Engineering Technical (Mechanical)

Job details at a glance

About this job

The Sub-millimeter Array (SMA) is a joint project of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO). The observatory consists of a control building and hangar, eight relocatable antennas and associated instrumentation on the summit of Maunakea. The SMA is a radio interferometer array that conducts astronomical observations at millimeter and sub-millimeter wavelengths from 180 GHz to 420 GHz.

Duties

Conduct field inspections, measurements, and data collection for mechanical systems such as HVAC, pumps, piping, boilers, chillers, compressors, and fluid distribution systems.

Perform calculations related to flow, pressure, heat transfer, load, and system performance using established formulas and engineering references.

Read existing designs to complete packages, installation checklists, machine parts lists, and specifications of instrumentation equipment.

Assemble modified or new mechanical components for equipment and industrial and scientific machinery.

Conduct limited troubleshooting and diagnostics on mechanical equipment, identifying routine issues and recommending corrective actions.

Manage SMA's day to day operations of the fleet center; overseeing a diverse fleet including four wheel drive vehicles.

Provide technical assistance in developing maintenance and/or repair of precision mechanical assemblies at the observatory, including antennas, antenna transporter, and infrastructure.

Operate specialized bridge cranes, hoists and forklift trucks used in the assembly and maintenance of large antenna components.

Work with the antenna transporter, which is used to move the antennas.

Qualifications

In order to qualify, you must meet the experience requirements described below. 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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience. Specialized Experience: Grade 09: Must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-08 level in the Federal service or comparable pay band system related to the work of this position. Specialized experience includes activities such as practical knowledge of mechanical assemblies used in large instruments and/or industrial equipment, and knowledge of machining operations on metals and plastics. Time-in-Grade Requirements: Under competitive merit promotion procedures, any individual who is currently holding, or who has held within the previous 52 weeks, a General Schedule position under a non-temporary appointment in the competitive or excepted service, must meet "time-in-grade" requirements (have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade of the grade for which you are applying).

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Evaluations

Your application will be evaluated first for the basic qualifications described above. The applications that meet the basic qualifications will be evaluated further against the following criteria: Knowledge of mechanical engineering concepts, methods, and standards to perform moderately complex technical assignments. Skill in reading engineering drawings, specifications, and mechanical schematics. Knowledge of mechanical equipment operation and maintenance principles. Knowledge and skills in applying standard fleet requirements; preventative and corrective maintenance repairs and administrative purchasing processes for a diverse fleet of vehicles. Experience and knowledge in modifying existing parts, in instrumentation and/or specialized equipment to adapt them to new interfaces and prepare and/or update the necessary documentation. Skill in operating heavy equipment such as fork-lift trucks and front loaders for use in mechanical assembly, unloading, and loading heavy mechanical fixtures and snow removal operations. BASIS OF RATING: Once the announcement closes, your application will be automatically evaluated and rated by the system and a Human Resources Specialist. To determine if you are qualified for this job, a review of your application and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the occupational questionnaire. The numeric rating you receive is based on your responses to the questionnaire. The score is a measure of the degree to which your background matches the knowledge, skills, and abilities required of this position. If, after the Human Resources Specialist reviews your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that the score you have received is not a true reflection of your qualifications and/or experience, your score can and will be adjusted to more accurately reflect the information you provided that support your abilities. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Your resume should provide detailed information regarding how your education and experience relate to this position, including the major duties and qualifications criteria listed. Important Note: Your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses to the occupational questionnaire or other assessment tool for consistency. If a determination is made that you have rated yourself higher than is supported by your resume, you will be assigned a rating commensurate to your described experience. Your resume should provide detailed information regarding how your education and experience relate to this position, including the major duties and qualifications criteria listed. You may preview questions for this vacancy.

How to apply

Click on the "Apply Online" button on the upper right side of the page. Please Note: You must apply for this position online through the 'Apply Online' button and submit required supplemental documents (if they are relevant to you). Your resume must be no more than two (2) pages. You may submit required documents by uploading them online during the application process; OR You may manually fax required documents. Faxes are received by an automated system, not a physical fax machine. Documents that are faxed as part of the application process must be sent with the system generated cover sheet by the closing date. Documents faxed without the system generated coversheet are not retrievable and cannot be considered as part of the application package. The complete application package, including any required documents, is due in the Smithsonian Office of Human Resources on the closing date of the announcement by 11:59 PM Eastern Time. If you are unable to apply online, paper applications may be accepted with prior approval of the Contact Person listed below.

Applications are handled only on the official announcement. This page is a readable copy of the public announcement data — the official version controls if anything differs.

Required documents

Your application package should include the following documents: Resume - Your resume can be uploaded and attached to your application or created using the USA Jobs on-line resume builder. Ensure your resume contains the job title (including the occupational series and grade if it is Federal), job-related qualifications, starting and ending dates (month and year), and hours worked per week, for each employment period. It is your responsibility to ensure all information is submitted. Failure to include this information may result in disqualification for the position. Your resume must be no more than two (2) pages and should clearly demonstrate how your experience aligns with the responsibilities and specialized experience required for this position. For assistance with creating a resume, please click USAJOBS Help Center - How do I write a resume for a federal job? Current and former employees MUST submit a copy of their Standard Form (SF)-50, “Notice of Personnel Action,” that indicates proof of status and time-in-grade eligibility. The SF-50 must include your position title, series, grade, step, salary, type of service (competitive or excepted in block 34), and tenure (1 or 2 in block 24). Please provide a SF-50 that shows the length of time you have been in your current/highest grade level. Examples of appropriate SF50s include: Appointments, Reassignments, Within-grade/range increases or Promotion actions. NOTE: Pay adjustments and award SF-50s do not include the length of time in your current position, therefore, they are NOT acceptable SF-50's on their own. You may need to provide more than one SF-50. Failure to provide the appropriate SF-50(s) may prevent you from receiving consideration for this position. Unofficial school transcripts, if the position has an education requirement or if you are using education to qualify. If selected for the position, you must provide an official transcript before appointment. Proof of U.S. accreditation for foreign study, if applicable. Most recent performance appraisal, if currently a federal employee (dated within 18 months) showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable. Proof of Veteran's Preference - DD214 (Member 4 Copy) if you are requesting a special appointment authority, such as VRA or VEOA Proof of severe disability if you are requesting special placement consideration Proof of eligibility for a military spouse appointment, such as a permanent change station military order Proof of eligibility for any other special appointing authority not specifically mentioned here.

What to expect next

At the end of the application process you will be able to create and save a PDF file that contains your responses to the assessment questions. You may save this file as receipt of your application. The Smithsonian receives many applications for each job. Each application is reviewed carefully which may take a few weeks. We will send you an e-mail to update you as we go through phases of the application review process. You may also check your application status by logging into www.usajobs.gov and selecting the tab "My USAJOBS;" e-mailing vacancy.info@si.edu; or by contacting the Office of Human Resources Representative listed.

Other information

Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA): If you are applying for a VEOA appointment, you must be a veteran and must be honorably separated and either a preference eligible or have substantially completed 3 or more years of active service. ("Active Service" under this law means active duty in a uniformed service and includes full-time training duty, annual training duty, full-time National Guard duty, and attendance, while in the active service, at a school designated as a service school by law or by the Secretary concerned.) A veteran who is released under honorable conditions shortly before completing a 3-year tour is also eligible. Noncompetitive Appointment Authorities: The following links contain information on the eligibility requirements to be considered under a noncompetitive appointing authority: Primary Appointing Authorities for Career and Career-Conditional Appointments Hiring Authorities for Veterans People with Disabilities The Smithsonian does not pay relocation expenses. A recruitment bonus may be paid. The Smithsonian Institution is an equal opportunity employer. Additional information can be found on our website at (www.si.edu/oeesd).

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