Facility Operations Specialist.

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS); Hilo (HI); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory seeks a Facilities Operations Specialist to manage maintenance, repairs, engineering services, construction, renovations, and grounds care for the observatory offices, warehouse, and field station in Hawaii.

The role covers fleet and space management, facility security, life safety, and environmental compliance, with COR responsibilities and potential telework as approved. Applicants should have strong experience in federal facilities management and supervision.

Qualifications

• Specialized experience at GS-11 level or equivalent, including planning maintenance and supervising contractors.
• Experience in evaluating construction/maintenance work and ensuring conformance with project plans.
• Ability to interpret policies, procedures, and schedules for buildings and grounds operations.

Responsibilities

• Develop annual and long-range repair and preventive maintenance plans for buildings and equipment.
• Serve as a Contracting Officer's Representative on construction or building rehabilitation projects.
• Advise on policies, SOPs, and schedules for buildings and grounds activities including security and emergency callbacks.
• Operate government vehicles as incidental drivers.

Skills

Maintenance planning

Contracting oversight

Policy development

Security & life safety

Environmental compliance

Job description

Duties

The Facilities Operations Specialist serves the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory offices, warehouse, and field station. This position is responsible for planning, facilitating, and executing the following: facility maintenance, repairs, engineering services, construction, renovation, grounds maintenance, custodial services, and utility and asset management. Responsibilities include fleet management, space management, facility security, life safety, and environmental compliance.

Some of the major duties include but are not limited to the following:

• Develop annual and long-range repair and preventative maintenance plans for buildings and equipment.
• Serve as a Contracting Officer's Representative with responsibility for construction or building rehabilitation projects.
• Advise on policies, standard operating procedures, and schedules for buildings and grounds activities including security and an emergency callback program to ensure the integrity of historical archived data records.
• Operating a government owned or leased vehicle as an incidental driver.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

• Must provide proof of U.S. citizenship.
• Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.
• Direct Deposit participation required.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more, visit
• A medical examination will be required.
• Required to acquire and maintain Basic (Level 1) COR certifications.
• You are required to complete training, obtain and maintain a government credit card with travel and purchase authority.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest will be evaluated. This probationary period is an extension of the appointment process and therefore requires the agency to determine if continued employment would advance the public interest, meet the organization goals and mission of the agency, and/or otherwise promote the efficiency of the service. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, the agency will 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;
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Under applicable law, the employment of an individual serving a probationary or trial period automatically terminates when that period ends unless the agency affirmatively certifies, in writing, that the individual's employment should continue and that their appointment should be finalized. In the absence of agency action to affirmatively certify continued employment beyond the probationary or trial period, such appointments are terminated. 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. This is a supervisory position that may require completion of a supervisory probationary period.

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-09/03/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.

To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST state either "full-time" (or "40 hours a week") or "part-time" with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience. Failure to adequately provide information needed to determine number of hours worked in each position may result in that time not being credited when evaluating qualifying experience. For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the full and/or part-time hours requirement as the service dates will be reflected.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIRED

To qualify for this position at the GS-12 level, you must meet the following specialized experience requirement:

Required

• Possess at least one year of specialized experience in or directly related to this position that equipped you with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of this position. To be creditable, the required specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-11 level in the federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector. Examples of GS-11 level work include:
  • Managing a maintenance program for office or apartment building complexes, hospitals, recreation facilities, military, or other special-purpose installations, including planning maintenance activities, and developing preventive maintenance programs;
  • Conducting surveillance activities over construction and maintenance operations performed by a variety of private contractors, including reviewing project plans and specifications for workability, informing contractors of construction and reporting requirements, and supervising operations for conformance with project plans;
  • Performing maintenance or construction work, including estimating material and labor costs for a variety of construction or maintenance projects (such as construction or maintenance of brick, frame, structural steel, reinforced concrete, and other type structures ranging from one- or two-story buildings to larger structures), directing actual work operations, and maintaining appropriate contacts with the organization funding the project.

Volunteer Experience

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.

Education

There is no substitution of specialized experience for education at this grade level.

Additional information

Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement.

This vacancy is limited to the first 50 applications received and will close at 11:59 Eastern Time on the day this application limit is reached regardless of the closing date specified in this vacancy announcement. Any application received prior to midnight Eastern Time of the day the application limit is reached will be accepted and considered. You are strongly encouraged to submit all required supporting documents at the time of application should the vacancy close earlier than stated in this announcement due to the applicant limit being reached. Supporting documents will not be accepted once the vacancy announcement closes.

Physical Demands

The work requires some physical exertion walking around the sites, climbing ladders, crouching, bending reaching, and lifting moderately heavy items. It requires long periods of standing; recurring bending, crouching, stooping, stretching, or reaching; or lifting moderately heavy equipment or other items weighing less than 23 kilograms (i.e., under 50 pounds) such as small hydraulic pumps and laundry supplies.

Work Environment

The work is performed in an office setting but may become uncomfortable when outside, in a mechanical area, construction area, or in inclement weather. The employee will work in tight spaces, heat, and cold weather. Additionally, there are warehouse forklifts, mowers, trimmers, and other grounds maintenance machinery to operate. The work involves regular and recurring exposure to moderate risks and discomforts associated with production areas, such as exposure to strong odors or fumes from fuels or chemicals used in work processes; or working near operating machinery, moving vehicles, or electrical hazards. The work situation also requires the employees to continually stay alert and to take special safety precautions, including wearing special protective items of clothing.

All Department of Interior (DOI) employees, their spouses, and minor children may not acquire or retain any claim, permit, lease, small tract entry, or other rights granted by the Department in Federal lands, with limited exceptions. Additional ethics prohibitions can be found here,

The duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.

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.

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.

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.