← Back to jobs

Veterans Health Administration

Pipefitter

Coatesville, Pennsylvania $32 - $37 PH WG Closes Oct 22, 2026
Apply on USAJOBS

This announcement is sourced from the official USAJOBS API. Federal Job Alerts is not affiliated with OPM, USAJOBS, or any U.S. government agency.

Summary

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement. EXPERIENCE: A specific length of training and experience is not required, but you must show evidence of training or experience of sufficient scope and quality of your ability to do the work of this position. Evidence which demonstrates you possess the knowledge, skills, and ability to perform the duties of this position must be supported by detailed descriptions of such on your resume. Applicants will be rated in accordance with the OPM Federal Wage System Qualification Standards. SCREEN-OUT ELEMENT: Your qualifications will first be evaluated against the prescribed screen out element, which usually appears as question 1 in the on-line questionnaire. Those applicants who appear to possess at least the minimal acceptable qualification requirement are considered for further rating; those who do not are rated ineligible and are eliminated. The potential eligibles are then rated against the remainder of the Job Elements: Equipment Assembly, Installation, Repair Interpret Instructions, Specifications (includes blueprint reading) Measurement and Layout Technical Practices Troubleshooting Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment Without more than normal supervision 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; religions; 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. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

Major Duties

The Pipefitter is a key position in maintaining the safe, uninterrupted use of the plumbing and steam systems throughout the facility, which are very complex, potentially dangerous, and critically needed resources for the Medical Center. The major duties of this position include, but are not limited to: Installs, modifies, maintains, repairs, and performs preventative maintenance on a variety of high pressure piping to include, but not limited, to steam distribution and heating systems, oil/ natural gas, heat exchangers Installs pipe insulation, condensate collection tanks and pumps, hot water heating devices, circulating pumps, radiators, pressure reducing valves, strainers, fire suppression systems, backflow preventors, and steam traps Installs, modifies, maintains, repairs, and performs preventive maintenance on a variety of plumbing systems to include, but not limited to, domestic water systems, drainage waste and vent systems, water softeners, chemical feed pumps, chlorine systems, hot water return systems, well pumps, circulators, back flow devices, relief valves, shut off valves, metering devices, mixing valves, hot water heaters, plumbing fixtures, and faucets Reads and interprets engineering drawings, set up pipe routing, locate and cut openings through obstacles, place hangers at proper pitch and elevation, determine placement and elevation of condensate collection tanks, pressure reducing devices, risers, drip legs and controls valves. Uses a government vehicle to travel between the main campus and neighboring facilities. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 7:00 am - 3:30 pm, 7:30 am - 4:00pm. The incumbent may be required to work overtime and subject to after-hours call back in the event of emergencies or other events that affect the medical center's ability to operate. Position Description Title/PD#: Pipefitter/PD542-00655A Physical Requirements: Incumbent is frequently subject to very uncomfortable and possibly dangerous conditions. They must be in satisfactory physical and mental condition and fit for duty at all times. The incumbent works from ladders, scaffolding and hydraulic platforms. They often work in portions of utility systems that are cramped, dirty, and hard-to-reach locations. The work may involve prolonged crouching and standing and frequent stooping, bending, kneeling, climbing, and working in exhausting and uncomfortable positions. The incumbent frequently lifts or carries tools, equipment, ladders, scaffolding, parts and supplies up to 50 pounds. Occasionally, the incumbent will be required to lift and carry items over 80 pounds. Working Conditions: The incumbent is subjected to such hazardous conditions as injury from power driven tools, falling from scaffolds and ladders, temperature extremes, noise, cramped spaces, and bad weather conditions. The incumbent is frequently exposed to the possibilities of cuts, bruises, scratches, broken bones, and burns. They are subject to asbestos exposure and chemicals which can cause burns or irritation to the skin. Some duties may require incumbent to wear protective equipment and clothing that is heavy and uncomfortable.

Requirements

U.S. Citizenship; non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. Suitable for Federal employment, determined by a background investigation Selective Services Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. Must possess a valid, unrestricted State driver's license Must pass pre-employment physical examination As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may 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. 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.

Required Documents

Documents Required: Resume Documents Accepted: Cover Letter DD-214/ Statement of Service Disability Letter (Schedule A) Disability Letter (VA) Performance Appraisal Resume Separation Notice (RIF) SF-15 SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action Please review the above list(s) to ensure you have included all necessary documents required for your application. Not every applicant will require the same documents, therefore it is the applicants responsibility to ensure that their application package includes all necessary documents to determine qualifications and eligibility for appointment, such as a copy of your SF-50, transcript, ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees). You will not be contacted for additional information. Applicants will be deemed ineligible if supporting documentation is not submitted. Veterans' Preference: Since the Direct-Hire Recruitment Authority is being used, traditional Veterans' Preference rules do not apply. Qualified veterans will, however, be given full consideration for this position. Applications are accepted online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application.

How to Apply

All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 10/22/2026 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13091499. 1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire. 2. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package. NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date. You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USA Jobs account and clicking on Applications. Information regarding your application status can be found in the USAJobs Help Center. Beginning September 27, 2025, Federal agencies will only accept resumes up to two pages in length to comply with the Merit Hiring Plan. Resumes longer than two pages will result in ineligibility for further consideration for the position. USAJOBS will not allow you to upload or build resumes longer than two pages, and you will need to update the resumes in your profile before applying for a job. Resumes should include information relevant to the knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies of the position to which you are applying. VA is unable to make assumptions about qualifications if not clearly listed. Resumes must be legible so they can be reviewed for eligibility, minimum qualifications and other position requirements listed in the job announcement. If initial application submission is updated and resubmitted with a new resume, only the most current resume will be reviewed for consideration. Your resume must be 5MB or less. We recommend saving and uploading your resume as a PDF to maintain formatting and number of pages. We also accept GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, TXT, PDF, ODT or Word (DOC or DOCX). We do not accept PDF portfolio files. We recommend using a sans-serif font size like Lato, if available. Other widely available options are Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open San Source Sans Pro, Roboto or Noro Sans. Make your page margins 0.5 inches. Consider using 14-point size font for titles and 10-point for the main text in your resume. The resume builder can help you create a resume using these recommendations and uses the information in your USAJOBS profile to help you get started. Helpful Hints for Creating a Two-Page Resume: Prioritize most relevant and recent experience Use concise, results focused language Align language from the job announcement Focus on demonstrating skills and competencies Remove outdated or unrelated experience Use the USAJOBS resume builder Additional guidance on this new requirement and resume building tools can be found at: https://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/documents/resume/page-limit https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-information/merit-hiring-plan-resources/applicant-guidance-on-the-two-page-resume-limit/ To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.