General Engineer Job in Washington, DC

Vacancy No. 26-OE-12934810-DH Department Department of Energy - Agency Wide
Salary $85,447.00 to $133,142.00 Grade 11 to 12
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 4/20/2026 Close Date 5/4/2026
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Washington, DC


Summary

This position is part of the Office of Electricity, Department of Energy. As a General Engineer, you will provide professional engineering expertise and support to DOE programs, projects or initiatives whose mission or responsibilities include designing, evaluating, developing, testing, modifying, installing, inspecting, and/or maintaining products and systems.

This job is open to

The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)

Federal employees whose job, agency or department was eliminated and are eligible for priority over other applicants.

Clarification from the agency

U.S. citizens or U.S. Nationals; no prior Federal experience is required. Please read this Public Notice in its entirety prior to submitting your application for consideration.

Duties

As a General Engineer, you will:

  • Plans, develops, implements, and evaluates engineering projects and programs, acting as a key contact for external and internal stakeholders.
  • Assesses program/project needs and prepares necessary documentation like budgets, procurement requests, and statements of work.
  • Researches, analyzes, and evaluates engineering information to address unusual circumstances, unconventional issues, and uncertainties.
  • Creates recommendations to enhance engineering programs and methods, and implements projects vital to DOE's mission and energy sustainability.
  • Plans and prioritizes engineering assignments, analyzing data to resolve conflicting information and determine practical solutions.
  • Presents program/project progress to various audiences, attends professional meetings, exchanges technical information, and prepares comprehensive technical reports.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
  • This employer participates in the e-Verify program.
  • If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See www.sss.gov.
  • If selected, your appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
  • If selected, you may be required to complete a one year probationary period.
  • Occasional travel may be required.
  • This position is not included in a Bargaining Agreement.

Qualifications

BASIC REQUIREMENT:

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:
A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-9) in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position is defined as meeting ALL of the following:

  1. Applying fundamental engineering principles to design, develop, and evaluate complex technical projects or systems;
  2. Conducting in-depth technical research and analysis to solve intricate engineering problems or conflicts; AND
  3. Coordinating and managing significant segments of engineering projects, ensuring technical considerations are met and presenting findings to various stakeholders.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS: A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-11) in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position is defined as meeting ALL of the following:

  1. Managing significant engineering projects, including planning scope, developing requirements, coordinating resources, and overseeing execution, to meet specific objectives or solve technical problems;
  2. Analyzing complex technical engineering information, identifying underlying issues, developing and evaluating alternative solutions, and making recommendations to resolve engineering challenges or improve system performance; AND
  3. Preparing and presenting detailed technical reports, proposals, or briefings to diverse audiences (e.g., project teams, stakeholders, management) to explain findings, recommend actions, or secure approvals for engineering initiatives.
"Experience" refers to paid and unpaid experience. Examples of qualifying unpaid experience may include: volunteer work done through National Service programs (such as Peace Corps and AmeriCorps); as well as work for other community-based philanthropic and social organizations. 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.

Limit your resume to no more than two (2) pages. If more than two pages are submitted, only the first two pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility and qualifications. Your full resume will be made available to the hiring manager if you are referred.

CTAP/ICTAP candidates: To be considered "well qualified" you must meet all of the requirements as described in this section.

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

Education

This vacancy has a positive education requirement. In order to be rated as qualified, you must provide copies of your college transcripts. Failure to provide copies of your college transcripts may result in a rating of "Ineligible". Education must be obtained from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Foreign education must be reviewed by an organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education and a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, see the Department of Education website.

Additional information

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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.

This position is announced under a government-wide Direct-Hire Authority (DHA) for General Engineer positions in the 0801 series. Under the DHA, applicants who meet the Education and Qualification requirements listed in this announcement will be referred for consideration. Veteran's Preference, category rating, and traditional rating and ranking of applicants do not apply under the DHA process.

Appointments made under the DHA are processed as "new" appointments. Current Federal employees may be required to serve a new probationary period (5 CFR 315.802(b).

Successful candidates will possess the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):
  • General Engineering
  • Oral Communication
  • Problem Solving
  • Research
  • Technical Competence
  • Written Communication


Career Transition Assistance Programs: If you are eligible for career transition assistance, such as ICTAP or CTAP, you must meet the Education and Qualification requirements to be referred for consideration.

Shared Certificates: The Department of Energy shares lists of applicants among its internal Departmental Elements and organizations. You may be referred for consideration to other DOE Hiring Managers throughout the Department for more than one position based on this application. By applying to this announcement, you understand your application materials may be shared with multiple Hiring Mangers throughout DOE. If additional positions are filled from this announcement conditions of employment may differ. You will be notified if you are referred for additional positions.

You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date (05/04/2026) of this announcement.

To preview the Assessment Questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12934810

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you MUST provide a complete application package which includes:

  • Your RESUME showing all relevant work experience (paid and unpaid) including: duties performed; full name and address of the each employer; start and end dates (month/day/year); work schedule (part-time, full-time, number of hours if intermittent); salary; and any completed education and training (program title, subject area, number of hours completed, and completion date).
  • Cover Letter, optional, expressing additional information not covered in your resume.
  • Transcripts, if specific educational requirements are indicated in this job announcement.Unofficial transcripts or any report listing institution, course title, credits earned (semester or quarter hour) and final grade is acceptable. It is your responsibility to provide adequate proof that you meet the educational requirements.
  • Career Transition Assistance Program/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program documentation, if applicable(e.g., Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal; SF-50 that documents the RIF separation action; and most recent performance appraisal.) For more information see the OPM Guide to Career Transition.

Failure to submit any of the above mentioned required documents may result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted. Do not provide photos or list a Social Security Number or date of birth on any attachment.

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

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section. A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the announcement closing date to receive consideration.

The application process is as follows:

  1. Read all instructions before you begin.
  2. Click "Apply Online."
  3. Complete the application and attach all required documents.
  4. Submit by 11:59 PM ET on the 05/04/2026.
Resume Tips:
  • Max 2 pages and 5MB file size.
  • PDF is recommended to preserve formatting; we also accept GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, TXT, ODT, or Word (DOC/DOCX). No PDF portfolios.
  • Use clear fonts like Lato, Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open Sans, Source Sans Pro, Roboto, or Noto Sans.
  • Set 0.5-inch margins.
  • Use 14-point font for titles, 10-point for main text.
Managing Your Application: Support:
  • USAJOBS Help: Visit https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/ for login.gov or USAJOBS assistance.
  • Application Issues: If you have difficulty applying online, contact the Agency Contact listed in this announcement during business hours. Take screenshots of any system errors.
To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
To verify the status of your application, during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account; applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each application status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.


Agency contact information

Douglas Bert
Email
douglas.bert@hc.doe.gov
Address
Office of Electricity
Department of Energy
Human Capital Shared Service Center
1000 Independence Ave, SW
Washington, DC 20585
US

Next steps

Once you submit your online application, you will receive a confirmation notification by email that your submission was successful. After the closing of the announcement, if your self-assessment responses place you as an eligible candidate for referral, we will refer your name to the hiring official, you may be contacted directly for a possible interview. We will notify you of the status of your Application Package at the time candidates are referred for consideration, and when the selection process is complete.

If you are interested in being added to our Schedule A or 30% or more Disabled Veterans repository, please submit your information by using the below links.

https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/859568600 - 30 Percent or More Disabled Veteran Repository 2026 for Department of Energy Headquarters and their associated field offices.
https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/859568900 - Schedule A Repository 2026 for Department of Energy Headquarters and their associated field offices.

Department of Energy - Agency Wide

The Department of Energy's mission is to ensure America's security and prosperity by addressing its energy, environmental and nuclear challenges through transformative science and technology solutions.

The Office of Electricity leads the U.S. Department of Energy's research and development to strengthen and modernize our nation's power grid to maintain a reliable, affordable, secure, and resilient electricity delivery infrastructure. OE's mission is to stabilize, optimize, and grow the electricity system to ensure the grid delivers affordable, reliable, and secure energy to the American people. OE's vision is a seamless electricity system, capable of meeting all energy demands, powering the U.S. on a pathway of prosperity, national security, and energy dominance. OE conducts mission critical work across research, development, demonstration and deployment areas. Come build with us.

We are truly honored that DOE has been named America's #1 Best Employer for Veterans in 2023 by Forbes-not only among Government agencies, but among employers across the U.S. We are so proud of this ranking which reflects our commitment to the employment of veterans. As so many veterans at DOE renew their service to our Nation, we are deeply committed to their success and advancement. Veterans shape the future of energy

Agency contact information

Douglas Bert
Email
douglas.bert@hc.doe.gov
Address
Office of Electricity
Department of Energy
Human Capital Shared Service Center
1000 Independence Ave, SW
Washington, DC 20585
US

Visit our careers page

Learn more about what it's like to work at Department of Energy - Agency Wide, what the agency does, and about the types of careers this agency offers.

https://wwww.energy.gov/oe/join-our-team