Civil Engineer - DIRECT HIRE Job

Vacancy No. FHWA.BIL-2025-0019 Department Federal Highway Administration
Salary $54,557.00 to $140,713.00 Grade 07 to 12
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 11/22/2024 Close Date 11/21/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Juneau, AKWasilla, AKMontgomery, ALLittle Rock, AR


Summary

This position is in a Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Federal-aid Division Office, Federal Lands Highway Division Office, or Program Office. You will serve as a Civil Engineer (Highway) responsible for managing and promoting assigned programs. The Civil Engineer will provide stewardship and oversight at various junctures of project and program delivery.

This job is open to

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.

Duties

Duties will vary depending on office and position. As a Civil Engineer within FHWA, you will:

Construction

  • Inspect and test assignments on construction projects.
  • Perform field sampling and test construction materials.
  • Participate in partner meetings.
  • Serve as an instrument operator or rodman on construction survey of projects or monitor contractor stakeout, including staking of centerline, slope staking, drainage staking, structural staking, and setting of grade stakes.
  • Compute and balance quantities.

Highway Design

  • Prepare roadway plans and quantity calculations, title sheets, plan profile sheets, alignment layout, supplementary drawings, earthwork calculations, and pipe and box culvert structure detailing.
  • Compute curves and traverses.
  • Assemble plans, specifications, and estimate (PS&E) documents.
  • Perform basic drafting.

Materials

  • Log in samples, prepare samples for testing, monitor testing procedures, and record data of materials such as concrete, soils, asphalt, and roadway aggregates.
  • Visually inspect materials and determine sizes to be crushed; lift and handle samples; observe and operate sieve shakers.
  • Retrieve and compile data.
  • Research past mix designs and compile comparison data.

Survey

  • Assist survey crew.
  • Perform basic engineering computations using formulas, handheld calculators, and electronic survey equipment.
  • Serve as instrument operator and/or target cube holder on construction survey and/or engineering stakeout of project or assist in monitoring contract stakeout. 

Planning and Programming

  • Collect and assemble data.
  • Assist in preparing damage site assessments and reports for Emergency Relief projects.
  • Prepare environmental compliance documentation.
  • Prepare agreements for projects.

Bridge Design, Management, and Inspection

  • Prepare project specifications and perform design and quality check on PS&E packages.
  • Prepare field assessments, gather information, and perform preliminary scoping of projects.
  • Compile structural analysis and design of concrete, steel, or timber bridge components.
  • Use Microstation CADD to prepare bridge plan sheets. 
  • Perform calculations of quantities and basic engineering calculations.
  • Operate bridge inspection equipment, take and record data, develop sketches and prepare required reports.
  • Perform structures inventory and evaluate data.

Hydraulics

  • Perform Hydrologic and Hydraulic design calculations.
  • Assist in developing drainage design and Storm Water Management Plans.
  • Prepare technical reports and cost estimates.
  • Prepare project specifications and review of PS&E packages.
  • Gather project site information, inspect construction, confirm post-construction BMP installation, or identify assets.
  • Review and summarize permits or correspondence from regulatory agencies.

The ideal candidate for this position has experience in, or a desire to learn, technical highway engineering. Highway engineering may include, but is not limited to, highway design, construction, bridge, geotechnical, survey and mapping, hydraulics and/or materials testing. The ideal candidate is able to work independently and in a team environment. Some engineering positions require travel to remote locations for extended periods of time.

Requirements

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 may be required to complete a background/security investigation and meet preliminary requirements prior to onboarding.
  • POSITION SENSITIVITY AND RISK: Varies by position and will be based on the position to which appointed.
  • SECURITY CLEARANCE: Varies by position. If applicable, you must be able to obtain and maintain the appropriate security clearance of the position to which appointed.
  • 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: You must complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed).
  • GOVERNMENT TRAVEL CARD: Travel will vary by position. If the position requires travel, a government contractor-issued travel card will be issued and must be retained for official business only.
  • TOUR RENEWAL/HOME LEAVE: Tour renewal and home leave may be offered based on location and position/selection and a service agreement may be required.
  • FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE: Varies by position. If applicable, the applicant selected is required to submit a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450) within 30 days of appointment and annually thereafter.
  • TELEWORK ELIGIBILITY: Telework availability will be based upon the mission requirements and supervisory determination.  If approved for occasional telework, you will be required to report to the office on a regular basis. The number of telework days approved is determined by the agency policy, emergency situations, the approval of your immediate supervisor, and if applicable, approval of additional officials.
  • REMOTE WORK: This position may be eligible for remote work. If selected for a remote work position, you must have access to high speed internet and cell phone service meeting current agency standards from the approved work location within the Contiguous United State and sign a remote work agreement.

Qualifications

To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must meet either the education or specialized experience requirements for the grade at which you are requesting consideration.

To qualify for the GS-07 on Experience, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-05 it must include:

  • Experience reviewing engineering regulations or policies; AND
  • Experience applying civil engineering principles or practical concepts.

To qualify for the GS-07 on Education alone, you must have:

At least 1 year of graduate-level education OR superior academic achievement.

**Superior Academic Achievement is based on (1) class standing, (2) grade-point average, or (3) honor society membership.

  • 1. Class standing -- Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses
  • 2. Grade-point average (G.P.A.) -- Applicants must have a grade-point average of: 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on their official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum.

You can also qualify based on a combination of graduate level education and experience. This must be fully supported by your resume and transcripts, provided with your application.

To qualify for the GS-09 on Experience, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-07 it must include:

  • Experience performing basic engineering activities such as, but not limited to, reviewing engineering design standards and regulations, conducting analytical analyses or investigations, performing quantity computations, assisting with Plans, Specifications and Estimate (PS&E) packages, developing summary tables, etc.; AND
  • Experience articulating information through platforms such as discussions, meetings, fact sheets, reports, design documentation, briefings, and presentations.


To qualify for the GS-09 on Education alone, you must have:

  • 2 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or have been awarded a master's or equivalent graduate degree.
  • You can also qualify based on a combination of graduate education and experience.  This must be fully supported by your resume and transcripts, provided with your application.

To qualify for the GS-11 on Experience, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-09 it must include:

  • Experience in planning, design, or construction of highway or transportation project features (such as roads, bridges, or appurtenant structures) in accordance with engineering design and construction standards, principles, and methods.


To qualify for the GS-11 on Education alone, 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 qualify based on a combination of higher level graduate education and experience. This must be fully supported by your resume and transcripts, provided with your application.

To qualify for the GS-12 on Experience, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-11 it must include:

  • Experience in planning, design, or construction of highway or transportation project features (such as roads, bridges, or appurtenant structures) in accordance with engineering design and construction standards, principles, and methods; AND
  • Experience in consultation with others, developing alternatives or helping to resolve engineering issues or conflicts that arise with processes or outcomes.

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 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.
  • Technical Credibility - Understands and appropriately applies principles, procedures, requirements, regulations, and policies related to specialized expertise.
  • Compliance - Knowledge of procedures for assessing, evaluating, and monitoring programs or projects for compliance with Federal laws, regulations, and guidance.
  • Oral Communication - Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately.
  • 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

For additional information about applying to Federal positions, please click on the following link: https://www.opm.gov/frequently-asked-questions/employment-faq/federal-hiring/how-do-i-apply-for-federal-jobs/

All other applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

MANDATORY EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS:

(1) 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 ABET; or (2) include differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced than first-year physics and chemistry) in five of the following seven 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. OR

B. Combination of education and experience -- College-level education, training, and/or technical experience that 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:

1. Professional registration or licensure -- Current registration as an Engineer Intern (EI), Engineer in Training (EIT)1 , or licensure as a Professional Engineer (PE) by any State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico. Absent other means of qualifying under this standard, those applicants who achieved such registration by means other than written test (e.g., State grandfather or eminence provisions) are eligible only for positions that are within or closely related to the specialty field of their registration. For example, an applicant who attains registration through a State Board's eminence provision as a manufacturing engineer typically would be rated eligible only for manufacturing engineering positions.

2. 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.

3. Specified academic courses -- Successful completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences and that included the courses specified in the basic requirements under paragraph A. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program as described in paragraph A.

4. 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 has had at least 1 year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance. Ordinarily there should be 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. (The above examples of related curricula are not all inclusive).

(2) Specialized Experience:
To determine which grade(s) you are eligible for, review the following grade specific details.  You will be asked 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.

(3) Upload the appropriate document(s) to your application for verification purposes. (Refer to 'Required Documents' section for additional guidance).
Students enrolled in a qualifying degree program can apply 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. Transcripts are required for this position.

Additional information

The difference in salary is determined by the locality pay in each location. Salaries for all areas are available on the OPM website at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/2024/general-schedule/.

Nonforeign Area Cost-of-Living Allowanceshttps://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/pay-systems/nonforeign-areas/#url=COLA-Rates

If applicable, the agency has the option of extending a term appointment up to the 4-year limit.

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

Qualified CTAP/ICTAP candidates receive priority and will be referred to the hiring manager.

The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Transportation and its Operating Administrations from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to the Department of Transportation by email at, FairChanceAct@dot.gov. To learn more, please visit our page at: The Fair Chance to Compete Act | US Department of Transportation 

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.

Given our continuing need for professionals in one or more functional areas of this field, we will routinely review applications and refer candidates for potential interviews multiple times during the open period of the announcement. Positions may be filled at one or more organizational units within the Federal Highway Administration based on need.

When a certificate of eligibles is requested, only those applications received for location(s)/grade(s) by the request date will be reviewed to determine if the basic qualifications for this position, and grades applied to, are met. Applications that are determined to meet the basic qualifications will be referred to the selecting official(s) for further consideration.  If the Selecting Official wish to contact you for an interview or for selection, they will do so directly. Equal consideration will be given to all applications received.

Note: Applications received under a direct hire public notice may or may not result in a referral or selection. Also, management has the discretion to select at any grade level announced covered by public notice.

Applicants will not be rated or ranked.  Veteran’s Preference does NOT apply.

How You will be Evaluated: PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume/application does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s). Your resume must contain sufficiently detailed information upon which to make a qualification determination.


You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Required Documents

RESUME: – Your resume MUST contain specific information used to make a qualification determination that includes employment beginning and ending dates for each position, whether employment is Full-time or Part-time or average number of hours worked per week, and position titles.  If the position is/was in the Federal government, you will need to provide the position series and grade level.  The resume should show relevant experience and education as well as support the required specialized experience. Formatted resumes may be uploaded later in the application process. For assistance with the resume builder, please visit:  https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to

TRANSCRIPTS - Transcripts are REQUIRED as there is a stated education requirement for the series. The transcripts need not be official but must show that you meet the stated education requirements, including specific major or class requirements.

ENGINEERS: If you are applying to an engineering position and are qualifying based on possessing a current Professional Engineer (PE) license, or passing the Engineer in Training (EIT) exam, please provide a copy of PE license or written documented 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.

Displaced employees may be eligible for ICTAP or CTAP priority consideration.  

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.

How to Apply

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://help.usajobs.gov/

If you are having difficulty applying online, please contact the DOT Automated Staffing Office via email at:  Transjobs@dot.gov

Agency contact information

Automated Staffing Office
Address
DOT, FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION
Submit Application and Documents Online
1200 New Jersey Ave SE / HAHR - 50
Washington, District of Columbia 20590
United States
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

You may check your application status by logging into USAJobs.com (Select "My USAJobs" and click "Applications".  Your application status will be updated online when applicable and you will be notified by email.

A final status update will be made when the vacancy closes. Note that there is no guarantee that your application will be reviewed under this vacancy, it depends on when and how often the selecting official(s) request to use this public notice for specific location(s) and grade(s).

Additional Locations


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