Requirements
Conditions of employment
- Must be a U.S. Citizen.
- Must be at least 16 years old.
- Requires a probationary period if the requirement has not been met.
- Candidate required to obtain the necessary security/investigation level.
- Subject to financial disclosure requirements.
- Requires medical exam and must maintain physical requirements.
- Requires a valid driver's license.
Qualifications
In addition to the basic requirements as described in the Education section, your application and resume must clearly show that you possess the experience and/or additional education requirements defined below. If qualifying based on experience, be sure these types of examples are evident in your resume.
Specialized Experience is the experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of the position successfully, 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 this position, specialized experience is defined as professional engineering work the demonstrates a thorough comprehensive knowledge of concepts, principles, and practices of engineering in the mining industry including knowledge of rock mechanics concepts and methods of experimental stress analysis, underground mining equipment, and a comprehensive knowledge of long-wall mining as practiced in the United States.
GS-7:
Must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-5 that has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, experience and skills to successfully perform the duties of the position.
Specialized experience must include two of the following:
- Apply professional training in engineering towards completing minor phases of technical projects.
- As a trainee, provide engineering support services to assist higher-grade employees during work phases, such as design analysis, investigations, studies or surveys of various mining systems, and equipment.
- Assist higher-grade employees with field inspections.
OR
Applicants must have one full year of graduate level education (coursework directly related to position being filled);
OR
Superior Academic Achievement:
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 Engineering, based on completed courses.
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.
Election to membership in a national scholastic honor society -- Applicants can be considered eligible based on membership in one of the national scholastic honor societies recognized by the
Association of College Honor Societies. Membership in a freshman honor society cannot be used to meet the requirements of this provision. (
Proof of membership must be submitted.)
OR
Successful completion of a 5-year program of study of at least 160 semester hours leading to a bachelor's degree in engineering;
OR
An appropriate combination of graduate level education and specialized experience as described above.
GS-9:
Must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-7 that has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, experience and skills to successfully perform the duties of the position.
Specialized experience must include
three of the following:
- Assist in the review and analysis of underground mine seal designs.
- Assist with providing engineering consultative services to mine investigations and inspections.
- Assist in mine emergency procedures and operations.
- Prepare written technical reports and presentations for review by a higher-graded employee.
- Participate in the design, maintenance, and operation of technical mine equipment such as communication systems and tracking systems and mine emergency operation computer systems.
OR
Possess a master's or equivalent graduate degree with course work directly related to the position being filled that provided the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to do the work of this position; OR, Possess two (2) full years of progressively higher level graduate education with course work directly related to the position being filled that provided the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to do the work of this position;
OR
Successful completion of a 5-year program of study of at least 160 semester hours leading to a bachelor's degree in engineering and 1 year of appropriate professional experience. Professional engineering experience is defined as nonroutine engineering work that required and was characterized by (1) professional knowledge of engineering; (2) professional ability to apply such knowledge to engineering problems; and (3) positive and continuing development of professional knowledge and ability.
OR
Possess a combination of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level in or related to the work of this position and graduate level education (only graduate education in excess of 18 semester hours may be used to qualify applicants for this grade level) with course work directly related to the position being filled that provided the specific knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position.
GS-11:
Must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-9 that has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, experience and skills to successfully perform the duties of the position.
Specialized experience must include three of the following:
- Review and analysis of complex underground mine seal designs
- Provide engineering consultative services to mine investigations and inspections.
- Participate in mine emergency procedures and operations.
- Draft, finalize, and present detailed technical reports and presentations.
- Design, maintain, and operate technical mine equipment such as communication systems and tracking systems and mine emergency operation computer systems.
OR
Possess a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree that provided the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to do the work of this position; OR, Possess three (3) full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree with course work directly related to the position being filled that provided the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to do the work of this position;
OR
Possess a combination of Specialized Experience equivalent to the GS-09 level in or related to the work of this position and graduate level education an appropriate combination of specialized experience and graduate level education (beyond what is required for a master's degree, i.e., more than 36 semester hours leading to a Ph.D.) with course work directly related to the position being filled that provided the specific knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position.
GS-12:
Must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 that has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, experience and skills to successfully perform the duties of the position.
Specialized experience must include four of the following:
- Review and analysis of complex underground mine seal designs
- Provide engineering consultative services to mine investigations and inspections.
- Participate in mine emergency procedures and operations.
- Draft, finalize, and present detailed technical reports and presentations.
- Design, maintain, and operate technical mine equipment such as communication systems and tracking systems and mine emergency operation computer systems.
There is no substitution of education in lieu of specialized experience at the GS-12 grade level.
Education
You must meet the Basic Requirements to qualify for General Engineer, as described below. Transcripts must be submitted to verify education requirements.
Basic Requirement:
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), 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.)
Any applicant falsely claiming an academic degree from an accredited school will be subject to actions ranging from disqualification from federal employment to removal from federal service.
If your education was completed at a foreign college or university, you must show comparability to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States and comparability to applicable minimum coursework requirements for this position. Click Evaluation of Foreign Education for more information.
Additional information
Applicants must meet all legal and regulatory requirements. Reference the Required Documents section for additional requirements.
The mission of the Department of Labor (DOL) is to protect the welfare of workers and job seekers, improve working conditions, expand high-quality employment opportunities, and assure work-related benefits and rights for all workers.
Refer to these links for more information: GENERAL INFORMATION, REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS, ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION, FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES
As a condition of employment, all personnel must undergo a background investigation for access to DOL facilities, systems, information and/or classified materials before they can enter on duty: BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION
This position is inside the bargaining unit. If the duty location is within the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, the position will be included in the Local 12, AFGE bargaining unit. If the duty location is outside the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, the position will be included in the NCFLL bargaining unit.
This position is subject to the confidential financial disclosure requirements of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 (P.L. 95-521). Therefore, if selected, you will be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450) to determine if a conflict or an appearance of a conflict exists between your financial interest(s) and your prospective position with DOL. This information will be required annually.
All MSHA employees and their spouses, and minor children are prohibited by regulation from having any interest, direct or indirect, in any mine or mining company that may be directly affected by the work of MSHA through its investigations, technical research, or other activities. These interests are prohibited under the Department of Labor's Supplemental Standards of Ethical Conduct Regulations at 5 CFR 5201.105. Certain MSHA employees are required to file a financial disclosure report. For questions, please contact Rhonda Dory at dory.rhonda.a@dol.gov or 972-850-4427.
Based on agency needs, additional positions may be filled using this vacancy.
The Department of Labor may use certain incentives and hiring flexibilities, currently offered by the Federal government to attract highly qualified candidates. Click for more information on Pay, Leave, and Workforce Flexibilities.
The Fair Chance Act (FCA) prohibits Federal agencies from requesting an applicant's criminal history information before the agency makes a conditional offer of employment. If you believe a DOL employee has violated your rights under the FCA, you may file a complaint of the alleged violation following our agency's complaint process Guidelines for Reporting Violations of the Fair Chance Act. Note: The FCA does not apply to some positions specified under the Act, such as law enforcement or national security positions.
All Department of Labor employees are subject to the provisions of the Drug-Free Workplace Program under Executive Order 12564 and Public Law 100-71.
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.
Your evaluation will be based on how well you meet the qualifications outlined in this vacancy announcement, as demonstrated through your resume and supporting documentation.
Click Application of Veterans Preference for more information.
You may preview application questions for this vacancy here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12951921
If you meet the minimum qualifications, you will be evaluated against the evaluation factors below and will be placed into a category based on your vacancy question responses.
Category A - Meets the basic qualification requirements for the vacancy and has successful experience in the same or similar job that has demonstrated superior proficiency in applying critical competencies required by this position to work of increased levels of difficulty and complexity.
Category B - Meets the basic qualification requirements for the vacancy and demonstrates satisfactory proficiency in the critical competencies required by this position.
Category C - Meets the specialized experience described in the minimum qualification requirements section of this announcement and demonstrates proficiency in the basic competencies.
Clickhere for Evaluation details.
SME Resume Panel Review
Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) will review your resume to assess your technical qualifications based on the competencies listed below. Applicants who meet the required qualifications will advance to the next stage of the hiring process.
For each below competency, SME(s) will provide a rating of 0-Not Applicable, 1-Awareness, 2-Basic, 3-Intermediate, 4-Advanced, or 5-Expert based on the content of your resume.
Evaluation Factors (Competencies) - All qualified applicants will be evaluated on the following key competencies:
- General Engineering
- Interpersonal Skills
- Mine Safety and Health
- Oral Communication
- Problem Solving
The information you provide may be verified by a review of your paid, unpaid, volunteer, as it demonstrates the competencies or skills required for the position to be filled. Your evaluation may include an interview, reference checks, or other assessment conducted by HR specialists, subject matter experts, or panel members and may include other assessment tools (ex. interview, structured interview, written test, work sample, etc.).
INFORMATION FOR ICTAP/CTAP ELIGIBLE(S) ONLY: If you are eligible for special priority selection under ICTAP/CTAP, you must be well-qualified for the position to receive consideration. ICTAP/CTAP eligible(s) who are Category B or higher will be considered well-qualified. Be sure to review the eligibility questions to reflect that you are applying as an ICTAP or CTAP eligible and submit supporting documentation.
Required Documents
The following documents must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on the vacancy closing date.
- Resumes: Required and applicants must provide a resume either by creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one from your profile. To receive full consideration for relevant and specialized experience, please list the month, year, and number of work hours worked for the experience listed on your resume. We also suggest that you preview the vacancy questions and confirm that your resume supports your question responses.
- Veterans Documents (if applicable): To be considered as a 5-point (TP) preference eligible, you must submit a copy of your DD214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty. Your DD 214 must show the type of discharge and dates of active duty. To claim 10-point (CP/CPS, XP) preference, you must submit a copy of your DD214 and the proof of entitlement of this preference, which is normally an official statement, dated 1991 or later, from the Department of Veterans Affairs certifying to the present existence of the service-connected disability and indicating the percentage of your disability. In addition, a Standard Form (SF-15) should be included, but is not required. (For active-duty service members expecting honorable or general discharge or release within 120 days, click Tentative Preference for Active Duty). For more information, go to Feds Hire Vets - Veterans Preference.
- Displaced Employee Placement Documents: Only required if requesting priority consideration under CTAP or ICTAP eligibility.
- Unofficial Transcript(s) (in English): If you are using education as a basis for qualifying for this position, you must submit all applicable academic transcripts demonstrating that you meet the qualifying educational requirements (ex. BA/BS, MA, JD, PhD, etc.). If specific coursework is required to qualify, you must supply an unofficial transcript from each academic institution in which the required courses were taken in order to receive credit. You may upload your unofficial transcript(s) as one document with a maximum size limit of 5 MB.
NOTE: The OFFICIAL Transcript(s) MUST BE RECEIVED if you are selected, and prior to receiving the firm offer with a start date.
Cover Letters are not mandatory and will not be used to verify experience but may be submitted.
Do not upload password-protected documents.
Applicants selected for employment who are not current DOL employees will be required to provide proof of citizenship, and the E-Verify system will be used to confirm the employment eligibility of all new hires.
As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:
- your performance and conduct;
- the needs and interests of the agency;
- whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
- whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.
Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
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.