Civil Engineer Job in Farmington, NM

Vacancy No. BOR-UCB-24-12499328-DE-OPM Department Bureau of Reclamation
Salary $85,552.00 to $124,061.00 Grade 9 to 12
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 9/9/2024 Close Date 10/7/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Farmington, NM


Job Description (Please follow all instructions carefully)

Summary

Reclamation is seeking a career professional looking for an opportunity to capitalize on their expertise as a Civil Engineer. You can make a difference in the West by assisting in meeting increasing water demands while protecting the environment.

Duty Location: Farmington, New Mexico

This position is concurrently open to Merit Promotion eligibles under Announcement Number BOR-UCB-24-12499329-MP-OPM.

Duties

  • Performs routine engineering analysis assignments associated with technical planning activities.
  • Participates in engineering studies, evaluations, design and/or modifications of new or existing structures.
  • Provides engineering support in connection with regulatory program oversight, policy, review of regulatory compliance issues, and resolution of engineering related issues.
  • Serve as a Contracting Officer's Representative, a Grants Officer's Technical Representative, and/or an Awarding Official Technical Representative.
  • Plan and conduct engineering studies or evaluations such as preliminary, appraisal, feasibility, final design, and value planning/value engineering.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

You must be a U.S. Citizen or U.S. National.
You must be suitable for federal employment, determined by a background investigation.
You must submit a resume and supporting documentation (see Required Documents).
You must submit eligibility documents for veterans consideration (see Required Documents).
You must meet any minimum education and/or experience requirements (see Qualifications).
You must submit transcript(s) to verify education requirements (see Qualifications/Education).
You must maintain a valid State Driver's License at all times as the position requires operation of government vehicles on government and public roads.

Qualifications

In order to qualify, you must meet BOTH the Basic and Minimum Qualification requirements described below. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience. If qualifying based on education, a copy of your unofficial transcripts must be provided with your application.

BASIC QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENT for the 0810 series:
Successfully completed a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's or higher degree in Engineering in a school of engineering with at least one program accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).

-OR-

Successfully completed a full 4-year course of study leading to a Bachelor's or higher degree in Engineering that included differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced than first-year physics and chemistry) in five (5) of the following seven (7) areas of engineering science or physics: (a) statics, dynamics; (b) strength of materials (stress-strain relationships); (c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (d) thermodynamics; (e) electrical fields and circuits; (f) nature and properties of materials (relating particle and aggregate structure to properties); and (g) any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics. NOTE: You must submit copies of your transcripts.

-OR-

Completed 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences, and that included the courses specified in B above. These courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program. NOTE: You must submit copies of your transcripts.

-OR-

Successfully completed a curriculum leading to a Bachelor's degree in an appropriate scientific field such as engineering technology, physics, chemistry, architecture, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, or geology AND have at least one year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance. This must include either an established plan of intensive training to develop professional engineering competence or several years of prior professional engineering-type experience, e.g., in interdisciplinary positions. NOTE: You must submit copies of your transcripts.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: To be considered minimally qualified for this position, you must demonstrate that you have the required specialized experience and/or education for the respective grade level in which you are applying:

Specialized Experience: GS-09:
Applicants must have one full year of specialized experience, comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service (obtained either in the private or public sector) performing at least two (2) of four (4) of the following: (1) Reviewing and preparing estimates or specifications for the construction, rehabilitation, or operation and maintenance of water resource projects; (2) Serving as a technical expert on civil engineering considerations for the design of water resource projects such as water treatment plants, pumping plants, pipelines, dams, canals, laterals, distribution systems, etc.; (3) Administering the commissioning process of constructed facilities such as water treatment plants, pumping plants, pipelines, or electrical substations; (4) Developing and maintaining professional relationships with stakeholders and contractors., under the supervision of a licensed engineer (P.E.).
-OR-

Have successfully completed 2 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or equivalent graduate degree OR master's degree or higher in engineering or a closely related field that provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to successfully complete the work of the position (You must submit transcripts)

-OR-

Have a combination of specialized experience as described in A and graduate level education as described in B that, when combined, equal 100% of the total requirement. (Please note that only graduate education in excess of the first 18 semester hours may be used in this calculation.) (You must submit transcripts as proof of any claimed education and your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience.)

-OR-

Have successfully completed a bachelor's degree in engineering with Superior Academic Achievement (SAA) and have one year of professional engineering experience. Professional engineering experience is defined as non-routine engineering work that required professional knowledge of engineering; professional ability to apply such knowledge to engineering problems; and positive and continuing development of professional knowledge and ability. (You must submit transcripts)

Specialized Experience for GS-11:
Applicants must have one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service (obtained either in the private or public sectors) performing at least two (2) of four (4) of the following: (1) Reviewing and preparing estimates or specifications for the construction, rehabilitation, or operation and maintenance of water resource projects; (2) Serving as a technical expert on civil engineering considerations for the design of water resource projects such as water treatment plants, pumping plants, pipelines, dams, canals, laterals, distribution systems, etc.; (3) Administering the commissioning process of constructed facilities such as water treatment plants, pumping plants, pipelines, or electrical substations; (4) Developing and maintaining professional relationships with stakeholders and contractors., under the supervision of a licensed engineer (P.E.).

OR

Education: Successful completion of at least 3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree. This education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. You must include transcripts.

OR

Combination: Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. To combine education and experience, first take the total number of months of full-time qualifying experience and divide by 12 months to get a percentage of the required experience above. Then determine your education as a percentage of the education substitution stated above. When adding the two percentages, the total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. Only graduate education in excess of two (2) years (36 semester hours) will be used to qualify at the GS-11 grade level. You must include transcripts.

Specialized Experience for GS-12:
Applicants must have one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service (obtained either in the private or public sectors) performing at least two (2) of four (4) of the following: (1) Reviewing and preparing estimates or specifications for the construction, rehabilitation, or operation and maintenance of water resource projects; (2) Serving as a technical expert on civil engineering considerations for the design of water resource projects such as water treatment plants, pumping plants, pipelines, dams, canals, laterals, distribution systems, etc.; (3) Administering the commissioning process of constructed facilities such as water treatment plants, pumping plants, pipelines, or electrical substations; (4) Developing and maintaining professional relationships with stakeholders and contractors., under the supervision of a licensed engineer (P.E.).

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s).

Education


Volunteer Experience: 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.

You must include months, years and hours per week worked to receive credit for your work and/or volunteer experience. One year of specialized experience is equivalent to 12 months at 40 hours per week. Part-time hours are prorated. You will not receive any credit for experience that does not indicate exact hours per week or is listed as "varies".

You must meet all Eligibility and Qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors if applicable, by 10/07/2024.To qualify based on education, you must submit a legible copy of transcripts from an accredited institution with your name, school name, credit hours, course level, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking. Transcripts do not need to be official, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work.

If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet qualification requirements, you must show that your education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.

PASS/FAIL COURSES: If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim of superior academic achievement must be based upon class standing or membership in an honor society.

GRADUATE EDUCATION: One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.

Additional information

You may be required to serve an initial probationary period.

Reclamation has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework and you may be allowed to telework with supervisory approval.

If otherwise eligible and qualified, you may be offered a recruitment or relocation incentive. The decision to offer an incentive will be made on a case-by-case basis and is neither promised nor guaranteed. For information visit: Recruitment Incentive or Relocation Incentive.

Permanent Change of Station (PCS) expenses are authorized with the exception of the Guaranteed Home Sale Provision or first-post-of-duty relocation expenses are authorized, as applicable. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), signed into law December 2017, suspends the moving expense deduction and the exclusion from income of qualified employer reimbursements of moving expenses that was allowed under previous tax laws. Employer reimbursements for moving costs are now generally taxed at the same rate as ordinary income.

If otherwise eligible and qualified, you may request consideration for a Superior Qualifications Appointment. For information, visit: OPM Fact Sheet.

DOI uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including applicant rights and responsibilities, please visit https://www.e-verify.gov/

This position is designated as a LOW RISK position. It requires a fully completed and favorably adjudicated SF85 Background Investigation (T1 or equivalent) that is current (within the last 5 years). This is a condition of employment.

Promotion to the full performance level is neither guaranteed nor implied and will be based solely on your ability to satisfactorily perform the work of the position, existing work at the higher grade level, and recommendation by the position's supervisor.

Physical Demands: The work is typically performed in an office setting with no special physical demands. However, work may also be performed in the field which involves periods of walking, bending, climbing, or driving motor vehicles to worksites. The work may also involve some overnight travel for training, meetings, and site visits.

Working Conditions: The work is usually performed in an office setting. However, work time may also be spent periodically visiting field sites. Field site visits are typically performed in either an outdoor setting subject to weather changes, diverse terrain, and safety hazards associated with working around complex features and/or construction, or an industrial setting subject to noise, fumes, and moving machinery. Both settings may require the use of personal protective equipment. Safety precautions and protocols are observed at all times and the incumbent complies with safety instructions and regulations and ensures individual and others' safety by promptly reporting unsafe acts, unsafe conditions, and accidents to the supervisor.

Male applicants born after December 31, 1959 must certify registration with the Selective Service System or that the applicant is exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. Go to: https://www.sss.gov

This is a non-bargaining unit position.

Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement.

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.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

A review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the Occupational Questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses provided in the Occupational Questionnaire, or if you fail to submit all required documentation, you will be rated 'ineligible', 'not qualified', or your score may be adjusted accordingly. If a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully; errors or omissions may affect your rating.

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the additional assessments required for this position.

In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires successful completion of additional assessments, including a subject matter expert resume review. These assessments measure the critical competencies listed below that are required to successfully perform the job.

Candidates will be rated and ranked using Category Rating procedures. These procedures place candidates with veteran's preference above non-preference eligibles within each category. Veterans with a service connected disability of at least 10 percent are listed in the highest quality category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level or higher. Under Category Rating, candidates will be rated and ranked into one of three categories:

  • Highly Qualified - applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are highly proficient in all requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position
  • Well Qualified - applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in most of the requirements of the job
  • Qualified - applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in some, but not all of the requirements of the job.
You will be evaluated on the following competencies:
  • Civil Engineering
  • Customer Service
  • Project Management


The application questionnaire can be previewed here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12499328

Required Documents

The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 10/07/2024.

  1. Resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, with dates specified in month and year format, and indicate hours worked per week. If military or civilian, please include your rank and/or grade.
  2. A complete Occupational Questionnaire
  3. College transcripts: If qualifying based on education, a copy of your unofficial transcripts must be provided with your application.
  4. Other Supporting Documents, if applicable, such as:
  • Veterans Preference Documentation:
    • If you are a Discharged, Non-Disabled Veteran, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 showing character of discharge (Member 4 copy), or other Documentation of Service and Separation under Honorable Conditions, as listed on the SF15. If you don't have your DD-214, you may request it after discharge from the National Archives.
    • If you are a veteran within 120 days of discharge, you must submit signed documentation from the Armed Forces certifying: 1) your expected release/retirement from active duty, 2) under honorable conditions, 3) your pay grade/rank/rate at time of discharge, 4) dates of active duty service, 5) any campaign or expeditionary medals received, & 6) dated within 120 days of your separation.
    • If you are a Disabled Veteran, Purple Heart Recipient, or Mother or Spouse of a Disabled or Deceased Veteran, you must submit all additional proof required by the SF15, and if applicable, a completed SF15. You may request a copy of your Department of Veterans Affairs letter from www.ebenefits.va.gov or call 1-800-827-1000 to establish proof of disability.
  • Documentation for Interagency/Career Transition Assistance Plan consideration if you are a displaced Federal employee within the local commuting area. You must include: 1) Proof you are a displaced Federal employee, e.g., RIF Separation Notice, Notice of Proposed Removal, etc; 2) SF-50s (Notifications of Personnel Action) showing career/conditional tenure competitive status, promotion potential and duty location; and 3) your most recent performance appraisal. To exercise selection priority, displaced or surplus Federal employees must be rated well-qualified or above 85 on the rating criteria for this position.
For the GS-12: A current valid Professional Engineering (P.E.) license. Provide proof of license with the application. Failure to provide proof of the license may result in an ineligible rating.
Do not submit photographs with your application package. Documents with photographs may not be seen by hiring officials - you must remove your image from any badges, licenses, etc.

Do not upload Adobe portfolio documents. Adobe portfolio documents are not viewable by our agency's staffing offices.

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.

How to Apply

To apply for this position: You must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. To receive consideration, the complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 10/07/2024. WE DO NOT ACCEPT HARD-COPY OR E-MAIL APPLICATION PACKAGES.

  1. Select Apply. If you are not logged in, you will be prompted to login or create an account.
  2. Prompted to Start the Application Process by selecting "Start Application."
  3. Select or add the resume you want to use for this application. Click here on how to build a resume in USAJOBS.
  4. Select documents you want included in this application.
  5. Review package to acknowledge your documents were reviewed.
  6. Select if you want to include your demographic information.
  7. After reading and certifying the application is true and submitted in good faith, select "Continue to Agency Site."
  8. Follow onscreen prompts and instructions to complete your application.
  9. Add the supporting documents by indexing your documents with the dropdown.
    • Upload any missing required documents or optional documents.
  10. Review and Submit Application.
  11. While logged in, you can check the status of your application by selecting "+" next to the job title for this position.
  12. You can review or revise your application at any point during the open period of the announcement.
    • To update an application, you should log into your USAJOBS account and select "+" next to the job title for this position. Select "Update Application" for this job.
    • Note: When you click Update Application, you will be prompted to re-select your documents from USAJOBS. Documents submitted with the first application will no longer be associated with the applicant record. So it is important that you select all documents you want to use in the re-application.
  13. If you are unable to apply online, please email SASB@opm.gov PRIOR to 11:59 Eastern Time on 10/07/2024.

Agency contact information

San Antonio Services Branch
Address
Upper Colorado Basin Region, Four Corners Construction Office
Bureau of Reclamation
125 South State Street
Room 8100
Salt Lake City, UT 84138
US
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

Once the Occupational Questionnaire is received you will receive acknowledgement that your submission was successful. If you are among the most qualified candidates and your name is referred to the hiring official, you may be contacted directly for a possible interview. You will be notified of the status of your Application Package at the time candidates are referred for consideration, and when the selection process is complete.

This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if identical vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.

Applicants who apply under this job opportunity announcement agree to have their application, associated documents and applicable personal information shared with other Bureaus/Offices within the Department of the Interior (DOI) who have vacancies with the same occupational series, grade, full performance level and in the same geographic location(s). Applying to this announcement does not replace the need to apply to other job opportunity announcements for which you wish to receive consideration. You may choose to opt in of having your information shared with other agencies when applying for this position. If an agency requests a copy of a certificate you are on, you will be notified.


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.


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