Engineering Equipment Operator

Other Agencies and Independent Organizations Smithsonian Institution (15 current openings)
Washington, District of Columbia
Full-time Security Clearance: Other
Application Deadline:
2026-08-31
Posted:
2026-08-17

About 2 weeks left

Salary: $32.52 – $38.02 per hour (WG-09)

Job Details

Position Overview

The Smithsonian Institution is the world’s largest museum, education, and research complex, with 21 museums and the National Zoo.  This position is located in one of the SI facilities serviced by the Office of Facilities Management (FM), Smithsonian Institution (SI). The Office of Facilities Management is responsible for all Smithsonian facilities, many of which are designated as historic and all of which are visited by millions of people each year.

Duties

The Engineering Equipment Operator is responsible for operating a variety of engineering equipment in support of Transportation Branch operations.

In this position, you will:

  • Operate heavy equipment in conjunction with the construction, maintenance and repair operations; digs trenches for water, sewer, electric and gas lines.
  • Perform grading inside and outside of the building using track steer, skid steer and front loader.
  • Operate equipment close to buildings, trees, drop-offs, rocks, etc.
  • Adjust attachments to equipment generally without stopping power units, this machinery includes, but is not limited to, forklifts, wheeled tractors (up to 3,000 pounds draw pull capacity), truck cranes (motor driven 6,000 pounds), backhoe, power sweepers, two-ton road rollers, front end loaders, bobcat, automotive vehicles (1/4 to 8 tons), etc.

Qualifications & Requirements

In order to be rated qualified, an applicant's overall experience and training must indicate possession of the minimum knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform the duties of this position. 

Your resume must be no more than two (2) pages and should clearly demonstrate how your experience aligns with the responsibilities and specialized experience required for this position. Do not copy language directly from the vacancy announcement, as you will be deemed ineligible for consideration. Instead, provide detailed, descriptive information about your actual 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.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

Physical Requirements:
This position requires the physical ability to perform moderately heavy work including lifting and carrying heavy objects up to 70 lbs.; work outside in all weather conditions with exposure to dirt, dust, pollen and insects; climb ladders and stairs; and stand and walk for extended periods.

Qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the job opportunity announcement.

For information on the Job Qualification System for Trades and Labor Occupations, see OPM’s website.

Additional Requirements:

  • At a minimum, candidate must have a Commercial Driver's License (CDL), Class B with P (Passenger) Endorsement. (Candidate must submit a photocopy of CDL License, front and rear)
  • Candidate must pass a pre-screening Drug Testing.
  • Candidate must register with Clearinghouse Register | Before You Register (dot.gov)
  • Candidate must meet medical requirements.
  • Candidate must have and maintain a clean driving record, to include no major or serious violations as defined by the respective state.
  • Candidate must be available to be retained on or called in for duty during emergencies such as floods, storms, etc., to perform duties as necessary.
  • Candidate must maintain a Smithsonian issued travel card in good standing. 

Evaluations

Applications will first be evaluated to determine whether the following screen out element is met:

  1. Ability to do the work of an engineering equipment operator without more than normal supervision.

If an applicant meets the screen-out element, the following Job Elements will be evaluated:

  1. Ability to operate motor vehicles.
  2. Knowledge of work practices (including keeping things neat, clean and in order).
  3. Ability to interpret instructions, specifications, etc. (related to mobile equipment operation).
  4. Ability to Drive Safely (Motor Vehicle).
  5. Ability to Operate Safety (Non-Motor Vehicle).
  6. Ability to be reliable and dependable as an engineering equipment operator.

Applicants who meet or exceed the screen-out element will be assigned to one of three category groups based on job-related criteria:

Best Category - Meets the screen-out element and excels in most of the job-related elements above.
Good Category - Meets the screen-out element but does not satisfy most of the job-related elements above to a substantive degree.

This category rating process does not add veterans' preference points or apply the "rule of three" but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-veterans within each category. A selecting official may make selections from the highest quality category (Best Category) provided no veteran in that category is passed over to select a non-veteran in that category unless the requirements of 5 U.S.C. 3317(b) or 3318(b) are satisfied.

Veterans who meet minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent must be listed in the highest quality category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-9 grade level or higher.
Applicants who have not submitted a resume in the USAjobs system and/or have not answered all of the announcement questions will not be considered for this position.

Important Note:

Your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses to the occupational questionnaire or other assessment tool for consistency. If a determination is made that you have rated yourself higher than is supported by your resume, you will be assigned a rating commensurate to your described experience.

Your resume should provide sufficient information regarding how your education and experience relate to this position, including the major duties and qualifications criteria listed.


You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Required Documents

Your application package should include the following documents:

  • Resume - Your resume can be uploaded and attached to your application or created using the USA Jobs on-line resume builder. Ensure your resume contains the job title (including the occupational series and grade if it is Federal), job-related qualifications, starting and ending dates (month and year), and hours worked per week, for each employment period. It is your responsibility to ensure all information is submitted. Failure to include this information may result in disqualification for the position.

    For assistance with creating a resume, please click USAJOBS Help Center - How do I write a resume for a federal job? 
  • Proof of Veteran's Preference - DD214 (Member 4 Copy), if you are a veteran. Additionally, applicants claiming 10-point preference must complete Standard Form (SF) 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, as well as additional documentation required by the SF-15, such as a VA letter.
  • Unofficial school transcripts, if the position has an education requirement or if you are using education to qualify. If selected for the position, you must provide an official transcript before appointment.
  • Proof of U.S. accreditation for foreign study, if applicable.
  • Candidate must have a CDL Class A or B commercial driver license (CDL) (Candidate must submit a front and back photocopy of CDL License)

How to Apply

Click on the "Apply Online" button on the upper right side of the page. 

Please Note:

  • You must apply for this position online through the 'Apply Online' button and submit required supplemental documents (if they are relevant to you).
  • Your resume must be no more than two (2) pages.
  • You may submit required documents by uploading them online during the application process.
  • The complete application package, including any required documents, is due in the Smithsonian Office of Human Resources on the closing date of the announcement by 11:59 PM Eastern Time.
  • If you are unable to apply online, paper applications may be accepted with prior approval of the Contact Person listed below.

At the end of the application process you will be able to create and save a PDF file that contains your responses to the assessment questions. You may save this file as initial receipt of your application. After the job announcement closes, you will receive an email from the Smithsonian with confirmation of receipt.

The Smithsonian receives many applications for each job. Each application is reviewed carefully which may take a few weeks. We will send you an e-mail to update you as we go through phases of the application review process. You may also check your application status by logging into www.usajobs.gov and selecting the tab "My USAJOBS;" e-mailing [email protected]; or by contacting the Office of Human Resources Representative listed.

Additional Information:

  • Tips on applying for Smithsonian jobs are available at https://www.si.edu/OHR/howtoapply.
  • The Smithsonian does not pay relocation expenses.
  • The Smithsonian Institution is an equal opportunity employer. Additional information can be found on our website at (www.si.edu/oeesd).