Pipefitter

Department: Department of Veterans Affairs

Location(s): Grand Junction, Colorado

Salary Range: $30.02 - $35.03 Per Hour

Job Summary: This position is located at the VA Western Colorado Health Care System in the Facilities Management Services. The primary purpose of the position is to perform the full range of duties of a journeyman-level pipefitter in the installation, modification, maintenance and repair of high and low pressure piping systems and associated equipment. These systems include, but are not limited too, medical gas, steam, heating, water, sewer, plumbing, and other utility and facility piping systems.

Major Duties:

Duties Include but are not limited too: Installing and operating high- and low-pressure piping systems, plumbing systems, and related equipment (such as steam heating, steam generators, vacuum systems and circulating pumps). Installing plumbing fixtures such as sinks, water closets, drinking fountains, hot water tanks, and hot water equipment such as dishwashers and laundry equipment. Installing valves, traps, and unions needed for proper system operation. Installing and operating relief valves, check valves, pressure regulators, expansion joints and other pressure supporting and controlling devices to control pressure, flow, and circulation. Figuring pressures and fixtures units within a system and ensuring that piping, valves, fittings and equipment are proper for the work. Installing the proper braces and supports to control movement and vibration while allowing for expansion and contraction. Performing work assigned orally and through written or electronic work orders based on building plans and blueprints. Determining the proper placement and elevation to install steam generators, vacuum and condensate pumps and radiators. Planning and laying out the installation, modification and repair of new and existing piping systems, plumbing systems and equipment. Laying out and installing piping, risers and flexible branches at the proper level and incline. Planning and laying out the needed routing, placement, pitch, incline and elevation of systems and equipment. Using welding, brazing and other tools to lead joints of cast iron pipes and solder copper tubing. Using hand tools common to the pipefitting trade, including wrenches, sliding squares, measuring tapes, dividers, chalk lines, plumb bobs. Using power tools common to the pipefitting trade, such as drills, grinders, pipe threaders and cutters. Testing systems and equipment for proper circulation, flow, pressure, leak-free joints and proper drainage Diagnosing plumbing system issues by isolating the problem, checking through the system, and making appropriate repairs or modifications. Using resources, such as cameras and other tools, to find the root cause of a problem or system failure, correct the failure and prevent future re-occurrences. Tracing and troubleshooting pipe lines, systems and equipment to locate and repair leaks and trouble spots License required ASSE and CAWS Work Schedule: 7:00 am-3:30 pm; Monday - Friday Position Description Title/PD#: Pipefitter/PD10202A Recruitment/Relocation Incentive: Yes Physical Requirements: The pipefitters make repairs and installations from ladders, scaffolding, roofs, and platforms, and where the systems and equipment worked on are in hard-to reach places in hot and cold work areas. This requires the pipefitters to stand, stoop, bend kneel, climb and work in tiring and uncomfortable positions. The pipefitters frequently handle, lift, carry, and set up parts and equipment that weigh up to 50 pounds. Must handle heavy tools at arm's length and overhead from time to time. Must unload from trucks and place on storage racks such heavy and bulky materials as metal pipes and other types of materials. Incumbent must work throughout all areas of the Health Care System. In some cases they must go in out-of-the-way areas such as boiler/mechanical rooms, pipe chases, roofs, attics, basement, etc., which may require kneeling, bending, stooping, crawling, etc. Project demands may require work at other than normal administrative hours Working Conditions: Pipefitter must be in good physical condition as the incumbent must be able to tolerate temperature extremes, restricted confined spaces, and dirty and dusty environments. Incumbent is issued safety-toed footwear gloves, eye protection, and other personal protective equipment. It is the responsibility of the incumbent to use the personal protective equipment appropriately during the course of the assigned work. Use of personal protective equipment is used to avoid injury or burn by steam, heat, or hot water. Some Work is performed in the shop areas. Incumbent is required to work in close, tight areas at times. Incumbent is exposed to hazards of working from heights, falling materials, steam and hot water lines, sometimes exposed to electrical shocks. Incumbent is subject to working out in all kinds of weather conditions and temperatures and in confined dusty and dirty areas.Outdoor work is normally done in good weather. Incumbent may occasionally work in dirty, dusty, hot or cold environments such as crawl spaces and attics. Incumbent is exposed to the possibility of cuts, bruises, scrapes, broken bones, and serious burns caused by electrical shock, high voltage, and hot components while working around equipment. At times, works around extremely high noise and vibrations sources. Work in ward areas around sick patients. Incumbent may be called upon to work overtime and call-back in case of emergencies

Qualifications: To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement. Position requires licensing at the Journeyman Plumber level and American Society of Sanitary Engineers (ASSE) certification for medical gas systems. Must be certified by American Welding Society (CAWS) to connect by welding medical gas piping. Journeyman plumbing license required at time of hire. ASSE and CAWS certifications must be obtained within two years of employment start date if not held at time of hire. 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) Measurement and Layout Technical Practices Troubleshooting 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.

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 03/06/2026 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12830572. 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. 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. 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.

Application Deadline: 2026-03-06