Engineering Equipment Operator

Summary

This position is located within a National Forest. The position is established on a Forest unit to support of road systems and other program areas. Incumbent operates and maintains engineering equipment.

Duties

• Operates one or more heavy gasoline or diesel powered wheeled or crawler type engineering and construction equipment to excavate, backfill, grade or level earth to rough specifications on such projects as roads, ditches, or construction sites.
• Transports heavy equipment to job site.
• Moves earth and rock, piles brush, pulls planting equipment, etc., on mountains with steep slopes, graded curves and shoulders, rocky or soft ground, hilly forests.
• And other surfaces with similar rough features to grade the earth to the general contour desired on trails, roads, canals, tunnels, or construction sites.
• Performs rough grading as well as fine surfacing on flat or rolling terrain. May perform fine grading with closer instruction and supervision
• Adjusts equipment attachments for proper positioning and working order, making adjustments without stopping the power unit or the equipment. Steers and operates by using clutches, levers, brakes, and valves according to the slope or tilt.
• Ensures equipment is maintained in good working condition. Performs inspections, preventive maintenance, minor repairs and adjustments, and maintains proper records. Reports major mechanical repairs to supervisor.
• May perform fine grading with closer instruction and supervision.

Requirements

You must be a US Citizen or US National. Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt. Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check. Direct Deposit - Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of your choosing. Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit E-Verify. Must be 18 years of age. Willing to live/work in remote locations (volatile/unpredictable). This is a Testing Designated Position (TDP). Selectee must submit to a urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment and random testing thereafter. Final appointment and continued employment is conditional on negative results for illegal drug use. This announcement constitutes 30 days advance notice. This position requires the selectee to obtain or possess a Commercial Driver's License (CDL) and therefore, is a Testing Designated Position (TDP) under the Department of Transportation (DOT)/Forest Service Alcohol and Controlled Substance Testing Program. Qualifications

In order to qualify, you must meet the eligibility and qualifications requirements as defined below by the closing date of the announcement. For more information on the qualifications for this position, visit the Office of Personnel Management's Federal Wage System Qualifications Standards. Your application and resume must clearly show that you possess the experience requirements. Transcripts must be provided for qualifications based on education. Provide course descriptions as necessary. Applicants will be evaluated on their ability to perform the duties of the position rather than length of experience. Eligibility will be determined by the relevance, scope and quality of all experience and training, regardless of where or how acquired. Applicants will be ranked and rated based on their knowledge of the job elements identified in this announcement. Ability to do the work of the position without more than normal supervision. Operation of Motor Vehicles Work Practices (includes keeping things neat, clean, and in order) Ability to Interpret Instructions, Specifications, etc. (related to mobile equipment operation) Ability to Drive Safely (Motor Vehicles) Reliability and Dependability as an Engineering Equipment Operator There is no substitution of education for this position. Selective Placement Factors This is a Testing Designated Position (TDP). Selectee must submit to a urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment and random testing thereafter. Final appointment and continued employment is conditional on negative results for illegal drug use. This announcement constitutes 30 days advance notice. This position requires the selectee to obtain or possess a Commercial Driver's License (CDL) and therefore, is a Testing Designated Position (TDP) under the Department of Transportation (DOT)/Forest Service Alcohol and Controlled Substance Testing Program. 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; religious; 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. To receive consideration for this position, you must provide updated required documents and meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

How You Will Be Evaluated

Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your score may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities, or you may be found ineligible. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action up to including removal from the Federal service. Other Information

PLEASE NOTE: This vacancy is being used to fill positions for FY2027 Temporary Employment Hiring season. The expected start date for this position will be between April 18, 2027 to June 13, 2027. By selecting the "Location Negotiable" option during the application process, implies your willingness to be considered for any official duty location listed on this announcement and/or those duty locations not listed for this Regional announcement. Pay rates vary depending on location. The salary shown is for the Rest of the U.S. See OPM.gov for additional information on pay rates. This position is temporary, has a Not-to-Exceed date and will be filled for up to 6 months or as a not to exceed (NTE) 1 year, however an extension of the appointment may be possible without further competition. The appointment may also end early due to lack of work or lack of funds. Applicants who apply under this job opportunity announcement agree to have their application, associated documents and applicable personal information shared with other groups within the Region who have vacancies within the same occupational series, grade, full performance level and in any of the geographic location(s) listed on the announcement. Applying to this announcement does not replace the need to apply to other job opportunity announcements for which you wish to receive consideration. The duty station for this position will be at one of the duty locations listed in this announcement. Please visit the Office of Personnel Management's website for additional information on pay rates in your duty location State. The USDA Forest Service has legislative authority to recruit and fill Permanent (Career/Career-Conditional), Temporary, and Term Appointments under the USDA Demonstration Project. Under this authority, any U.S. citizen may apply. Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP eligible must meet the agency's definition for a quality candidate as provided in the How You Will Be Evaluated section of this announcement to be considered. If you are retired from the Federal Government and are selected for this vacancy, your retirement annuity may be offset from your pay. This position is not eligible for telework. Availability of government housing and federal day care facilities will vary by location. Positions filled from this announcement may be a bargaining or a non-bargaining unit position represented by either NFFE, AFGE or NAGE.