Facility Operations Specialist.

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS); Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

U.S. Geological Survey in Seattle, WA, is seeking a facilities maintenance professional to support wet labs and campuses. The role ensures stable water quality, controls building systems, and maintains critical infrastructure for ongoing research.

Responsibilities include preventive maintenance, system repairs, and collaboration on work statements and cost estimates. Candidates should have a strong background in building operations and mechanical/electrical systems.

Qualifications

• Bachelor-level or higher with facilities maintenance experience.
• Experience with building operations, preventive maintenance, and asset management.
• Knowledge of mechanical, hydronic, electrical, and process-control systems.

Responsibilities

• Operates, monitors, troubleshoots, and maintains wet laboratory to ensure water quality, flow, temp, and oxygenation meet research needs.
• Performs preventive and corrective maintenance on water treatment and filtration equipment.
• Maintains lakeside pump house and intake/return systems.
• Operates and adjusts building automation and process control systems.
• Provides technical input for statements of work, cost estimates, and material requests for repairs or upgrades.
• Analyzes and resolves mechanical and facility-system problems.

Skills

Maintenance management

Building operations

HVAC systems

Education

Engineering / Property management education

Tools

Budgeting

Contract oversight

Job description

Duties

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

• Operates, monitors, troubleshoots, repairs, and maintains the wet laboratory to ensure stable water quality, flow, temperature, and oxygenation parameters required by ongoing research.
• Performs and schedules preventive and corrective maintenance on water treatment and filtration equipment.
• Maintains lakeside pump house and associated intake and return systems.
• Operates, maintains, and adjusts building automation and process control systems.
• Performs facility maintenance and operations for campus buildings, grounds, and science research laboratory requirements.
• Analyzes and solves a variety of mechanical, hydronic, electrical, and facility-system operational problems.
• Provides technical input for the development of statements of work, performance work statements, statement of need, cost estimates, and material requests for repairs, equipment replacement, and system upgrades.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• 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
• Must have and maintain a valid driver's license throughout employment.
• A physical examination will be required, or a statement regarding physical ability will need to be completed. You must maintain physical fitness standards throughout employment.
• You may be required to complete training, obtain and maintain a government credit card with travel and purchase authority.
• You may be required to work weekends.

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; and
• 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.

Qualifications

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 ?? HVAC? etc.
• 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-

• 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.

Education

You must submit a copy of your transcript(s) to support claimed education if substituting education for experience. Transcripts must include your name, school name, grades, credit hours earned, major(s), grade point average or class ranking, and date the degree was conferred, if applicable. A typed list of courses, grades, semester/quarter hours, GPA, etc. will not be accepted. Non-submission may result in being rated not qualified for the position. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work.

Foreign Education

To receive credit for education completed outside the United States, you must show proof that the education has been submitted to a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education has been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education programs. Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | U.S. Department of Education.

Additional information

Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests

If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the

Physical Demands/Work Environment

Work occurs in office, laboratory, mechanical, warehouse, and outdoor settings. The incumbent is routinely exposed to wet conditions, process water systems, mechanical equipment, and chemical and biological materials used in fisheries research. The work environment requires adherence to safety protocols and the use of appropriate personal protective equipment to mitigate risks associated with laboratory, mechanical and field operations. Work requires physical exertion such as walking throughout the campus; climbing ladders; bending, kneeling, crouching, and reaching; and working in confined or mechanical spaces. The incumbent frequently lifts and carries moderately heavy tools, equipment, piping, and materials while performing maintenance and repairs. These physical demands are regular and recurring and require stamina and mobility to safely perform assigned duties.

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 only during an emergency or natural disaster.

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.