Maintenance Mechanic.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS); Brimley (MI); On-site; USD 42,000 - 66,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Housing may be available

Job summary

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Brimley, MI is seeking a Maintenance Mechanic to perform essential repair and preventive maintenance at the hatchery.

You will maintain grounds, buildings, plumbing, electrical systems, and welding, plus operate heavy equipment to support road, dike, and facility work. You must read and apply specifications, use measuring instruments, and follow safety rules while working outdoors in variable weather.

Qualifications

• Ability to perform the work of a Maintenance Mechanic without more than normal supervision (SCREEN OUT)
• Use of Measuring Instruments
• Knowledge of Materials
• Knowledge of Equipment Assembly, Installation, Repair, etc.
• Technical Practices (theoretical, precise, artistic)
• Ability To Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment
• Operation of Motor Vehicles and Heavy Equipment
• Ability To Interpret Instructions, Specification, etc. (includes blueprinting reading)

Responsibilities

• Performs non-supervisory maintenance and repair work on grounds, exterior structures, buildings, and related fixtures and utilities on the hatchery.
• Performs plumbing work involving installation, modification, and repair of utility, supply, and disposal systems and equipment.
• Constructs, repairs, or modifies building structures and related facilities where accuracy and fit are essential.
• Performs electrical repairs including wiring, connections, and electrical system hookups.
• Operates a variety of heavy equipment for road, dike, and hatchery access tasks.
• Maintains hatchery heavy equipment, replacing worn-out parts and assisting in distribution activities.
• Welds using various processes to repair or fabricate metal parts.
• Serves as Collateral Duty Safety Officer and supports safety program implementation.

Skills

Maintenance work

Measuring instruments

Materials knowledge

Equipment assembly/repair

Technical practices

Tools handling

Heavy equipment operation

Reading instructions/specifications

Job description

Duties

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

• Performs non-supervisory maintenance and repair work on grounds, exterior structures, buildings, and related fixtures and utilities on the hatchery.
• Performs plumbing work involving installation, modification, and repair of utility, supply, and disposal systems and equipment such as the water filtration system, sewage system, oil and gas distribution system, water closets, tubs, fire sprinkler systems, and showers.
• Constructs, repairs, or modifies building structures and related facilities such as finished paneling, doors, windows, and rafters where accuracy, spacing, and fit are essential and structural soundness and appearance are important.
• Performs electrical repairs involving replacing, tightening, splicing, soldering, and insulating defective wiring, controls, equipment, and fixtures, and hooks up electrical items including outlets, switches, light fixtures, regulators, and circuit breakers to installed electrical systems at the hatchery.
• Operates a variety of gasoline- and diesel-powered heavy engineering and construction equipment with wheeled or crawler-type traction and attachments, including road graders, backhoes, forklifts, dozers, draglines, 40-80 horsepower farm tractors, skid steers with snowblowers and/or buckets, and plow trucks, for activities such as road and dike repair, ditch cleanout and construction, weed and brush mowing, force account farming, clearing tree stumps, flood debris removal, loading and unloading materials and equipment, and winter snow removal, possibly from November through May, to provide clear and safe access on all hatchery roads.
• Performs routine maintenance and repair work on hatchery heavy equipment, including skid steers and forklifts, by replacing worn-out parts such as generators, alternators, carburetors, cutting edges, and cables, and assists in all lake trout distribution activities while taking a lead role in the maintenance and repair of all distribution vehicles.
• Applies a variety of electric, gas, or other manual welding processes or methods to perform standard welding operations such as repairing, modifying, fabricating, or rebuilding various types of metal, alloy, and equipment parts, determines the proper welding techniques, procedures, and machine settings to be used, assembles and sets up parts to be welded, and makes required welds following accepted shop practices, specifications, and oral or written instructions.
• Serves as the Collateral Duty Safety Officer (CDSO) and assists with implementation of and compliance with the hatchery and residences safety and health program, is responsible for the protection and security of all government property and equipment, and may occasionally assist with biological hatchery functions by caring for and rearing hatchery fish and participating in egg collection and spawning activities.

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 possess and maintain a valid driver's license throughout employment.
• Must have a current or obtain within 6 months a Transportation Worker Identification Credential "TWIC" card.
• Must possess a valid Class B Commercial Driver's License (CDL) or obtain one within six months of appointment.
• Pre-employment and random alcohol and drug testing are required. You will not be appointed to the position if a verified positive test is received.
• You are required to wear a uniform and comply with uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period to evaluate your fitness and whether your continuation of employment advances the public interest.

This 1-year 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 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, 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-10/22/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.

For current Federal employees, if hours worked per week are not included on your resume, you must submit a non-award SF-50 as part of your application to be used to validate your work schedule and determine the amount of specialized experience that you will be granted. An award SF-50 will not be acceptable documentation for which to consider your amount of qualifying experience. For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the work schedule requirement as the service dates will be reflected. For all other applicants who are not current federal employees, 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.

To qualify for this position, you must have sufficient knowledge and ability in the following job-related factors:

• Ability to perform the work of a Maintenance Mechanic without more than normal supervision (SCREEN OUT)
• Use of Measuring Instruments
• Knowledge of Materials
• Knowledge of Equipment Assembly, Installation, Repair, etc.
• Technical Practices (theoretical, precise, artistic)
• Ability To Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment
• Operation of Motor Vehicles and Heavy Equipment.
• Ability To Interpret Instructions, Specification, etc. (includes blueprinting reading)

If your knowledge and ability in the SCREEN OUT factor above is not sufficient, you will receive no further consideration. In preparing your application, describe in detail the experience and training which you have had that specifically prepared you for this job and to perform the duties described for this job. Experience should be clearly described and documented in your resume. Your resume must support your response to the assessment questionnaire, and if it does not, your application will be marked as not eligible. The qualifications reviewer will not assume performance of such duties by Job Titles alone. Address your knowledge, skills and/or abilities in the areas shown in the job-related factors. You must meet at least 2 points on the screen-out element(s) and obtain an average of at least 2 points on all of the job elements to be considered qualified for this position.

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 education for experience for Federal Wage System (FWS) positions.

Additional information

Government Housing may be available

Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement.

All 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,

Physical Demands

Considerable physical effort is required in the operation and maintenance of facilities, equipment, and attachments. Considerable energy is needed working in small confined spaces or elevated areas, and operating equipment over rough surfaces. Location of the tools and controls/attachments frequently requires working in awkward or strained positions. Requires occasional lifting or handling of objects or materials up to 50-100 pounds, unassisted, following proper lifting procedures to avoid injury. Frequently required to stand while working, climb ladders or scaffolding, and bend, stoop, climb, and work in awkward positions. This requires standing, bending, stooping, kneeling, climbing and working in tiring and cramped positions

Working Conditions

Work is accomplished both in an office setting (5%) and outdoors (95%). Works outside in all kinds of weather and frequently exposed to running water, fumes, dust, grease, dirt, falling from ladders or scaffolding, electricity, and moving parts of equipment and machinery. Work performed outside is in a variety of settings where steep terrain, extremely uneven, rocky and slippery footing is normal. Temperature extremes are common. Incumbent may also be exposed to energized circuits, electrical shock, burns, electrical rotary devices, cuts and abrasions from the use of tools and equipment and burns from chemicals. Work is regularly exposed to the possibility of bites, cuts, scrapes, bruises, falls, falling material, or injury from equipment associated with power equipment or hazardous materials. Work demands conformance to safety requirements including the use of a variety of personal protective equipment in adherence to applicable laws, rules, and regulations, such as: protective clothing, hardhats, hearing protection, safety glasses, goggles, gloves, steel toe heavy leather boots, respirator, and other personal protective items. Serious injury may result from getting caught in operating equipment, or from collisions with automobiles when operating on or near public roads.

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.