Boiler Plant Operator

Boiler Plant Operator

Department: Department of Veterans Affairs

Location(s): Temple, Texas

Salary Range: $27.31 - $31.86 Per Hour

Job Summary: The Boiler Plant Operator works in the Facilities Management Service for the Central Texas Veterans Health Care System (CTVHCS).

Major Duties:

• Major duties include, but not limited to: Boiler plant operators start, operate, adjust, stop, maintain and perform various operational repairs on three multiple fuel power boilers and related auxiliary and pollution control equipment in a safe and efficient manner. Due to the nature of the boilers, operators are not authorized to leave the boilers unattended, even for brief periods, without relief by a qualified operator. The boilers are capable of producing 105,000 pounds of steam per hour at 90 psi with the ability to fire on natural gas or #2 fuel oil. The high pressure boilers require constant attention to maintain efficiency and control the formation of pollutants. Operators maintain efficient combustion levels and ensure compliance with EPA and Texas Air Control Board by controlling the 02 and CO2 gases with installed Autoflame controllers as well as flue gas analyzers. Through the use of manual, automatic, or computer controls or control systems the boiler operators monitor, adjust, and control all phases of boiler plant operation. Use electronic, hydraulic, and pneumatic controls in conjunction with meters, gauges, and computer generated data to determine adjustments or corrections necessary for proper boiler operations or changing load demands. They operate auxiliary and pollution control machinery such as pumps, forced draft blowers, air compressors, deaerating equipment, heaters, condensers as well as all related auxiliary equipment necessary to supply steam for heating, laundry, food preparation, sterilization or other hospital facilities and equipment. Operators are responsible for routinely observing the instruments, gauges, meters, detectors, recorders, water level indicators, controls, water chemistry and equipment as well as computer generated data. Furthermore the operator is responsible for maintaining logs, records and other data to ensure proper tracking of steam produced, water and fuel oil usage, electricity, natural gas, laundry meters and chemical treatment of the boilers and related systems as appropriate as well as relaying information to other operators and the supervisor. Operators collect boiler, feed, condensate and water softener samples; analyzing and treating the systems as necessary and taking corrective actions as appropriate. They perform operational maintenance and repairs of moderate complexity such as repairing and replacing valves, gauges, pumps or other equipment as well as basic electrical repairs. They also operate emergency generators to meet plant electrical requirements when the main electrical source is unavailable. They check the operation of safety equipment such as flame extinction, automatic re-ignition, low water cut-outs, high pressure cut-outs, and purge type combustion safeties. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday; Rotating shifts = 8:00 am to 4:00 pm; 4:00 pm to midnight; Midnight to 8:00 am Position Description Title/PD#: Boiler Plant Operator/PD00894A Physical Requirements: Heavy lifting, 45 pounds and over; Climbing, use of legs and arms; Excessive heat; Excessive humidity; Slippery or uneven walking surfaces; Working on ladders or scaffolding; Working alone.

Qualifications: 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. 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. To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement. 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: Dexterity and Safety Equipment Assembly, Installation, Repair Interpret Instructions, Specifications (includes blueprint reading) Measuring Instruments Operation of Equipment/Machinery Technical Practices Without more than normal supervision 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.

How to Apply: All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 03/09/2026 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12900973. 1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire. 2. 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. You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USA Jobs account and clicking on Applications. Information regarding your application status can be found in the USAJobs Help Center. To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.

Application Deadline: 2026-03-09