Electrical Engineer Job in Washington DC, DC

Vacancy No. OCE-2025-203 Department Architect of the Capitol
Salary $120,579.00 to $185,234.00 Grade 13 to 14
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 3/14/2025 Close Date 3/31/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Washington DC, DC


Summary

This position is located in the Architect of the Capitol (AOC), Office of the Chief Engineer, Planning, Engineering and Architecture Division, Electrical Engineering Branch. The selected individual will serve as an Electrical Engineer providing expertise in the design, installation, repair, maintenance and upgrading of electrical and electronic systems and equipment for the AOC.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

See Requirements section of this announcement for information on who may apply.

Duties

This is a career ladder position requiring the incumbent to perform progressively more complex duties and responsibilities leading to the full performance level. Duties quoted at the GS-14 grade level.

The individual selected for this position will perform duties that cover all aspects of electrical and electronics engineering systems for various types and sizes of buildings and national historical and monumental buildings and will be responsible for managing and/or consulting on a wide variety of construction and renovation projects in the Capitol Complex through the application of professional knowledge of electrical and electronics engineering and project management principles and practices.

Major Duties:

- Develops designs and/or directs consultants in the development of electrical and electronic systems.

- Manages all aspects of assigned electrical design projects, including but not limited to power systems (e.g., 15kV, 4160V, 277/480V and 120/208V), lighting, grounding, lightning protection, emergency power, emergency generators, uninterruptible power supplies, underground utility infrastructures, fiber optic and ethernet networks, custom legislative call systems, cable television, power monitoring, power control systems, and other systems to support U.S. Congressional activities.

- Supports Design and Construction projects executed with in house forces; Works with jurisdictions to develop project concepts, develops budgets, performs design calculations and analyses, prepares final working drawings in an electronic format, specifications, procures engineering products and performs construction inspections and coordination as required for each project.

- As an electrical task leader, reviews and comments on the designs of consultants, works with project and construction managers to overcome construction issues, as well as to ensure compliance with the Architect Of The Capitol (AOC) Design Standards, applicable national and local codes and applicable industry standard design practices and construction criteria.

- Assists the agency by planning, directing and controlling assigned aspects of electrical and electronic engineering projects;

- Develops plans and schedules which are responsive to the dynamic nature of AOC schedules and that are formulated and executed to minimize potential impacts to the AOC community.

- Works with AOC Jurisdictions and stake holders to determine project needs, goals and developing plans (Phasing, Acquisition, Risk assessment and schedule) for accomplishing projects.

- Develops project scope of works (Architect/Engineer (A/E) task orders), prepares A/E fee estimates, assists in the construction cost estimates, and assists in the A/E contract negotiations. 

- Identifies actions required to execute the projects and to accommodate changes leading to the assurance of safety, electrical and electronic engineering requirements, and efficient use of equipment during operational aspects of the project.

- Assists with or leads the contract solicitation document preparation, holds pre-bid conferences, evaluates, and provides technical analysis of proposals and bid documents.

- Serves as a Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) for maintenance, study, design and construction of electrical and electronic projects.

- Serves as technical advisor in the preparation of contracts for design, renovation, modernization, and repair of electrical and electronic projects.

- Upon initiation of work, maintains contact with contractors and oversees work efforts through project inspectors to ensure that contract specifications are being followed; Monitors actions proposed by inspectors to resolve deficiencies in the contractor's work.

- Develops and promulgates guidelines and technical criteria for electrical and electronic systems to ensure consistency with and adherence to traditional AOC design concepts and guidelines and efficient and practical equipment for the application and use of the most current technologies.

- Oversees the accomplishment of procurement actions as required to obtain electrical and electronic engineering products, ranging from basic to sophisticated state-of-the-art systems, devices, and equipment.

- Serves as a technical electrical engineering specialist in the oversight of test, checkout and readiness of systems or equipment that involve new concepts and new and varied problems to be solved.

- Oversees testing and commissioning of all aspects of new electrical systems, equipment and devices.

- Acts as an expert consultant on the most challenging problems in electrical and electronic engineering for the AOC.

- Oversees special electrical and electronic engineering studies that lead to major modifications of current systems or resolves key problems facing the AOC.

- Performs other related duties as assigned.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • Your resume and question responses must demonstrate the job-related KSAs.
  • You must meet the definition of specialized experience.
  • You must be able to pass a drug test.
  • You must meet education requirements for Engineers

To be employed by the Architect of the Capitol in a paid position, an individual must meet one of the categories below:

  • A citizen of the United States;
  • A person who is lawfully admitted for permanent residence and is seeking citizenship as outlined in 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)(B);
  • A person who is admitted as a refugee under 8 U.S.C. 1157 or is granted asylum under 8 U.S.C. 1158 and has filed a declaration of intention to become a lawful permanent resident and then a citizen when eligible;
  • A person who owes allegiance to the United States (nationals of American Samoa, Swains Island, and the Northern Mariana Islands, and nationals who meet other requirements described in 8 U.S.C. 1408); or
  • A person who is currently an officer or employee of the Government of the United States.

Qualifications

You must meet the United States Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) qualification requirements (including specialized experience and/or educational requirements) for the advertised position.  You must meet all eligibility and qualifications requirements by the closing date of the job announcement.  Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualifications Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions.  It is available for your review on the OPM web site at OPM classification standards
 
Specialized experience: is experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled.  To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level.

For the GS-13:

Candidates for the GS-13 grade level must have at least 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower (GS-12) grade level in the Federal service.

Specialized experience for this position must demonstrate broad knowledge of electrical engineering concepts and principles and at least 4 of the following:

  • Performing electrical or electronic design projects which may include switchgear/switchboard designs, lighting and lighting control systems, Emergency systems, UPSs, and fiber optic networks;
  • Providing technical advice regarding electrical and electronic aspects of design, installation, maintenance, troubleshooting, repair and operation of electrical and electronic systems and equipment; 
  • Providing oversight/guidance for testing and commissioning of electrical and electronic engineering systems and equipment;
  • Assisting with electrical and electronic engineering project control (e.g., scheduling, scope of work, specifications, resources, trades); and
  • Serving as Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) or equivalent role such as Project Manager for electrical and electronic engineering projects.

For the GS-14:

Candidates for the GS-14 grade level must have at least 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower (GS-13) grade level in the Federal service.

Specialized experience for this position must demonstrate all of the following:

  • Comprehensive knowledge of electrical engineering concepts and principles and experience providing expert advice regarding electrical and electronic aspects of design, installation, maintenance, troubleshooting, repair and operation of electrical and electronic systems and equipment;
  • Performing electrical or electronic design projects which may include switchgear/switchboard designs, lighting and lighting control systems, Emergency systems, UPSs, and fiber optic networks;
  • Performing electrical and electronic engineering project control (e.g., scheduling, scope of work, specifications, resources, trades);
  • Providing technical guidance and developing solutions for construction management issues such as: cost estimating, procurement practices, and contract administration;
  • Serving as a professional electrical engineer to facilitate various studies such as: power quality, capacity, remediation, UPS and emergency power strategy, short circuit, load coordination and control system strategies;
  • Serving as Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) or equivalent role such as Project Manager for electrical and/or electronic engineering projects.

Education

In addition to meeting the specialized experience requirements for this position, applicants must possess the following:

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: (a) current registration as a professional engineer by any State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico; (b) evidence of having successfully passed the Engineer-in-Training (EIT) examination or the written test required for professional registration; (c) successful completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences that are fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of a professional engineering curriculum; or (d) successful completion of a curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree in engineering technology or in an appropriate professional field.

For a detailed explanation of the related curriculum or experience, please visit the following website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0800/general-engineering-series-0801/

Special Instructions for Foreign Education

Education completed outside of the United States must be deemed equivalent to that gained in conventional/accredited U.S. education programs to be acceptable for Federal employment.

Qualifying education from colleges and universities in foreign countries must be evaluated in terms of equivalency to that acquired in U.S. colleges and universities. Applicants educated in whole or in part of foreign countries must submit sufficient evidence, including transcripts, to an accredited private organization for an equivalency evaluation of course work and degree.

You must provide a copy of the letter containing the results of the equivalency evaluation with a course by course listing if selected.

Additional information

Welcome Veterans. The Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) gives veterans' preference rights in the legislative branch to certain veterans as applied by the Congressional Accountability Act. Veterans' preference is applied on this vacancy announcement. If you are a veteran and have been separated under honorable conditions, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 or other proof of eligibility; SF-15, if applicable; and Department of Veterans Affairs documentation of disability, if applicable. For more information, please visit OPM vet guide

If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System.  If you are exempt from registration under Selective Service Law, you must provide appropriate proof of exemption. Please visit the Selective Service System website for more information.

DRUG TESTING: The Architect of the Capitol (AOC) is a Drug Free Workplace. As part of the AOC’s suitability assessment, a candidate tentatively selected for a position who is not currently an AOC employee is required to submit to screening for illegal drug use. Satisfactory completion of a drug test is a condition of employment with the Agency. A candidate must test negative prior to being eligible for appointment into a position. We will schedule, provide and cover the cost for the drug test.
 
The selectee(s) under the vacancy announcement for this position is subject to a criminal record check by the U.S. Capitol Police and satisfactory adjudication to be eligible for employment at the Architect of the Capitol.
 
The Architect of the Capitol is an E-VERIFY Participant. E-VERIFY is an Internet-based system that compares information from an employee's Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to data from U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Social Security Administration records to confirm employment authorization in the United States. If you are selected for this position, the documentation that you present for purposes of completing the DHS Form I-9 will be verified through the DHS "E-VERIFY" electronic system. For more information on E-Verify, please visit http://www.dhs.gov/files/programs/gc_1185221678150.shtm

The Architect of the Capitol is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information and/or disability.

This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.
 
Moving expenses are not authorized.
 
Relocation expenses are not authorized.
 
Probationary Period A newly appointed selectee is subject to the completion of a one-year trial/probationary period, regardless of whether or not a trial/probationary period has been completed previously with the Architect of the Capitol or another Federal agency.

This vacancy announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies in any of the jurisdictions of the Architect of the Capitol.

All application materials become the property of the Architect of the Capitol.

Note:  Please be advised that federal retired annuitant candidates may only be considered as a temporary employee if the role can be filled in that capacity.

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.

A variety of health insurance plans; retirement system with investment options; paid holidays; paid sick and annual (vacation) leave; life insurance; incentive systems; subsidized transportation; training and development opportunities, etc.

The Architect of the Capitol offers eligible employees opportunity to participate in the Student Loan Repayment Program.

Selected applicant(s) may be eligible to earn a higher annual leave accrual rate credit towards annual leave accrual based on prior non-Federal or uniformed service work experience. The amount of service credit will be based on specialized experience or qualifying experience that is provided on the applicant profile submitted. As such, if you are a new employee to the Federal Government or a rehire, it is important that you provide a work history that lists all directly related positions held, and it must include the dates of employment (month/day/year).

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.

Review your resume and responses carefully. Your eligibility for consideration and qualifications for the position will be determined based upon a review of your detailed resume and your responses to job specific self-assessment questions.

Your resume will be evaluated based on evidence of your ability to demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) for this position, possession of any specialized experience, and how well your background and experience relates to the self-assessment questions in the job announcement.  The self-assessment questions relate to the following knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies:

- Comprehensive knowledge of Electrical Engineering concepts, principles, statutes and regulations

- Electrical Engineering Design Management

- Contract Management

- Ability to effectively communicate orally and in writing

Your responses to the self-assessment questions serve as the basis for your initial rating. You will receive a numerical score based on your responses to these questions.  Next, your responses will be evaluated by a Human Resources Specialist and/or a subject matter expert against the information provided in your resume and optional cover letter. Your resume must support your answers to the self-assessment questions.  Falsifying your background, education and/or experience is cause for non-selection or disqualification from further consideration. 

Please note that a complete application is required for consideration. (Please review the “Required Documents” section of this job announcement to see what must be included in a complete application).


You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Required Documents

The Architect of the Capitol's (AOC) job application process is designed to ensure you only provide information necessary to evaluate your qualifications and eligibility for the position vacancy.

To apply for this position, you only need to submit: a) your resume and b) answers to the online vacancy assessment questionnaire. The online questionnaire contains eligibility and screening questions and other relevant information. No additional documentation or attachments are required at the time of application.

Your resume should list your education, training and work experience including job titles, employment dates, duties and accomplishments.

Nothing further is required until it is requested by AOC’s Human Capital Management Division. If additional documentation is required for the position, you will be asked to provide it during the interview or selection process. At that time, you may be asked to submit documentation to support statements made in your resume.

For example, you may be asked to provide a copy of your diploma, college transcripts, or proof of Federal employment status. If the position requires licensure or certification, you will be asked to provide proof at the time of selection.

If Veterans’ preference is claimed, you will be asked to submit proof (DD-214, and, if claiming a 10-point preference, a SF-15 and the proof required by that form).

Failure to provide the required documents will end further consideration and/or result in the withdrawal of any tentative job offers.

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 apply online. FORMS RECEIVED BY FAX, EMAIL OR U.S. POSTAL SERVICE DELIVERY WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

If you are a new user to the USAJOBS Site and have never registered for an account; you will first need to create an account profile with your basic contact information and a resume to begin applying.  You must be a registered USAJOBS user AND you must be signed-in to your account in order to apply for this position.  For help with setting up an account or for general assistance in using USAJOBS, go to USAJOBS Help Page.
 
NEED HELP?
If you experience any difficulties with the application site, help is available!  If you have problems completing your on-line application, contact the Monster Hiring Management Help Desk at 1-866-656-6831 or by e-mail at MGSHELP@monster.com. The help desk is available Monday - Friday 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time.  You may call and leave a voice mail message at all other times. 

All required supporting documents will be collected electronically via the USAJOBS “Saved Documents” feature.

If you are unable to apply on-line, you may visit our Employment Center for technical assistance in entering your application. The Employment Center is located at 441 Second & D Streets S.W., Washington, D.C., Room H2-178, and is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. You may call 202.226.7000 for directions.

Agency contact information

Joy Weaver
Address
Architect of the Capitol
United States Capitol
Washington, District of Columbia 20515
United States

Next steps

You will receive a notice generated by the USAJOBS System when you have successfully submitted your application. We will review your application and transcript(s) (if you are qualifying based on education) to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements.  
 
You can check the status of your application by logging into http://www.usajobs.gov.  You may also sign up to receive automatic emails anytime the status of your application has changed by logging into your USAJOBS Account, editing your profile and changing the ‘Notification Settings’ to indicate that you want to be notified by email when the status changes.  Information regarding the status of your application should be updated in the system within two (2) weeks after the closing date of this job announcement.


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