Duties
Assists the Assistant Superintendent in development and management of the Capitol Building jurisdiction portfolio of projects. Assists with incorporation of facility data from Facility Condition Assessments, asset audits, etc. to identify future needs to be addressed through design and construction efforts.
Develops the planning and documentation for a number of multi-million-dollar construction and renovation projects. Projects may include renovation, rehabilitation, alteration and new construction.
Plans various complex project development functions with project teams and makes decisions affecting areas of responsibility that are precedent setting. Performs assessments involving all phases of projects from initiation to completion and follow-on maintenance to determine path forward.
Prepares and updates schedules for project delivery efforts, implementing a system for review, control and reporting. Routinely reviews project schedules to ensure reasonable and timely implementation in relation to the annual line-item construction program. Coordinates with other project managers / stakeholders coordinating project schedules to eliminate project conflicts and ensure proper staffing resources.
Manages significant projects at the Capitol Building and related facilities. Accomplishes varied and complex project management duties in participation with project teams and makes decisions affecting areas of responsibility. Serves as a technical authority and in that capacity, reviews and or directs the review of plans, specifications and analysis of design on projects of major size and complexity for accuracy and technical competency. Where deficiencies are noted, directs necessary changes and furnishes assistance required.
As a senior professional expert, develops or directs the development of architectural or engineering requirements by applying specialized technical knowledge of professional architectural or engineering concepts, methods and procedures to understand and define the requirements of multi-phase projects. Participates in the development of requirements with customers, analyzes requirements and design criteria, develops cost estimates, assures validation of requirements and evaluates schedules and the feasibility of project accomplishment.
Serves as Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) to ensure accurate and adequate oversight of contractor performance according to contract requirements. Performs timely inspections to ensure compliance with job specifications, quality, timeliness and budget authorizations. Ensures that projects are effectively inspected, monitored, controlled and evaluated within timeliness, cost and performance conditions. Assists in the implementation of scope changes to the contract once approved in writing by the Contracting Officer on the Government’s behalf when appropriate. Reviews completed work, evaluates quality and recommends acceptance or rejection of completed work to the Contracting Officer prior to any payment.
As a COR, reviews and evaluates shop drawings, progress schedules and conformance to technical documents during the course of construction. The complexities of the projects require the incumbent to develop versatile and innovative technical solutions for controlling time and costs. Analyzes and develops alternate solutions to reduce time and costs and eliminate short cuts or compromises that are considered risky.
Serves as an expert consultant on broad projects and programs. Consults with management in preparing requirements and criteria for complex or high value projects for construction or modification to facilities. Applies expert knowledge of professional architectural and engineering concepts, methods and procedures to analyze and define requirements of multi-phase projects. Provides guidance and technical advice to lower-grade employees and specialists within the organization in the performance of related assignments and is available to those employees for consultation on assigned projects. Conducts reviews of consultants under contract to the AOC that resolve highly complex technical difficulties through changes in approach, criteria and/or requirements. Plans and coordinates projects involving unexplored areas where there are little or no established techniques and approaches.
Serves as a subject matter expert within the Capitol Building on all matters of preservation related to construction, maintenance and repair activities within the historical perimeter and grounds of the Capitol Building jurisdiction. Conducts research and provides guidance to officials on the impact of proposed projects on preservation requirements.
Establishes and maintains liaison with program managers and works closely with their representatives to ensure that proper facility or systems requirements and adequate funding are met.
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 meet educational requirements for Architect or Engineer.
- You must be able to pass a drug test.
This position is being advertised as an interdisciplinary General Engineer/Architect which means you may be placed into an Engineer position or an Architect position based on your educational background and/or qualifications. Please refer to the "Qualifications" section of this announcement for additional information.
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 http://www.opm.gov/qualifications.
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.
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 for the General Engineer:
Specialized experience is defined as the following for the General Engineer:
(1) Providing expert advice regarding all aspects of planning, design, modernization, operation, and repair of building systems;
(2) Exercising project controls (ex., scheduling, resources, trades) in the execution of projects;
(3) Serving as a Contracting Officer Technical Representative (COTR) or equivalent on assigned construction and consultant contracts; and
(4) Developing and executing actions to meet strategic and planning goals.
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 for the Architect:
Specialized experience is defined as the following for the Architect:
(1) Performing architectural design, technical reviews, quality control, and project management on building projects from planning and programming through construction;
(2) Assessing compliance with construction standards, preparing full construction drawings and specifications, and preparing scope of work documents and statements of work;
(3) Applying technical knowledge of architectural and historic preservation and engineering concepts, methods, and procedures; and
(4) Serving as Contracting Officer Representative (COR) or equivalent.
Education
In addition to meeting the specialized experience requirements for this position, applicants must possess the following:
Education Required For Engineers:
- Bachelor's degree in professional engineering: To be creditable, the curriculum must: (1) be in a school of engineering with at least one curriculum accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) as a professional engineering curriculum; 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: -- statics, dynamics; -- strength of materials (stress-strain relationships); -- fluid mechanics, hydraulics; -- thermodynamics; -- electrical fields and circuits; -- nature and properties of materials (relating particle and aggregate structure to properties); and -- any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics.
--OR--
- 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: (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/
Education Required For Architects:
- Degree: Architecture; or related field that included 60 semester hours of course work in architecture or related disciplines of which at least (1) 30 semester hours were in architectural design, and (2) 6 semester hours were in each of the following: structural technology, properties of materials and methods of construction, and environmental control systems.
--OR--
- Combination of education and experience -- college-level education, training, and/or technical experience that furnished: (1) a thorough knowledge of the arts and sciences underlying professional architecture, and (2) a good understanding, both theoretical and practical, of the architectural principles, methods, and techniques and their applications to the design and construction or improvement of buildings. The adequacy of such background must be demonstrated by at least one of the following:
Related Curriculum: Degree in architectural engineering may be accepted.
Experience: An applicant lacking a degree in architecture must have had l year of experience in an architect's office or in architectural work for each year short of graduation from a program of study in architecture. In the absence of college courses, 5 years of such experience is required. This experience must have demonstrated that the applicant has acquired a thorough knowledge of the fundamental principles and theories of professional architecture.
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/architecture-series-0808
Transcripts are required upon selection.
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.
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:
1. Technical knowledge - Skill in professional engineering and Architectural concepts, principles, and practices of Architecture, Civil, Mechanical, Chemical, Electrical, Fire Protection or Industrial disciplines.
2. Project Management - Knowledge of engineering design techniques, construction materials and methods, project management concepts and quality control.
3. Problem Solving - Skill in managing contractor oversight; i.e., evaluating plans, conditions and cost estimates for technical suitability.
4. Communication- Skill in communicating effectively with Congress, Congressional staff and the public 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.
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?
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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.
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.