Instrument Maker

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Duties

• Plan, fabricate and produce complex and specialized instruments, equipment, and models made from various materials (individually or combined) to support the research, laboratory, and field activities of the group and other groups within the Technical Service Center and Reclamation.
• The instruments, equipment and models can be used to detect, measure, record, and regulate various scientific and engineering phenomena including, but not limited to, velocity, discharge, vibration, speed, pressure, and stress. Fabrication requires knowledge and understanding of a multitude of different trades (mechanical, electromechanical, optical, pneumatic, etc.).
• Provide technical advice to engineers and scientists desiring unique measurements, assist in review and modification of provided preliminary sketches/plans, and use considerable judgment and decision-making on the planning, design, and implementation of instrumentation, model components, and specialized equipment based upon the incumbent's unique knowledge of materials, tooling, fabrication, finishing, and assembly processes. This includes the preparation of cost estimates for labor and materials, schedule estimates for fabrication, ordering materials, fabricating, and maintaining the instruments, models and equipment, and training others to use the fabricated instruments developed.
• Most projects require a keen sense of imagination and require the incumbent to use initiative to modify and/or combine a variety of standard trade work processes to develop unique instruments.
• Support laboratory construction and maintenance activities, as needed. Assists the laboratory Model Makers to design, fabricate and assemble deeply unique templates and equipment that may be required to fasten, secure or mount model components.
• Maintain the machine shop and other specialized laboratory and shop equipment, servicing or arranging for service or repairs of equipment as needed. Maintains a safe work environment and follows appropriate safety protocols in all work activities. Assists engineers, scientists, and model makers in selecting and/or fabricating safety devices and/or barriers that allow required laboratory and field testing to be conducted safely and efficiently.
  
  

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Requirements

Conditions of Employment

You must be a U.S. Citizen or U.S. National.

You must be suitable for federal employment, determined by a background investigation.

You must submit a resume and supporting documentation (see Required Documents).

You must submit eligibility documents for veterans consideration (see Required Documents).

You will be required to obtain a successful pre-employment physical examination by a licensed physician certifying your ability to perform the duties of this position. A physical exam may not be required if a comparable agency approved examination was performed within the last 12 months. The cost of the exam will be reimbursed by the agency.

Applicants initially appointed to a term position must serve a trial period.

Who May Apply

• Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)
• Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP)
  
  

Qualifications

Your application materials must demonstrate sufficient experience and training to perform the duties of this position without more than normal supervision. Qualifications will be determined on the basis of information submitted within your resume and responses to the assessment questions. For information about qualifications for Federal Wage System positions please, visit OPM.

Minimum qualifications for trades and labor positions are determined by evaluation of job elements. You must meet at least 2 points on the screen-out element(s) and obtain an average of at least 2 points on all of the job elements in order to be considered qualified for this position.

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.

You must meet all Eligibility and Qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors if applicable, by 09/27/2024.

Education

This position does not allow substituting education for experience.

Additional information

You may be required to serve an initial probationary period. Current, permanent Federal employees who are selected from this announcement may be required to serve a probationary period.

Applicants initially appointed to a term position must serve a trial period.

Current agency employees may be eligible to receive a referral bonus for recruitment of this position. For information visit: Referral Bonus Awards.

DOI uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including applicant rights and responsibilities, please visit https://www.e-verify.gov/

This position is designated as a LOW RISK position. It requires a fully completed and favorably adjudicated SF85 Background Investigation (T1 or equivalent) that is current (within the last 5 years). This is a condition of employment.

Male applicants born after December 31, 1959 must certify registration with the Selective Service System or that the applicant is exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. Go to: https://www.sss.gov

Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement.

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• Help Help A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
  
  

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Category rating and selection procedures will be used to evaluate applications from this announcement. If an applicant meets the basic qualification requirements, his/her on-line responses to the vacancy assessment questionnaire will be used to determine the quality and extent of his/her experience, education, training, etc., for placement in one of the following categories: 1) Best Qualified, 2) Well Qualified, and 3) Qualified. Qualified candidates will be assigned a numerical score on a scale of 70-100. The Category Rating Process does not add veterans' preference points or apply the "rule of three" but protects the rights of Veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each quality category. Veterans' preference eligibles who meet the minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent will be listed in the highest quality category (except in the case of scientific or professional positions at the GS-09 level or higher).

Human Resources (HR) will review resumes and submitted documents, if applicable, to ensure your meet the basic qualification requirements. HR will evaluate each applicant who meets the basic qualifications on the information provided in the assessment questionnaire. The assessment questionnaire will take approximately 15 minutes to complete. Applicants determined best qualified will be referred to the selecting official.

You will be further evaluated on the following Job Elements through resume content and your responses to the application questionnaire:

• Ability To Do The Work Of The Position Without More Than Normal Supervision (Screen-Out Element)
• Knowledge of Equipment, Assembly, Installation, and Repair, etc.
• Technical Practices (Theoretical, Precise, Artistic)
• Ability To Interpret Instructions, Specifications, etc. (Includes Blueprint Reading)
• Ability To Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment
  
  

The application questionnaire can be previewed here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12541232

Your answers will be verified against information provided in your resume. Your resume must clearly support the responses to all the questions by addressing experience, education, and/or training relevant to this position. You must make a fair and accurate assessment of your qualifications. If a determination is made that you have rated yourself higher than what is apparent in the description of your experience, competencies, skills, and/or education/training (or that your resume/application is incomplete), you could be rated ineligible or your score could be lowered.

Applicants who apply under this job opportunity announcement agree to have their application, associated documents and applicable personal information shared with other Bureaus/Offices within the Department of the Interior (DOI) who have vacancies with the same occupational series, grade, full performance level and in the same geographic location(s). Applying to this announcement does not replace the need to apply to other job opportunity announcements for which you wish to receive consideration. You may choose to opt in of having your information shared with other agencies when applying for this position. If an agency requests a copy of a certificate you are on, you will be notified.