Summary
Western Federal Lands Highway Design Branch is seeking Civil Engineers to support the Division as senior designers with responsibility for the development of plans, specifications, and estimates (PS&E) packages for complex, advanced projects relative to the design of highways and bridges. Projects occur primarily on Federal Lands managed by other Federal agencies (e.g., National Park Service & U.S. Forest Service) & include multi-state areas.
This establishes an open continuous vacancy.
Clarification from the agency
Applications will be accepted from any U.S. citizen.
Direct Hire Authority will be used to fill this position. The 'Rule of Three', Veterans Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants does not apply to this vacancy.
This is not a Bargaining unit position.
Duties
As a Civil Engineer (Highway) Design , you will:
- Develop the design and monitor the budget and schedule for assigned projects and have responsibility for the project from initial scoping through construction support. Manage workload by setting and adjusting short-term priorities, as required, to meet changing project needs and information.
- Generate and evaluate geometric design alternatives and develop sound design concepts. Assess the impact of standard exceptions/compromises to established engineering principles and practices and conceptualize acceptable design exceptions and mitigation strategies, as necessary, to meet customer needs.
- Develop plans, specifications, and estimates (PS&E) packages that clearly define the work, are biddable, and emphasize context sensitivity, safety, and constructability. Identify appropriate bid items, perform quantity computations for all facets of highway design, and develop summary tables for project plans and price estimates for all work items for assigned projects. Prepare appropriate design documentation, provide quality control reviews on PS&Es prepared by other designers.
- Interpret, apply, and communicate the laws, regulations, policies and guidance related to highway design. Assist in the development of plans for accomplishing business objectives and implementing quality initiatives, including assisting in the formulation and establishment of policies, standards, guidelines, and priorities for team operations.
- Identify, recommend, and/or use appropriate technologies for gathering data during PS&E development. Improve the quality of highway design work through the use of new technologies and process improvements. Collaborate with internal staff and outside agencies.
The ideal candidate is a mid-career design engineer with experience working both independently and with multidiscipline teams in developing, monitoring, and adhering to the design, budget, and schedule for assigned roadway construction projects, providing technical assistance from initial scoping through construction support, and addressing design engineering issues with a wide range of external contacts.
Conditions of Employment
- You must be a U.S. citizen & meet specialized experience to qualify
- Submit application and resume online by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date
- Required documents must be submitted by the closing date.
- Direct Hire Authority will be used to fill this position
CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:
- SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for the Selective Service.
- BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: You will be required to complete a background/security investigation and meet preliminary requirements prior to onboarding.
- PCS/RELOCATION/RECRUITMENT: Permanent Change of Station (PCS), Relocation, and Recruitment Incentive authorization varies by position/selection and a service agreement may be required.
- PROBATIONARY PERIOD: Applicants may be required to successfully complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed)
- DEU REQUIREMENTS: Applicants selected under delegated examining procedures may be required to successfully complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed).
- GOVERNMENT TRAVEL CARD: This position involves travel. A government contractor-issued travel card will be issued and must be retained for official business only.
- TELEWORK ELIGIBILITY: This position may be eligible for occasional and/or regularly scheduled telework. The number of telework days approved will be determined by your immediate supervisor or manager following the agency’s telework policy and guidance. If participating in the telework program, you will be required to sign a telework agreement detailing agency telework policy requirements, working conditions, and expectations for the position.
Qualifications
To meet the basic qualifications for this position, you must (1) meet the Mandatory Education Requirement for the series, AND (2) provide a copy of your transcripts or other applicable documentation for verification and (3) meet the specialized experience requirements for each grade you are applying to. Please review the following information before proceeding with the application process:
(1) All applicants must meet the education requirements under A or B to qualify for applying to an engineering position:
A. Degree: Engineering. To be acceptable, the program must: (1) lead to a bachelor’s degree in a school of engineering with at least one program accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET); or (2) that included differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced that first year physics and chemistry) in five of the following seven areas of engineering science or physics: (a) statics, dynamics; (b) strength of materials; (c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (d) thermodynamics; (e) electrical fields and circuits; (f) nature and properties of materials; and (g) any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics;
OR
B. Combination of education or training: college level education, training and/or technical experience that has furnished (1) a thorough knowledge of the physical and mathematical sciences underlying engineering, and (2) a good understanding, both theoretical and practical, of the engineering sciences and techniques and their applications to one of the branches of engineering.
The adequacy of such background must be demonstrated by one of the following:
- Professional registration or licensure - current registration as an Engineer Intern (EI), engineer in Training (EIT), or licensure as a Professional Engineer (PE).
- Written Test - Evidence of having successfully passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) examination, or any other written test required for professional registration by an engineering licensure board in the various States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico.
- Specified academic courses - Successful completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences which included the courses as specified in Paragraph A above.
- Related curriculum - Successful completion of a curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree in an appropriate scientific field, e.g., engineering technology, physics, chemistry, architecture, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, or geology, may be accepted in lieu of a bachelor's degree in engineering, provided the applicant had at least 1 year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance. There should be either an established plan of intensive training to develop professional engineering competence, or several years of prior professional engineering type experience. This must be clearly described in your resume.
For additional information, please refer to the OPM qualifications standard for GS-800: All Professional Engineering Positions qualifications at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0800/files/all-professional-engineering-positions-0800.pdf.
(2) Upload the appropriate document(s) to your application for verification purposes.
(3) Specialized Experience:
To determine which grade(s) you may be eligible for, review the following grade specific details. You will be asked a few questions as part of your application but make sure to verify how you meet this experience in your resume or you may be deemed ineligible.
For the GS-11:
On Experience, you must have at least one year of specialized experience, equal or equivalent to the GS-09 grade level, which included:
- Experience providing engineering design services, on a team, in the development of highway improvement projects to reconstruct or rehabilitate highways or local roads (e.g., developing Plans, Specifications, and Estimates (PS&E) packages and layout drawings for highway designs); AND
- Experience using highway-design software programs, including Computer-Aided Design (CADD) software and engineer’s estimating software.
Or on Education, you must have 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree OR Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree.
You can also have a combination of graduate education and experience. This must be fully supported by your resume and transcripts, provided with your application.
For the GS-12:
On Experience, you must have at least one year of specialized experience, equal or equivalent to the GS-11 grade level, which included:
- Experience providing engineering design services, construction support, and technical assistance in the development of highway improvement projects (e.g., developing Plans, Specifications & Estimates (PS&E) packages and layout drawings for projects involving interstate, primary, urban, or Federal Lands’ roads and highways; reviewing contractor submittals; resolving construction issues; or addressing exceptions to design standards); AND
- Experience using highway-design software programs, including Computer-Aided Design (CADD) software and engineer’s estimating software.
Although you must first meet the mandatory education requirement, you cannot qualify for the GS-12 grade based on education, you must meet the specialized experience, which is cited above.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will also be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas:
- Civil Engineering - Knowledge of the concepts, principles, theories, and methods required to plan, design, construct, operate, and maintain facilities such as buildings, transportation systems, water and sanitary systems, and other public works systems.
- Transportation Engineering - Knowledge of the concepts, principles, theories, and methods applicable to planning, designing, and constructing of transportation systems including traffic analysis, signal analysis, highway capacity, pavement design, bridge construction, planning of transportation projects, environmental analysis of transportation facilities, and transportation network analysis.
- Oral Communication - Makes clear and convincing oral presentations. Listens effectively; clarifies information as needed.
- Written Communication - Writes in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience.
For all types of consideration, 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.
Students enrolled in a qualifying degree program can apply to the GS-11 grade based on education if the anticipated graduation date is within six months of the closing date of this announcement. If selected, the final transcript must be received before your start date. Other applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
Education
See the Qualifications section for Mandatory Education Requirements.
Benefits
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. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Review our benefits
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
This announcement establishes an open continuous vacancy announcement. Given our continuing need for professionals in this field, we will routinely review applications and refer the top candidates for potential interviews multiple times during the open period of the announcement. Reviews and referrals of applications will be completed on an as needed basis. We will give equal consideration to all applications we receive.
Applicants will not be rated or ranked. Veteran’s Preference does NOT apply.
DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE: PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. All answers provided in the on-line process must be substantiated by a resume. If, upon review, it is determined that your resume and/or supporting documents do not support your answer choices, your application may be removed from consideration.
Please ensure that your work history provides enough details to support your answers. You may preview questions for this vacancy.
ALL Applicants must provide a resume that fully supports the required specialized experience and was created within USA Jobs Resume Builder and respond to the vacancy questions by the closing date of the vacancy.
TRANSCRIPTS - Transcripts are REQUIRED per the mandatory education requirement for the series, and also if you are applying based on education for the GS-11 grade. The transcripts need not be official but must show that you meet the stated education requirements, including specific major or class requirements.
- Foreign education must be reviewed by an organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. You must show proof the education credentials have been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education program. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education and a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, see the Department of Education website.
- If you are qualifying based on possessing a current Professional Engineer (PE) license or passing the Engineer in Training (EIT) exam, please provide a copy of the PE license or written document showing proof of passing the EIT.
DISPLACED EMPLOYEES: If requesting consideration under the Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or Interagency CTAP program (ICTAP), you must meet the well qualified standards for this vacancy (meeting minimum requirements for position and scoring at least an 85) and provide all of the following documents:
- your most recent performance appraisal,
- the proof of eligibility letter from the Agency, and
- your most current SF-50, displaying current series and grade.
For more information, please review the OPM Employee's Guide to Career Transition.
Failure to submit any of the required documents by the closing date of the vacancy will result in your removal from consideration for this position. Please review your application prior to final submission and ensure you have submitted all appropriate documents. Uploading documents to USA Jobs does NOT ensure inclusion with your application to our system. You must verify that the documents are in the system with your application prior to final submission.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from
schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
You must submit a complete application package (including resume, vacancy questions and supporting documents) no later than 11:59 pm (EST) on the closing date of the announcement.
- To begin, click the "Apply Online" button on the job announcement posting.
- Follow the directions to register, submit all required documents and complete the assessment questionnaire.
- You may review your saved application(s) at https://my.usajobs.gov.
If you are having difficulty applying online, please contact the DOT Automated Staffing Office via email at: Transjobs@dot.gov
Next steps
On a as needed basis, applications will be reviewed and all eligible applicants will be forwarded to the selecting official for further consideration. You may check online to see if your application was referred by logging in at MYUSAJOBS and clicking on "Applications."
When referred, the selecting official determines all aspects of the hiring process. If they wish to contact you for an interview or for hire, they will do so directly. Otherwise, when all selections have been made, we will update your application status online and notify you by email when the vacancy closes.
|