U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is hiring and hosts job fair in Clewiston on October 18

Jacksonville District
Published Oct. 11, 2023
Vernon Boyd, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, lock leader oversees operations at the Julian Keen, Jr. Lock and Dam at Moore Haven.

Vernon Boyd, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, lock leader oversees operations at the Julian Keen, Jr. Lock and Dam at Moore Haven.

As each needle is added, the crew secures it to the girder.

As each needle is added, the crew secures it to the girder.

Jacksonville District Park Ranger, Megan Parsons (right) helps a volunteer to dig and plant a tree.  Volunteers will plant nearly 9,000 native pollinator wildflowers and grasses at the W.P. Franklin Recreation Area during Pollinator Week on June 24, in the second phase of plantings to reforest an 8.5 acre open field as part of the Engineering with Nature Program. (USACE photo by Mark Rankin)

Jacksonville District Park Ranger, Megan Parsons (right) helps volunteers to dig and plant a tree. Volunteers will plant nearly 9,000 native pollinator wildflowers and grasses at the W.P. Franklin Recreation Area during Pollinator Week on June 24, in the second phase of plantings to reforest an 8.5 acre open field as part of the Engineering with Nature Program. (USACE photo by Mark Rankin)

Needles have been placed almost completely across the lower end of the lock.

Needles have been placed almost completely across the lower end of the lock.

A pump is installed and secured, so water can be pumped out of the lock chamber, providing a relatively dry area for equipment, inspections and repairs.

A pump is installed and secured, so water can be pumped out of the lock chamber, providing a relatively dry area for equipment, inspections and repairs.

The tag line man helps to steady and control the load so it doesn’t twist as it is moved into position.

The tag line man helps to steady and control the load so it doesn’t twist as it is moved into position.

On the lower end of the lock, crews must work across the girder in wetter conditions, wearing life vests for safety. The rigger or signalman on the barge keeps a close eye on the installation. He uses both a headset and hand signals to indicate “stop” to the crane operator as the second needle is properly fitted in the slot. It takes a significant amount of experience and expertise for a crane operator to maneuver and place each needle down into the small slot, fitting them close enough together that the two pieces can be sealed together with a narrow black seal, visible on the left side of the second needle.

On the lower end of the lock, crews must work across the girder in wetter conditions, wearing life vests for safety. The rigger or signalman on the barge keeps a close eye on the installation. He uses both a headset and hand signals to indicate “stop” to the crane operator as the second needle is properly fitted in the slot. It takes a significant amount of experience and expertise for a crane operator to maneuver and place each needle down into the small slot, fitting them close enough together that the two pieces can be sealed together with a narrow black seal, visible on the left side of the second needle.

CLEWISTON, Fla. -  The U. S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District is hiring and will host a job fair as the organization seeks to fill multiple positions in south Florida.

The event will take place Wednesday, Oct. 18 from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers South Florida Operations Office at 525 Ridgelawn Road, Building SF-2, Classroom 525, Clewiston, Fla.

“We are committed to bringing on the best available talent to our work force, and that includes qualified members of the local communities,” said Greg Jones, Chief of the South Florida Operations Office in Clewiston.

“We have direct hiring authority for multiple positions,” said Paul Jacques, Deputy Chief of the South Florida Operations Office. “We are hoping to make tentative job offers that day to qualified candidates to help accomplish the growing volume of work we have on our water infrastructure in south Florida.”

“Right now, we are hiring engineers, engineering technicians, electronics technicians, mechanics, welders, heavy equipment operators, locks and dam operators, biologists, natural resource specialists, park rangers and support personnel in administrative and financial positions to carry out our missions. We have direct hiring authority for many of these positions and are hoping to make tentative job offers to accomplish this work,” said Jacques. We have positions available east, west and south of Lake Okeechobee, and also at the Canaveral Lock, the largest navigation lock in Florida.

“Job seekers should bring copies of any special equipment or training certificates they hold, and a resume,” said Workforce Management Support Specialist Shawndreka Lanier-Douglas. “Many of our employees are veterans, and applicants who are vets should bring a copy of their DD-214 with them.”

The South Florida Operations Office is responsible for the Operations and Maintenance of the Central and Southern Florida Project, the Okeechobee Waterway and the Canaveral Lock. These projects consist of more than 100 miles of levee, 27 culvert structures through the levee system, 20 spillway structures and six navigation locks. Our flood control mission impacts the 50,000 residents who live around Lake Okeechobee, along the Caloosahatchee River Basin and the St. Lucie Canal, and extends south down to the Florida Everglades.

The agricultural community in south Florida relies heavily on Lake Okeechobee during dry season to provide the water to keep the fields hydrated and rich and nourish the crops that are essential to our Nation.

Recreational boaters and commercial vessels navigate across the Okeechobee Waterway, which extends from the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast, to the Gulf of Mexico on the west coast.

In addition to these missions, we receive countless visitors who come to fish on Lake Okeechobee, bike the Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, and participate in many other recreational activities.

Jacksonville District offers challenging work assignments throughout Florida, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers offers competitive salaries and an attractive benefits package that includes health, dental, vision, life, long-term care insurance, a three-tiered retirement plan, Thrift Savings Plan [similar to a 401(k)], flexible spending account, Employee Assistance Program, personal and sick leave days, and paid federal holidays.

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. Learn more about federal benefits at https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/benefits/

(The public can obtain news, updates and information from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District on the district’s website at https://www.saj.usace.army.mil/, on Facebook at  https://www.facebook.com/JacksonvilleDistrict and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/JaxStrong.


Contact
Erica Skolte
561-801-5734 (cell)
Erica.A.Skolte@usace.army.mil

Release no. 23-068