Seasonal - Small Craft Operator

Seasonal - Small Craft Operator

Department: Department of the Interior

Location(s): Grand Junction, Colorado, Vernal, Utah

Salary Range: $21.45 - $24.99 Per Hour

Job Summary: This position is a Small Craft Operator, WG- 5786-5 to be filled at the following locations: Grand Junction Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office in Grand Junction, Colorado Green River Basin Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office in Vernal, Utah

Major Duties:

• This is a temporary appointment intended for seasonal work that is less than 6 months or 1040 hours from the date of appointment/service year. It is expected this position will be terminated upon completion of the seasons work. The agency may non-competitively rehire an eligible temporary seasonal worker in subsequent years who works less than 6 months or 1040 hours in their service year. As a Seasonal - Small Craft Operator your duties will include, but are not limited to, the following: Operate oar or motorized rafts, launches on rivers to transport passengers or light materials in various weather conditions. Operate motorized and non-motorized rafts on a variety of river water environments that include calm to white-water rated at a class level 4 or higher. Perform routine maintenance on small crafts such as those listed above. Conduct fish surveys in large river systems. Load and unload cargo from small craft, launches, etc. Accomplish work following standard established procedures. Physical Demands and Work Environment: Physical Effort: Very strenuous effort is required in the operation and frequent adjustment of large pieces of equipment and attachments, often under adverse operating conditions. Considerable strain is caused by the constant vibration of the equipment and the jolting received from operation of the equipment over rough surfaces. Location of the controls and attachments frequently requires work in awkward or strained positions. Daily equipment servicing requires bending, stooping, kneeling, and lifting of heavy objects. The employee frequently lifts, carries, and sets up parts and equipment weighing up to 50 pounds unassisted, and over 50 pounds with assistance. The employee uses jacks, pulleys, dollies, or other lifting and carrying devices. Work may be from ladders, scaffolding, platforms, or high places, and in hard-to-reach places. Frequent arm and leg movements are required to operate controls, make repairs, and build items. Working Conditions: Work is performed in all types of weather often in an open driver's seat. Due to operations of large and complicated equipment, often in rough terrain, the operator is exposed to injury resulting from equipment overturning, and is subject to noise, vibration, dust, and fumes from machinery. Caution must be exercised to avoid injury from moving machinery and breaking cables, and other difficult circumstances.

Qualifications: By 12/12/2025 of this announcement, you must meet the requirements of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Handbook X118C, Job Qualification System for Trades and Labor Occupation. http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/x-118c/ Although no specific amount of experience, education or training is required, applicants must meet a minimum level of ability in relation to the position and the Assessment Questionnaire in order to be rated qualified for consideration. To be qualified candidates must meet any screen out element(s) listed at an "acceptable" level, and must achieve an average rating of at least "acceptable" on all of the elements. Only education, training, or experience acquired before the closing date of this announcement will be considered. 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. The screen out element for this position is: Ability to do the work of a Small Craft Operator position at the WG-05 grade level without more than normal supervision, operating small craft on river water environments from calm to white-water rated at class 1 or 2 and the ability to perform routine maintenance on small craft. 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.

How to Apply: Review the appointment eligibility criteria in the application preview linked below. The eligibility section of the application allows you to choose how you wish to be considered for this vacancy announcement. You will ONLY be considered for the eligibilities that you select "yes" to and submit the required supporting documentation, as listed in the Required Documents section or the application text. To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package. See required documents section. Click 'Apply' to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account. Follow the prompts to complete the assessment questionnaire and upload required documents. To preview the assessment questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12840923. Please ensure you check the acknowledgement checkbox then click the Submit Application button to submit your application. Applications must be received by 12/12/2025, 11:59pm ET to receive consideration. Check application status by logging into your USAJOBS account, in Applications tab, click the position title you applied to for the status. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/. If you are unable to apply online, you must request an alternative application which is available from the Human Resources Office. Please contact the Human Resources Office via email at fwshiring@fws.gov.

Application Deadline: 2025-12-12