Summary This position is assigned to the Grounds Section in the Engineering Service Line of the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System (SLVHCS). The incumbent of this position performs as Maintenance Worker conducting miscellaneous maintenance activities on primarily to the exterior of the buildings and structures, maintenance and upkeep of parking structures and subsequent elevator lobbies, minor maintenance on electrical and mechanical systems on exterior. Duties
- Landscaping flowerbeds, trees, shrubs, etc., cutting down trees and trimming branches of various sizes, trimming and shaping shrubs and plants located throughout the facility.
- Mows grass, using hi-powered zero turn mowers, push mowers, high powered stand-on mowers. weeds flower beds and trims and edges around walks, flower beds and walls, using hand/power clippers or power edging tools.
- Power washes building exteriors including but not limited to buildings, sidewalks, driveways, monument signs and windows.
- Moves furniture and other heavy equipment for other trades.
- Helps other trades in demolition and construction tasks as needed.
- Occasionally, moves heavy items of office equipment, patients beds/clothing, ward furniture and boxes weighing eighty (80) to one hundred (100) pounds; using hand trucks, platform equipment trucks, dollies, and other conveyances, when relocating the various services of this medical center, due to the threat of hurricanes, construction projects and relocations; ensuring that materials and equipment are delivered to the proper location.
- Operates forklifts and knows how to correctly load and properly secure load for transport.
- Performing preventive maintenance such as air and oil filters, grease fittings, sharpen and replace mower blades, brushes and replacing cutting bars on plows and loader buckets.
- Examines and troubleshoots equipment, machinery and systems to determine the extent of repairs required, materials or parts needed, and to estimate the time required to complete repairs.
- Performs minor patching of exterior walls.
- Mixes mortar; applies concrete to repair exterior steps, walls, floors ramps, roadways and sidewalks.
- Installs, repairs, maintains, and calibrates a wide variety of electrical equipment designated as engineering responsibility which includes, but not limited to voltage systems (120/208 Volts and 480 Volts), motors, electronic switches and controls, and dimming controls for special lighting, also surveillance lighting, shop machinery, interior and exterior lighting.
- Replaces burned out light fixtures (bulbs, ballasts, etc.) work with electricians and electrical shop on exterior lighting timer adjustments and lock out tag out where appropriate.
Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:00 am - 3:30 pm, subject to change based on the needs of the facility.
Position Description Title/PD#: Maintenance Worker/PD07506O
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorizedQualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 11/12/2026.
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
- Interpret Instructions, Specifications (includes blueprint reading)
- Materials
- Measurement and Layout
- Technical Practices
- Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment
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.
Physical Requirements: Work involves strenuous, heavy physical effort and frequent reaching, bending, stooping and turning. Equipment worked on is large and must be moved in and out of specific locations. Frequently sets up parts and equipment that weigh up to 75 pounds and occasionally heavier. Operates heavy power mowers, equipment or pushes a wheelbarrow loads of concrete, asphalt, gravel and other materials. May hold items for extended periods of time in order to complete mounting of supplies and materials Ladders, platforms and personnel lifts may be used. Must be in good physical condition to perform duties.
Working Conditions: Works inside and outside. They are exposed to all weather conditions. They are frequently exposed to temperature extremes, drafts, noise, dust, and dirt. They are exposed to the possibility of bruises, muscle strain cuts and scrapes. Mishandling of the equipment, tools, and tasks involved can result in more serious injuries. Due to the nature of the work. the Incumbent will be required to work on a specific shift or alternate, working on all, three shifts, including weekends and holidays. Personal protective equipment, such as but not limited to earplugs, safety glasses, respirators, gloves, hard hats, and safety shoes, etc., may be required
Requirements
- You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
- Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
- Subject to background/security investigation
- Pre-employment physical required
- Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
- Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)
- Must be able to independently operate Government Vehicle.
- Must provide clean driving record report from the DMV during the pre-employment process.
Driver's License Requirement: Must possess a valid state issued driver's license to operate a motor vehicle. (Please do not submit a copy of your license with your application package. You will be required to show your valid driver's license at the time of your interview.)
As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:
- your performance and conduct;
- the needs and interests of the agency;
- whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
- whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.
Upon completion of your probationary period or trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.How you will be evaluated This vacancy is open to current permanent Veterans Health Administration Employees and CTAP eligibles.
IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.
Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.
The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.
For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.
Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.
It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.
Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members. How to apply All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 11/12/2026 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13108349.
- To begin, click Apply Online to create a USA JOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
- Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.
NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.
During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.
Beginning September 27, 2025, Federal agencies will only accept resumes up to two pages in length to comply with the Merit Hiring Plan. Resumes longer than two pages will result in ineligibility for further consideration for the position. USAJOBS will not allow you to upload or build resumes longer than two pages, and you will need to update the resumes in your profile before applying for a job. Resumes should include information relevant to the knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies of the position to which you are applying. VA is unable to make assumptions about qualifications if not clearly listed.
Resumes must be legible so they can be reviewed for eligibility, minimum qualifications and other position requirements listed in the job announcement. If initial application submission is updated and resubmitted with a new resume, only the most current resume will be reviewed for consideration.
Your resume must be 5MB or less. We recommend saving and uploading your resume as a PDF to maintain formatting and number of pages. We also accept GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, TXT, PDF, ODT or Word (DOC or DOCX). We do not accept PDF portfolio files. We recommend using a sans-serif font size like Lato, if available. Other widely available options are Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open San Source Sans Pro, Roboto or Noro Sans. Make your page margins 0.5 inches. Consider using 14-point size font for titles and 10-point for the main text in your resume. The resume builder can help you create a resume using these recommendations and uses the information in your USAJOBS profile to help you get started.
Helpful Hints for Creating a Two-Page Resume:
- Prioritize most relevant and recent experience
- Use concise, results focused language
- Align language from the job announcement
- Focus on demonstrating skills and competencies
- Remove outdated or unrelated experience
- Use the USAJOBS resume builder
Additional guidance on this new requirement and resume building tools can be found at:
- https://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/documents/resume/page-limit
- https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-information/merit-hiring-plan-resources/applicant-guidance-on-the-two-page-resume-limit/
The Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified, you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified (have a final rating of 85 or more) for this vacancy. Information about CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.Other information This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.
Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.