Maintenance Mechanic

Summary

This position is at the U.S. Botanic Garden (USBG). The USBG is a public garden in the legislative branch and was established by Congress in 1820. The Garden inspires people to appreciate, study, and conserve plants to enrich society locally and globally. We provide educational experiences to 1 million visitors annually, present horticultural displays and exhibits, strive to break down barriers to inclusion, and advance the exchange of ideas and information. Learn more: U.S. Botanic Garden.

Duties

• This position serves as a Maintenance Mechanic at the United States Botanic Garden (USBG), performing journey-level and developmental work across multiple skilled trades, including HVAC, electrical, plumbing/pipefitting, boiler plant operations, and carpentry. Employees selected at the WG-09 level will perform developmental assignments under closer supervision. As experience and proficiency increase, assignments become progressively more complex until the full performance level is reached. This is a career ladder position with promotion potential to WG-11. This is an essential position. The incumbent is required to report to work during emergencies and inclement weather. The position requires availability from Saturday through Wednesday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Candidates should be prepared to work during holidays, weekends, and participate in rotating shifts as needed to support operational requirements. Duties quoted below are for the WG-10 grade level. Major Duties Include: Maintain, troubleshoot, repair, install, and operate a wide range of commercial and industrial HVAC systems. Diagnose control and equipment malfunctions using testing instruments and prescribed procedures. Perform repairs involving heating, cooling, humidification, dehumidification, filtration, and air circulation systems supporting USBG facilities and greenhouses. Balance systems and resolve complex HVAC performance issues. Install, maintain, troubleshoot, and repair electrical control and monitoring systems. Diagnose malfunctions in relay systems, interface devices, and analog/digital controls. Test electrical systems for correct operating conditions and compliance with applicable codes. Install, alter, maintain, troubleshoot, and repair high- and low-pressure piping systems. Work on domestic water, sewage, steam generation, hydronic heating, fire sprinkler, irrigation, and tempered water systems. Construct, install, repair, and modify wood and wood substitute structures. Perform glazing, painting, finishing, and installation of partitions, flooring, ceilings, countertops, moldings, and greenhouse glazing components. Safely operate hand and power woodworking tools. Operate, maintain, troubleshoot, and repair low- and medium-pressure boilers and associated auxiliary equipment. Conduct scheduled preventive maintenance, inspections, and seasonal system shutdown/startup activities. Monitor and adjust computer-operated environmental control systems supporting greenhouse environments. Perform fleet and automotive maintenance, small engine repair, fire alarm system maintenance, water reverse osmosis system repair, elevator inspection, and event setup/breakdown. Sustain efficient combustion levels and ensure compliance with air pollution laws or regulations. Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) certification by an EPA-Approved Technician's Certification Program is desired. WG‐09: Exposure to refrigerant handling; certification preferred upon entry. WG‐10: EPA 608 CFC certification strongly preferred; candidates should be able to service refrigerant‐bearing systems. WG‐11: EPA 608 CFC certification required or obtained within 6 months; leads complex HVAC system service and compliance.

Requirements

To be employed by the Architect of the Capitol in a paid position, an individual must meet one of the categories below: A citizen of the United States; A person who is lawfully admitted for permanent residence and is seeking citizenship as outlined in 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)(B); A person who is admitted as a refugee under 8 U.S.C. 1157 or is granted asylum under 8 U.S.C. 1158 and has filed a declaration of intention to become a lawful permanent resident and then a citizen when eligible; A person who owes allegiance to the United States (nationals of American Samoa, Swains Island, and the Northern Mariana Islands, and nationals who meet other requirements described in 8 U.S.C. 1408); or A person who is currently an officer or employee of the Government of the United States.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must show experience in at least two of the following occupational areas: Electrical, HVAC, Plumbing or Carpentry. This experience must be reflected in your resume. You must meet the following SCREEN-OUT: Ability to perform the duties of a maintenance mechanic (i.e. heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), electrical, carpentry, plumbing/pipefitting boiler plant maintenance) without more than normal supervision. You may qualify at the WG-09 (Developmental) level: Performing basic maintenance mechanic tasks in at least two trades (HVAC, electrical, plumbing/pipefitting, carpentry, and boiler plant operations) under close supervision. Work is developmental, focused on preventive maintenance, assisting with repairs, and learning to apply procedures and safety practices; assignments increase in complexity as proficiency grows. You may qualify at the WG-10 (Journey) level: Independently performing journey-level maintenance mechanic duties across multiple trades, including diagnosing controls/equipment, repairing HVAC systems, working on electrical monitoring systems, and installing/repairing high- and low-pressure piping systems. Operates and troubleshoots boilers, balances systems; follows codes and OSHA requirements with minimal supervision. You may qualify at the WG-11 (Advanced Journey) level: Independently performing advanced journey-level duties with a lead/problem-solving focus, integrating systems, optimizing performance, and contributing to energy management and sustainability initiatives. Plans and executes complex corrective actions, mentors others, and coordinates work with contractors/CORs, all without more than normal supervision. Note: Applicants must clearly describe their experience addressing the screen-out element for the grade they are applying for in their resume. Failure to do so will result in ineligibility for the position. You must meet all eligibility and qualification requirements by the closing date of the job announcement.

Benefits

A variety of health insurance plans; retirement system with investment options; paid holidays; paid sick and annual (vacation) leave; life insurance; incentive systems; subsidized transportation; training and development opportunities, etc. Selected applicant(s) may be eligible to earn a higher annual leave accrual rate credit towards annual leave accrual based on prior non-Federal or uniformed service work experience. The amount of service credit will be based on specialized experience or qualifying experience that is provided on the applicant profile submitted. As such, if you are a new employee to the Federal Government or a rehire, it is important that you provide a work history that lists all directly related positions held, and it must include the dates of employment (month/day/year). The Architect of the Capitol offers eligible employees opportunity to participate in the Student Loan Repayment Program.

Required documents

The Architect of the Capitol's job application process is designed to ensure that we only ask you for the information that is absolutely needed to evaluate your qualifications and eligibility for the position. To apply for this position, you only need to submit online the following: a) your resume and 2) answer the online vacancy assessment questionnaire. The online questionnaire contains eligibility and screening questions and other relevant supplemental information. No additional documentation or attachment is required at the time of application. We ask that you prepare and submit a resume that best describes fully your background experience, skills, abilities, education, training and other relevant credentials. The resume should include dates of employment. Nothing further is required until it is requested by the staff of the Human Capital Management Division. If additional documentation is required for a position, you will be asked to provide it during the selection process or upon selection. At that point, we may ask you to submit documentation to support statements made in your resume. For example, we may ask you to provide documents such as college transcripts, copy of diploma or proof of Federal employment status. If the position requires a license or certification, we will ask candidate(s) to provide proof at the time of selection. If you are claiming veterans' preference, we may ask you to submit proof of Veterans preference (DD-214, and, if claiming 10-point preference, the SF-15 plus proof required by that form). If you fail to provide the required documents, we will withdraw a tentative job offer made and/or remove you from further consideration.