Qualification requirements in the vacancy announcements are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook, which contains federal qualification standards. This handbook is available on the Office of Personnel Management's website located at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/
Applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the next lower grade level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular competencies/knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. This experience need not have been in the federal government.
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.
To qualify at the GS-9 level: You must possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as experience:
- Assisting in the design and construction of civil works projects or systems using established criteria or specifications.
-OR-
THE FOLLOWING EDUCATION MAY BE SUBSTITUTED FOR WORK EXPERIENCE FOR THE GS-9: One full year of graduate level education in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position, such as: engineering technology, physics, chemistry, architecture, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, or geology, may be accepted in lieu of a degree in engineering. -OR- Superior Academic Achievement: Successful completion of all the requirements for a bachelor's degree with Superior Academic Achievement. In order to be creditable under this provision, Superior Academic Achievement must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled, such as that identified in Education above Superior Academic Achievement is based on:
- 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; OR
- Grade-Point Average (G.P.A.) - Applicants must have a grade-point average of either (a) 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on your 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 (b) 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.;
- (3) Honor Society Membership - Applicants may be considered eligible based on membership in one of the approved national scholastic honor societies listed by the Association of College Honor Societies (https://www.achsnatl.org/).
-OR-
Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify.
To qualify at the GS-11 level: You must possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as experience:
- Assisting in the design and construction of civil works projects or systems using established criteria or specifications; and
- Assisting with any of the following: review of final construction plans, cost estimates and other related documents for compliance
-OR-
THE FOLLOWING EDUCATION MAY BE SUBSTITUTED FOR WORK EXPERIENCE FOR THE GS-11: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position, such as: engineering technology, physics, chemistry, architecture, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, or geology, may be accepted in lieu of a degree in engineering.
-OR-
Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify.
To qualify at the GS-12 level: You must possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as experience:
- Designing civil works projects or systems using established criteria or specifications; and
- Reviewing final construction plans, cost estimates or other related documents for compliance.
THERE ARE NO EDUCATION SUBSTITUTIONS AT THE GS12 GRADE LEVEL OR HIGHER.
To qualify at the GS-13 level: You must possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as experience:
- Managing construction or public works projects;
- Reviewing contracts prior to bid to determine that construction plans and specifications are within the project scope;
- Monitoring the finances of engineering projects to assure funds are available and approved costs have been paid.