General Engineer Job in Arlington, VA

Vacancy No. HRSC/ICTAP-2026-0021 Department Department of State - Agency Wide
Salary $143,913.00 to $187,093.00 Grade 14 to 14
Perm/Temp Temporary FT/PT Part-time
Open Date 5/21/2026 Close Date 5/27/2026
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Status Candidates
Locations:
Arlington, VA


Summary

These are TEMPORARY, INTERMITTENT positions located in the Overseas Support Services Branch, Bureau of Diplomatic Security. The incumbent serves as a General Engineer responsible for the authoritative security engineering services involving technical security countermeasures inspections and investigations, physical and technical security, inspection of structural modifications, maintenance, and installation of complex security equipment systems.

This job is open to

Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)

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

Duties

  • Provides rapid, high-level assessments, coordinates deployment of specialized technical resources, and ensures the integration of countermeasure and cybersecurity responses to safeguard personnel, facilities, and sensitive information
  • Leads the development, refinement, and dissemination of comprehensive policy frameworks, technical standards, and guidance documents that enable senior leadership to make fully informed, risk-based decisions regarding cyber and technical
  • Plans, directs, manages, and coordinates technical security operation assets.
  • Provides technical and management oversight for the deployment, operation, integration, direction, and utilization of technical security personnel
  • Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness , efficiency, and productivity of all technical security elements of the overseas support program

Requirements

Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship is required.
  • Incumbent will be subject to random drug testing.
  • Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit: www.dhs.gov/E-Verify/
  • Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all the required qualification requirements described below by the closing date of this announcement.  If you are qualifying based on education OR if there are mandatory education requirements listed below, you MUST submit a copy of your college transcript with your application.   NOTE: Applicants must meet time-in-grade and time after competitive appointment requirements, by the closing date of this announcement. Time-In-Grade Requirements: Federal applicants must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade to satisfy time-in-grade restrictions, per 5CFR 300, Subpart F.

Applicants MUST show that they possess a professional knowledge of general engineering as evidenced by ONE of the following Basic Requirements:

A. Bachelor’s or Higher Degree: The program must: (1) be in a school of engineering with at least one program accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (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 professional 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 or higher 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.)

Notes:

1) Applicants who meets the Basic Requirements in A or B above, except as noted under B.1., may qualify for positions in any branch of engineering unless selective factors indicate otherwise;

2) Professional engineering experience required for grades GS-7 and above is defined as non-routine engineering work that required and was characterized by professional knowledge of engineering, professional ability to apply such knowledge to engineering problems, and positive and continuing development of professional knowledge and ability;

3) To be considered, applicants MUST submit transcripts and copies of professional registration and/or licensure to verify Basic Requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

IN ADDITION to the Basic Requirements above, you MUST also have 1 year of specialized experience that is related to the work of the position, is equivalent to at least the GS-13 level in the Federal service, and demonstrates the following:

    • Experience planning, directing, and coordinating technical security program activities overseas.
    • Experience providing technical direction and guidance in executing security engineering programs in U.S. government facilities worldwide.
    • Experience recommending modifications to technical security programs, policies, and practices to improve operational efficiency and effectiveness.

Education

See the qualifications section of this vacancy announcement for education requirements.

Additional information

  • For reasonable accommodation at the U.S. Department of State, please contact the Office of Accessibility and Accommodations at OAA@state.gov. 
  • OAA is responsible for reviewing and adjudicating reasonable accommodation (RA) requests for the Assessment Battery being used for this announcement. RA requests cover additional time on timed sections only.  Applicants MUST submit their application before the vacancy closes, even if pending an adjudication decision. Applicants will have 48 hours after their RA request is adjudicated to complete the assessment battery.  Scores generated after the allotted timeframe will not be admissible and the applicant will not be considered further for the vacancy.  If a different type of RA is needed, please contact OAA directly at OAA@state.gov.   
  • Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.  If eligible, applicants to this announcement may be referred to other similar positions in other Bureaus/Offices in the Department for up to 240 days and may require a higher or lower security clearance.  Telework eligibility and security clearance requirements may vary for such similar positions. 
  • Agency & Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP & ICTAP): View OPM’s  CTAP & ICTAP eligibility website for more information. You must be rated in the Well-Qualified category and submit supporting documents under the required documents section of this announcement to receive selection priority consideration. To be considered Well-Qualified applicants must: score an 85 or above, meet Minimum Qualifications, and demonstrate proficiency in some, but not all major aspects of the position. 

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.

In accordance with 5 CFR § 890.102 (3), employees serving in a temporary appointment not to exceed one (1) year with an intermittent work schedule (no regular work schedule), limited to a maximum of 1040 hours in an appointment period are not eligible for 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.

The evaluation process consists of the ApplyGov Competency Based Assessments for which applicants will be assigned a score between 70 and 100. A resume review will be conducted for minimum qualification requirements, as described in the “Qualifications” section of this announcement, of applicants found to be among the top qualified candidates based on assessment scores.  Resumes longer than two pages will be deemed ineligible and will not be considered further.  

You will be assessed on the following job-related competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):  

Non-Supervisory: Oral Communication, Writing, Interpersonal Skills, Problem Solving, Teamwork, Technology Orientation, Customer Service, Attention to Detail and Self-Management. 

Your score from the external assessment (i.e., Non-supervisory) will remain on file for 180 days, allowing you to apply for multiple DOS-announced positions without needing to retake the assessments. 

Top applicants may be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration. Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies: 

  • Knowledge of state-of-the-art security practices, procedures, and systems.
  • Skill in communicating routine information and complex technical subject matter.
  • Ability to manage a wide range of security programs.
  • Ability to draft and analyze documents for project planning.

In describing your experience, please be clear and specific. We do not make assumptions regarding your experience. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials may result in your removal from consideration. 

Applicants found to be among the top qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring official for further consideration and possible interview.  

Agency & Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP & ICTAP):  View OPM’s  CTAP & ICTAP eligibility website for more information. You must be rated in the Well-Qualified category and submit supporting documents under the required documents section of this announcement to receive selection priority consideration. To be considered Well-Qualified applicants must: score an 85 or above, meet Minimum Qualifications, and demonstrate proficiency in some, but not all major aspects of the position.


You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Required Documents

All required documents listed below, that are applicable to you, must be submitted to our automated system by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.

1. Resume limited to two pages showing relevant work/volunteer experience, education and training. Include the start and end dates (from month/year to month/year) and the number of hours per week worked/volunteered. Your resume serves as the basis for qualification determinations and must support your answers to the completed online assessment questions. Resumes longer than two pages will be deemed ineligible and will not be considered further.

2. Transcripts, if applicable and you are qualifying based on educationSee the Qualification and Education sections of this announcement for more information. If selected, an official/sealed college transcript(s) will be required to verify education prior to employment. 

3. Other Qualification Documentation (e.g. certificates, certifications, etc.), if applicable.  See the Qualification section of this announcement for more information.

4.  Performance appraisal. Submit your most recent (i.e., usually within the last 18 months) final (not a mid-year review) official (i.e., signed by the rating official and in original format) annual performance appraisal.

5.  ICTAP/CTAP eligibility documentation (e.g., reduction-in-force (RIF) separation notice, RIF separation SF-50 personnel action (ICTAP only, if available), most recent SF-50 (ICTAP or CTAP), certification of expected separation, etc.).

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

Prepare your application in USAJOBS

To start your application, click Apply and we’ll walk you through the process to attach a resume and any required documents.

During the application process you can review, edit, delete, and update your information. We’ll automatically save your progress as you go, so you won’t lose any changes.  You have until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement to complete the application process.

STEP 1: Select the "Apply" button and follow the instructions to register or sign into USAJOBS.

STEP 2: Submit your resume.  Please see the Required Documents section for specific information that should be outlined in your resume.

STEP 3: Complete the online assessment questions.

STEP 4: Submit all required documentation applicable to you, as listed in the Required Documents section.

To learn how to view the status of your submitted supporting documentation and application, visit the Application Instructions section of our agency’s Civil Service selection process site.

Technical assistance with your on-line application is available through the Help Desk at fedhirehelp@applygovernment.com or by calling (866) 656-6830 between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. ET

Alternate Application Procedures

If applying online poses an extreme hardship, you may request alternate application procedures to submit your application package. Contact the Human Resources office listed on the announcement between the business hours of 8:15 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. ET at least 2 working days prior to the closing date of this announcement. The application package for alternate application procedures must be submitted and received in the Human Resources office no later than 11:59 p.m. ET on the closing date of this announcement. Paper applications and information sent by mail will not be accepted.

Agency contact information

Adrienne Graham
Phone
000-000-0000
Fax
000-000-0000
Email
TS-REA@state.gov
Address
U.S. Department of State
1999 Dyess Ave.
Charleston, South Carolina 29405
United States

Next steps

After all application packages are received, we will review applications and evaluate applicants’ qualifications.  Then, in approximately two weeks after this announcement closes, we will refer candidates, as described in the “How You Will Be Evaluated” section, to the hiring manager for selection consideration.  Your application status will be updated up to four times during the following hiring phases:

  1. After applications are received.
  2. After applications are assessed to determine qualifications.
  3. After candidates are referred to the hiring manager.
  4. After a selection is made.

For the selected candidates who receive a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability review and/or security background investigation that generally takes an average of at least two to six months.

Department of State - Agency Wide

The U.S. Department of State, our country’s lead foreign policy agency, provides employees with a dynamic international career whether at home or abroad and unique professional development opportunities.  Each day, our employees make a difference as they advance the interests of the American people, their safety and economic prosperity, through diplomacy, advocacy, and assistance.  We embrace our talented workforce which reflects the personal, professional, and educational strengths of our country. 

Named one of America’s Best Employers by Forbes, we offer a workplace that values and rewards leadership, collaboration, innovation, and personal and professional development. Visit careers.state.gov to learn more about what it's like to work at the U.S. Department of State, what the agency does, the wide range of careers this agency offers, and the benefits available to employees.

Agency contact information

Adrienne Graham
Phone
000-000-0000
Fax
000-000-0000
Email
TS-REA@state.gov
Address
U.S. Department of State
1999 Dyess Ave.
Charleston, South Carolina 29405
United States