Facilities Operations Specialist

Duties listed are at full performance grade GS-13 level. As Operations Manager, participates in the management of the day-to-day operations of the Observatory and the maintenance of its facilities to ensure the safety of staff, visitors, and the SMA telescopes and scientific instrumentation; prevent deterioration; and support the overall scientific mission. Provides directions to administrative and skilled trades employees in the absence of the SMA Director.

Incumbent plan, organize, and administer comprehensive facility programs. Oversee facilityrelated projects, including budget development, contract management, and compliance with safety and environmental regulations. Develop long range plans for facility upgrades, preventive maintenance, and capital improvements.

Collaborates with federal, state, and local agencies, contractors, and internal leadership to align facility operations with broader mission goals. Ensure compliance with deferral regulations, environmental standards, and safety protocols. Lead complex facility projects, including design reviews, cost estimations, and contractor coordination.

Monitor progress and alignment with agency goals and timelines. Develop and manage budgets for construction, maintenance, and operations. Coordinate funding and resource allocation for preventive and corrective maintenance.

Advise senior management on facility related policies, initiatives, and long-term planning. Develop high level recommendations to improve operational efficiency and asset stewardship. Precision in inspecting facilities,identifying maintenance needs, ensuring compliance.

Provides technical expertise and guidance on facility design, development, and maintenance, including state-of-the-art systems and equipment. Serves as the COTR (Contracting Officers' Technical Representative) for facilities repair/renovation projects to ensure the timeliness and the quality of work performed by contractors and their compliance with contract terms. This includes monitoring the work or service performed by the outside contractor, advising the contractor of deficiencies in performance, verifying completion of work, approving payments, and coordinating with the SI/SAO Contracting Officers as appropriate to resolve contractor performance or other issues.

Works with staff from SI's Office of Planning, Design, and Construction (OPDC) and SI's Office of Facilities Management and Reliability (OFMR) for SI funded projects to ensure that all documentation requirements are met. Supports construction projects' oversight in other areas as requested. Serves as Safety Officer for SMA-Hawaii facilities.

Designs and implements an overall safety program-- including relevant training --for staff, visitors, and volunteers; and serves as technical advisor on safety issues related to SMA operations. Serves as the SMA-Hawaii interface with SAO Cambridge and SI OSHEM. Develops safety related aspects of annual SMA-Hawaii budget request.

Assures compliance with all certifications, safety, fire prevention, and SI/SAO security program requirements. As assigned by the SMA Director, performs periodic onsite surveys of several types of construction work in progress at SMA-Hawaii facilities, and reviews project plans and inspects both in-process and completed work performed both by SMA-Hawaii staff and contractors to determine compliance with applicable Institution and occupational safety standards. Prepares and presents comprehensive reports—both oral and written--in assigned areas.

Compliance, Safety, and Regulatory Management Ensures facilities operations comply with federal regulations, including OSHA, NFPA, EPA, ASHRAE, NEC, and agencyspecific policies. Develops and implements safety protocols,emergency response procedures, and risk mitigation strategies for facility operations. Conducts audits, inspections, and compliance reviews; prepares reports and corrective action plans for leadership.

Serves as a subjectmatter expert during internal and external audits. Stakeholder Engagement & Advisory Services Advises senior leadership on facility operations risks, priorities, and strategic investments. Represents the organization in meetings, working groups, and interagency forums on facilities operations and asset management.

Communicates complex technical information to nontechnical stakeholders, ensuring shared understanding of operational impacts and requirements. Build collaborative relationships with internal customers, external partners, and regulatory authorities. Performs other related duties

There is no education substitution for this position.

Your application will be evaluated first for the basic qualifications described above. The applications that meet the basic qualifications will be evaluated further against the following criteria: Knowledge of and skill in applying the full range of principles, concepts, and methods of facility administration to the operation of a complex, geographically remote, scientific facility Knowledge of contract administration sufficient to serve as a Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (COTR) for construction, maintenance, and repair contracts Knowledge of facility systems sufficient to assess overall condition, perform diagnostic inspections, direct repair work, and serve as COTR on facility projects Knowledge of occupational safety practices and procedures sufficient to develop and implement an overall facilities' safety plan and related procedures Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with people from a broad range of diverse backgrounds including scientific, technical, trade, administrative, and volunteer staff, external partners and contractors, and members of the visiting public, both daily and in situations that may be contentious, challenging or involve stringent deadlines Excellent oral and written communications skills BASIS OF RATING: Once the announcement closes, your application will be automatically evaluated and rated by the system and a Human Resources Specialist. To determine if you are qualified for this job, a review of your application and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the occupational questionnaire.

The numeric rating you receive is based on your responses to the questionnaire. The score is a measure of the degree to which your background matches the knowledge, skills, and abilities required of this position. If, after the Human Resources Specialist reviews your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that the score you have received is not a true reflection of your qualifications and/or experience, your score can and will be adjusted to more accurately reflect the information you provided that support your abilities.

Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating.

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

The Smithsonian does not pay relocation expenses. The Smithsonian embraces diversity and equal employment opportunity (www.si.edu/oeema).

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; OR You may manually fax required documents. Faxes are received by an automated system, not a physical fax machine. Documents that are faxed as part of the application process must be sent with the system generated cover sheet by the closing date. Documents faxed without the system generated coversheet are not retrievable and cannot be considered as part of the application package.

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.

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.

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. For assistance with creating a resume, please click USAJOBS Help Center - How do I write a resume for a federal job? Proof of prior federal service such as the latest SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action A recent performance evaluation Proof of Veteran's Preference - DD214 (Member 4 Copy) if you are requesting a special appointment authority, such as VRA or VEOA Proof of severe disability if you are requesting special placement consideration Proof of eligibility for a military spouse appointment, such as a permanent change station military order Proof of eligibility for any other special appointing authority not specifically mentioned here