, condensers, elevators, chillers, cooling towers and other equipment and building system components necessary to allow a large medical facility to function daily.

This includes assuring that all critical utility systems are properly tested periodically as necessary to assure the continual dependability of these systems.

Requires the application of a practical knowledge of: (a) Facilities maintenance program planning, including evaluating the condition of all facility components; and (b) Financial planning and control, including determining funding requirements for facility operation and maintenance, justifying budget request; and (c) Facility requirements planning, including evaluating present use patterns of building, equipment, and other facilities; and projecting future requirements in terms of expanding or changing agency requirements.

Working knowledge of VA, The Joint Commission (TJC), Occupational Safety and Health Associate (OSHA), Environmental Protection Agencies (EPA) and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) regulations and standards along with being familiar with VA construction standards and criteria.

OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have Ph.D.

or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related in a major study of engineering, industrial arts, property management, or business administration.

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 doctoral level education and specialized experience directly related.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Building and Construction Customer Service (Clerical/Technical) Manages and Organizes Information Planning and Evaluating Project Management 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: Physical demands range from conducting frequent inspections and surveys for prolonged periods of walking, standing, reaching and bending to handling and/or assisting in emergency situations that may involve strenuous activity while also wearing heavy protective clothing and equipment for extended periods.

During normal and emergency situations, the incumbent may often be exposed to operating machinery, excessive heat and hazardous materials.

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:

The complexity and multidimensional aspects of FMS requires the incumbent to have an overall knowledge of the organization, its mission, goals and impact on patients, staff, community, and the nation.

The duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to the following: Water Quality Management: Represent FMS at the Water Quality Safety and Environment of Care Counsel.

Incumbent will manage water quality samples, tests reports, and mitigation related to water quality including legionella.

Write Issue Briefs related to positive test results, update the CEOSH Water Safety Management Tool (WSMT). Must be resident expert on VA Directive 1061.

The incumbent will manage the Viewpoint temperature and humidity system.

Provide customer service, ensure sensor calibration is performed annually, ensure alarms are being addressed by the services and ensure that service has assigned a viewpoint administrator.

Incumbent will generate contract documents and manage the procurement of the equipment or service of vendors. The incumbent will manage the fuel storage system.

Facilitate procurement of the equipment or service of vendors to perform trouble shooting of the monitoring, storage, and delivery system.

This may include, but not limited to sampling, testing and if needed the cleaning the fuel and systems. Maintains compliance with all local, state, and federal fuel storage regulations.

The incumbent will manage, prepare, and present the Utility Systems Management Plan to the Environment of Care Committee and is responsible for updating the facility directive when required.

Serves as Contracting Officers' Representative on all maintenance and service contracts that support the facility. Monitor quality aspects to ensure contractors comply with contractual requirements.

Certifies completion of effort and prepares Material Inspection and Receiving Reports.

Develops and keeps current appropriate Medical Center policies to ensure requirements for periodic maintenance and testing of utility systems are met.

Writes or reviews specifications for the maintenance or repair of facilities to include the description of materials and work methods to be followed.

The incumbent determines the priority of work to be accomplished, advises maintenance personnel on the required repairs, monitors the work being performed and provides an inspection and acceptance report of the completed work.

On a regular basis, evaluates the condition of all facility components, plants, buildings, and on-going repairs, and ensures complete compliance with the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations Standards.

Maintains all Joint Commission Records and continuously monitors compliance.

Work Schedule: Full-time, Monday - Friday, 7:30am - 4:00 pm Telework: Not authorized Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Facility Operations Specialist/PD02431O Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required