Equipment Specialist (Electronic)

Applicants must have had progressively responsible experience and training sufficient in scope and quality to furnish them with an acceptable level of the following knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of the position without more than normal supervision.

Knowledge of principles, practices, and procedures used with electronics maintenance, equipment repair and troubleshooting. Knowledge of technical proficiency in assistive technology diagnostics, repair, and maintenance. Knowledge of the characteristics, properties, and uses of electrical equipment. Ability to communicate in writing. Ability to meet, deal and interact collaboratively with others to provide a variety of services. Ability to communicate effectively other than in writing.

This position serves as the National Library Equipment Repair Officer (ERO) within the Equipment and Infrastructure Section, Business Operations Division (BOD, National Library Service for the Blind/Print Disabled (NLS) in the Library Collections and Services Group (LCSG) at the Library of Congress (LOC). As the Equipment Specialist, you will: Direct a national repair program to maintain playback devices used in the NLS network, including volunteers, regional repair facilities, etc.

Analyze data from network agencies to identify areas with device repair problems and makes recommendations to the Program Delivery Division on matters involving playback device production and reliability. Interpret NLS and quality assurance standards for network of repair agencies. Recommend policies and procedures and assists in implementing adequate delivery and quality assurance programs in each repair unit or repair facility.

Organize, implement, and monitor such processes as the review of equipment functionality prior to assignment to patrons, warranty returns to the manufacturer of defective materials, and inspection of materials prior to release. Develop training materials and programs; coordinates the training of state and volunteer groups. Design and produce technical information manuals, videotape presentations, and circulars for use by these groups.

Conduct workshops and training sessions to maintain a high level of effectiveness in the repair and maintenance of the national inventory of over 500,000 electronic playback devices. Coordinate the repairs made by firms under contract to the agency. Assure that playback equipment is furnished as expeditiously as possible to network personnel requiring them. Participate in declaring items that are no longer economically repairable as excess to the system, and recommends their disposal.

Apply extensive knowledge of the equipment concerned, develops suggestions for alternate commercial uses of equipment, and/or recommends equipment modifications to facilitate commercial use. Provide advisory services related to equipment design, production, operational, and maintenance requirements with regard to new or significantly modified total equipment systems, groups of commodity classes, or subsystems.

Through conferences, meetings, reports, travel and training, provide technical information along with continuing technical advice and assistance necessary to resolve problems and support assigned categories of equipment. Communicate extensively orally and in writing with a variety of internal personnel and numerous contractors and representatives of other organizations. Coordinate activities with other subordinate and higher-level organizations.

Make recommendations to support management decisions related to improvement of processes such as Information Technology support, key personnel support, playback equipment utilization, maintenance requirements, publications, etc. Advise potential vendors regarding approval and validation procedures. Check whether vendors comply with ANSI and ISO 9000 requirements. Review vendor capabilities and past performance.

Recommend a variety of sources of supply including procurement, cannibalization, in-house manufacture, etc. Work requires in-depth knowledge of the primary manufacturers of assigned components and parts. Identify problems and/or trends that exist regarding the acquisition of various parts and equipment and recommends improvements. Identifies and evaluates potential vendors, and conducts site surveys for procurement source approval. Gather information for contract preparation packages.

Provide the technical equipment data required to assure that requisitions are filled with the exact item needed. Prepare statements of work, justifications for other than full and open competition, product specifications, and other technical documentation related to procurement actions. Fulfill agency Contract Officer Representative (COR) duties and actions involving contracts.

Conduct/coordinate on a continuing basis, the evaluation of design, configuration, and engineering changes for major components of new/extensively modified equipment systems and/or commodity classes. Make technical recommendations regarding design, development and testing, and assures that maintainability and reliability requirements are incorporated. Perform other duties as assigned. The position description number for this position is 013197.

The salary range indicated reflects the locality pay adjustments for the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan area. The incumbent of this position will work a Flexitime work schedule. This is a non-supervisory, bargaining unit position. Relocation expenses will not be authorized for the person(s) selected under this vacancy announcement.