Facility Operations Specialist

US Geological Survey; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

US Geological Survey in Seattle seeks a Facility Operations Specialist for the Western Fisheries Research Center to manage a comprehensive maintenance program and oversee critical facility systems supporting research activities.

Applicants should have HVAC certification or equivalent, hands-on experience with building automation and BACnet/Modbus, and knowledge of water filtration, pumps, and process piping, plus strong planning and supervisory skills for contractor work.

Qualifications

• Basic education: degree in engineering, industrial arts, property management, or business administration. Transcripts required.
• Experience in property management, maintenance, materials, and building operations and repair.
• Qualifying experience includes planning maintenance activities and preventive maintenance programs.
• Experience supervising contractors and ensuring conformance with project plans.

Skills

HVAC certification

Building automation systems

BACnet/Modbus protocols

Water filtration systems

Pumps and process piping

Facilities maintenance management

Education

Engineering / Industrial arts / Property management / Business administration degree

Job description

You will serve as a Facility Operations Specialist for the Western Fisheries Research Center.

First time hires to the Federal government normally start at the step 1 rate.

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-09/28/2026-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 Requirements

To qualify for this position, you must meet the following minimum qualifications:

Basic Educational Requirement AND/OR Specialized Experience for the series to which you are applying.

Basic Requirements

In addition to the specialized experience requirements for this position, you must meet at least one of the following:

• A. Degree: Undergraduate and graduate education with major study in areas of engineering, industrial arts, property management, or business administration. You must submit transcripts. -OR-
• B. Experience: Experience that provided a knowledge of the practices and procedures related to property management, maintenance, materials requirements, and building operation and repair. This experience may have been gained in work such as budget or report preparation, maintenance of property and financial records, or trades or crafts work requiring technical knowledge or judgment. Examples of qualifying specialized experience 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..

-AND-

To qualify for this position at the GS-11 grade level:

• Specialized Experience Requirement: you must possess at least at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level in the federal service. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position and is typically in or related to managing a maintenance program. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include: EPA Universal Certification for HVAC; HVAC technical certification from an accredited institution; demonstrated experience with building automation systems and BACnet/Modbus control protocols; experience with water filtration, UV systems, pumps, and process piping; and previous experience in a research laboratory, aquaculture, or fisheries facility. You must include hours per week worked.

-OR-

• Education: Successful completion of at least three years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a PhD or equivalent doctoral degree in an accredited educational institution or LL.M., with a major study in engineering, industrial arts, property management, business administration, cultural resources or closely related field. You must include transcripts.

-OR-

• Combination of education and experience.

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.