Va Rater Jobs in Massachusetts (NOW HIRING)

Summary
This Maintenance Mechanic position is located in the Facilities Management department at the VA Boston Healthcare System, Jamaica Plain Campus.
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Duties
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• Performs routine work orders.
• Performs a variety of preventive maintenance tasks such as carpentry, plumbing, electrical, roofing and other related trades required in maintenance and repair of buildings, structures, fixtures, and related property.
• Makes visual and operational inspections of a variety of wood, brick, metal and masonry buildings to detect deficiencies and determine repair needs.
• Determines materials needed, and makes repairs or replaces items found defective.
• Performs inspections to include checking the condition of foundations, walls, flooring, roofs, doors, windows, plumbing, electrical systems, building approaches and obvious safety and fire hazards.
• Performs carpentry work involving maintenance and repair of a variety of wood products.
• Selects lumber, materials, supplies and tools.
• Measures and cuts materials to required lengths and dimensions.
• Repairs or replaces flooring, sheet rock, plywood, siding, sheathing, roofing doors, jambs and window frames, interior and exterior trim.
• Fabricates and installs frames or casings for windows and doors.
• Installs doors and door hardware, repairs roofs by shingling or installing roll roofing.
• Repairs floors by replacing flooring.
• Replaces floor tile and vinyl sheet flooring.
• Uses a variety of hand and power tools to accomplish work.
• Performs plumbing work involving maintenance and repair of a wide variety of piping, plumbing fixtures (lavatories, commodes, sink, disposals, bath tubs and shower fixtures).
• Measures, cuts and threads piping to required lengths using correct size of pipe and threading the correct number of threads.
• Installs piping by using threaded couplings, joints, fittings and by soldering.
• Uses a variety of hand and power tools to accomplish such task as cutting and threading pipe, unstopping drains, installing fixtures and piping and repairing or replacing all of the above.
• Makes electrical repairs by removing and replacing defective parts such as incandescent and fluorescent fixtures, receptacles, switches, pull chains, covers, ballasts, starters, sockets, door ball buttons, transformers, and other items related to the installed system.
• Changes bulbs in hard to reach locations.
• Performs snow/ice control.
• Operates equipment with specially designed attachments (e.g., snow plow, mounted sand spreaders, rotary snow blowers) used separately or simultaneously.
• May also operate conventional snow removal or clearing equipment as needed.
• Ensures accomplished repairs are finished by sanding and finishing.
• Performs shop mathematics in order to compute measurements, angles, arcs, etc.
• Cuts various materials to required size or shape, match colors, patterns and materials, and install various materials to obtain proper fit, strength and appearance.
• Reads and interprets drawings and sketches.
• Repairs or replaces flush valves, vacuum breakers, faucets, and traps.
• Clears clogged sink, lavatory, tub and shower drains, unstops sanitary sewer drains and lines.

Work Schedule: 2nd Shift - Sunday, 7:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.; Monday - Tuesday, 6:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.; Wednesday - Thursday, 3:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. EST
Position Description Title/PD#: Maintenance Mechanic/PD523-04184-A
Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not authorized
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not authorized
Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases. When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade).
Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year).
Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.
Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66
Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA.
Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement).
Telework: Not available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Notification:

• This position is a AFGE Bargaining Unit position.
• This position is covered by a special rate range for federal wage system skilled positions.
• This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until 09/30/2026. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be 07/10/2026, with subsequent cut-off dates bi-weekly. Eligible applications received after that date will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis until positions are filled.

Requirements
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Conditions of employment

• U.S. Citizenship; non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• Suitable for Federal employment, determined by a background investigation
• Selective Services Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• 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 dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary 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, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
Qualifications
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:

• Ability to Do the Work of the Position without More Than Normal Supervision
• Ability to Interpret Instructions, Specifications, etc. (Includes Blueprint Reading)
• Ability to Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment
• Knowledge of Equipment Assembly, Installation, and Repair, etc.
• Knowledge of Materials
• Technical Practices (Theoretical, Precise, Artistic)
• Use of Measuring Instruments

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.
Education
This job does not have an education qualification requirement.
Additional information
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.
Participation in the seasonal influenza program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). It is a requirement that all HCP to receive annual seasonal influenza vaccination or obtain an exemption for medical or religious reasons. Wearing a face mask is required when an exemption to the influenza vaccination has been granted. HCP in violation of this directive may face disciplinary action up to and including removal from federal service. HCP are individuals who, during the influenza season, work in VHA locations or who come into contact with VA patients or other HCP as part of their duties. VHA locations include, but are not limited to, VA hospitals and associated clinics, community living centers (CLCs), community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs), domiciliary units, Vet centers and VA-leased medical facilities. HCP include all VA licensed and unlicensed, clinical and administrative, remote and onsite, paid and without compensation, full- and part-time employees, intermittent employees, fee basis employees, VA contractors, researchers, volunteers and health professions trainees (HPTs) who are expected to perform any or all of their work at these facilities. HPTs may be paid or unpaid and include residents, interns, fellows and students. HCP also includes VHA personnel providing home-based care to Veterans and drivers and other personnel whose duties put them in contact with patients outside VA medical facilities.
The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be well-qualified, applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors if applicable, and must be proficient in most of the requirements of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website which can be found at https://www.opm.gov/.
Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.
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.
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Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
Benefits
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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.