Plumber

Full Job Description

This position is located in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Fayetteville VA Medical Center (VAMC), in the Plumbing section of Facilities Management Service (FMS), Fayetteville, NC.

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

EXPERIENCE: A specific length of training and experience is not required, but you must show evidence of training or experience of sufficient scope and quality of your ability to do the work of this position.

Evidence which demonstrates you possess the knowledge, skills, and ability to perform the duties of this position must be supported by detailed descriptions of such on your resume.

Applicants will be rated in accordance with the OPM Federal Wage System Qualification Standards.

SCREEN-OUT ELEMENT: Your qualifications will first be evaluated against the prescribed screen out element, which usually appears as question 1 in the on-line questionnaire.

Those applicants who appear to possess at least the minimal acceptable qualification requirement are considered for further rating; those who do not are rated ineligible and are eliminated.

The potential eligibles are then rated against the remainder of the Job Elements: Equipment Assembly, Installation, Repair Physical Strength and Agility Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment Without more than normal supervision 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.

Major Duties:

Duties include, but are not limited to: The work involves installing, modifying, and repairing new and existing utility, supply, and disposal systems and equipment such as sewage, water, and gas distribution systems, and water closets, tubs, fire sprinkler systems, and showers.

Works with plumbing fixtures, radiators, water heaters, garbage disposals, valves, gauges, regulators; perform maintenance and repair on all plumbing segments which include, but are not necessarily limited to, domestic hot and cold water, sewer, low and medium pressure steam, roof drainage, storm water drainage, de-ionized water piping, and chemical feed system piping, serving building service equipment, medical, dietetic, canteen, engineering and all other areas of the campus property equipment/items.

Installs new lines or makes modifications to existing plumbing when distribution systems are altered, changed, or added to; installs various items of new and/or replacement equipment and fixtures; installs insulation material on pipes and ensures that piping systems are protected by installing proper dielectric corrosion protection, or other corrosion protection systems; performs mechanical repairs or overhauls to pumps and garbage disposal units, valves, mixing valved, medical gas system components such as terminal discharge connection points, backflow preventers, meters, and other flow governance components.

Incumbent completes routine flushing of low use areas.

Required to have knowledge of exterior and interior distribution systems such as steam, hot and cold domestic water, sewage, and medical gas systems and their associated components and terminal fixtures.

Incumbent must be familiar with pipe fittings, couplings, dielectric and corrosion protection systems, valves, adaptors, reducers, traps, sprinkler heads, mixing valves, post indicator valves, etc., types, sizes, and application; and capable of researching maintenance and product information.

Must be experienced for independent research of information and selection of the proper products for a given application with little or no supervision, then independently interpret this information in order to select the correct procedure for the problem described; knowledgeable at interpretation of instructions and requirements; and work with others collaboratively in the creation of plans to assist in shut downs and scheduled outages.

Must have skills for rough plumbing, installing sinks, and water closets, water heaters, or softeners, or a sprinkler installation and finished plumbing such as the installation of final fixtures such as faucets, and other similar equipment.

The ability to make quick judgment from observations in emergency situations is essential.

Should be skilled at using trade tools such as a drain cleanout auger, compressed air cleaner, pipe and monkey wrench, flow sensing equipment, pipe locator equipment, pipe/tubing cutters, flaring tools, reamers, pipe threading tools, pipe tracing equipment, pipe freezing equipment that allows stoppage of flow in pipes by freezing sections rather than use of valves, and tap/die tools, pipe soldering and brazing equipment, along with other sundries of the trade.

Must have the ability to plan, layout, and complete the installation, modification, and repair of various plumbing jobs associated with the systems described above; coordinate work with other trades to avoid interference, or undue interruptions to patient services; interact with staff in such a manner as to plan and carry out work, coordinating with others, both clinical staff and technical staff, to minimize the interruptions of systems; and advise for having backup systems in place during outages.

Must have the ability to read, understand, and work with engineering drawings, flow diagrams and schematics; document preventive maintenance and water testing results, interpret blueprints, drawings, or sketches and work instructions, both written and verbal, and technical guides of varying degrees of complexity as furnished by equipment manufacturers or government agencies.

Must be able to plan and lay out the work so that it will not interfere with normal operations of others.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30pm Position Description Title/PD#: Plumber/PD078680 Physical Requirements: Selectee must be in good physical condition to perform assigned work.

Physical exertion such as lifting, pushing, pulling or carrying objects of varying weights, sizes and shapes is required.

Requires standing, crawling, bending, kneeling, and strains such as working in confined spaces or in crouching or stooping positions for extended periods of time are encountered much of the time.

Knowledge of proper OSHA rules pertaining to work of this nature is essential as the incumbent is responsible for ensuring that he/she has the proper safety equipment prior to beginning a job, and that he/she is knowledgeable of and follows all applicable OSHA regulations.