General Engineer (Building Automated Systems Engineer) Job

Vacancy No. CCLQ-12595061-25-SMF-DHA Department Office of the Secretary
Salary $139,395.00 to $181,216.00 Grade 14 to 14
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 10/31/2024 Close Date 11/18/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
District of Columbia, DCLocation Negotiable After Selection


Summary

The incumbent serves as a Senior Building Automation Systems (BAS) Engineer Subject Matter Expert (SME), within the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA), Office of Construction & Facilities Management (CFM), Consulting Support Service (CSS), which has primary responsibility for architectural, engineering, and risk management services to all VA facilities. CSS maintains subject matter experts in engineering, architectural and provides consulting services to resolve complex problems and options.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

ALL US CITIZENS DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled using Direct-Hire Authority (5 CFR 337.201) for this occupation.

Duties

CSS supports all components of VA nationwide including professionals within CFM, including but not limited to, providing support on building project design issues, subject matter expertise in all matters pertaining to VA's major design and construction programs, and serving as VA's authoritative source for advice on issues at existing VA Medical Centers. The Building Systems Engineer serves as the VA subject matter expert in all matters related to BAS requirements and practice for support of quality VA building design, construction, and facility life cycle activities.

The Building Automation Systems Engineer serves as the VA subject matter expert in all matters related to BAS requirements and practice for support of quality VA building design, construction, and facility life cycle activities.

The BAS include, but not limited to, HVAC controls, central heating and cooling utility plant, controls energy system controls, domestic water heating system controls, lighting controls, electrical system controls, systems optimization controls, energy analysis, systems integration, troubleshooting and diagnosis of building systems, networking and integration, and integration tools, PLC's, industrial communication, SCADA, and programming.

The major duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Provides guidance, review, facilitation, and advisory support related to building automation systems to CFM members, field engineering offices, professional consultants, construction contractors, and other building project stakeholders.
  • Applies advanced engineering concepts and methodologies as well as VA requirements to promote delivery of high-performing building systems, including building mechanical and electrical systems as well as generation and utilization equipment, various low-voltage systems, life safety, energy management, automatic controls, site utilities, and medical facility equipment.
  • Resolves complex and unusual problems and difficulties associated with building systems design, construction, and operations for specialized VA facilities that rise to the Director of CSS level from internal and external stakeholders.
  • Develops and maintains expertise in state-of-the-art and smart BAS, including Government requirements, industry standard-of-care, and relevance to modern building rating systems.
  • Conducts comprehensive investigations or studies to resolve and troubleshoot complex problems that occur throughout various phases of building construction projects, coordinating with other Government and industry SMEs as needed.
  • Develops alternatives and recommendations on building systems problems and communicates the various implications of findings.
  • Participates in project team meetings as well as in the inspection and evaluation of installed systems in various stages of construction, systems commissioning, and occupancy/operation.
  • Collaborates with industry professionals and project stakeholders, including medical facility personnel, to develop or explain design concepts and construction techniques, as well as to be educated on evolutions in healthcare practices that may impact building design, commissioning, construction, and operation processes.
  • Champions the BAS and systems integration and optimization to project stakeholders and acts to inspire the project team to develop quality documentation such as Owner's Project Requirements, Basis of Design, Project Issues Log, and Systems Manuals.
  • Develops training courses and materials to enhance the professional knowledge and understanding of BAS and building specialty systems unique to VA facility construction.
  • Conducts training sessions to various project stakeholder groups to communicate
    developments in BAS and evolving requirements for complex building systems applied to medical facilities.
  • Provides guidance and implements policy directives on building systems issues in support of VA's Major Construction Program.
  • Develops and presents written and oral reports and briefings on a variety of complex building systems issues and problems.
  • Provides professional expertise to other professional engineers and architects on difficult problems as they occur during and after design or construction.
Work Schedule: Monday thru Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm
Compressed/Flexible: May be Available
Telework: Available
Remote/Virtual: This position may be filled at the facility where the position is located (VA Central Office, Washington, DC) or in person - telework authorized (e.g., the employee may work at a VA facility or other VA-leased space other than the facility that is hiring the employee)
Recruitment/Relocation Incentives: Not Available
Position Description Title/PD#: General Engineer (Building Automated Systems Engineer)/PD100090
Financial Disclosure: Not Required

Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary with travel required to conduct training and field investigations, as well as attending meetings

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job
  • Subject to a background/suitability investigation
  • May serve a probationary period
  • Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
  • A complete application package; Resume, Transcripts, etc.
  • Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
  • Professional Engineering license
  • Obtain and maintain related nationally recognized building automation system certification within one year of hire date

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date 11/18/2024 of this announcement.

You must possess at least one (1) year of specialized experience as described below:

***NOTE: Applicant must have demonstrated knowledge and working experience in the building automation systems.***

GS-14 grade level: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. To qualify at the GS-14 level, applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-13 level in Federal Service. The specialized experience must demonstrate one year of full-time work experience, or the equivalent if part-time (for example, an employee working 20 hours per week for a 12-month period should be credited with 6 months of experience.) Experience may have been obtained in either the federal service or its equivalent with state or local government, the private sector, or nongovernmental organizations. Examples of specialized experience include: [NOTE: Evidence of this specialized experience must be supported by detailed documentation of like duties performed in positions held on your resume. You will also need to provide work experience information such as hours per week, salary, and starting/ending dates of employment (month and year format) to establish you have one (1) full year of specialized experience at the required grade level].
  • Providing consultation and expert advice on Building Automation Systems, which include but are not limited to: HVAC controls, central heating and cooling utility plant, controls energy system controls, domestic water heating system controls, lighting controls, electrical system controls, systems optimization controls, energy analysis, systems integration, troubleshooting and diagnosis of building systems, networking and integration, and integration tools, PLC's, industrial communication, SCADA, and programming;
  • Providing advice on issues at existing Medical Centers;
  • Providing direct on-call consulting support, overseeing a full array of technical professional consultation such as planning, design concepts, design development, construction documents, field inspections and O&M services.
This position includes a Quality Ranking Factor (QFR) - are knowledge, skills, and abilities/competencies that could be expected to significantly enhance performance in a position but are not essential for satisfactory performance. Applicants who possess such KSAs/competencies may be ranked above those who do not, but no one may be rated ineligible solely for failure to possess such KSAs/competencies.

The Quality Ranking Factor (QFR) is current professional certification/registration relevant to building automation systems.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:
  • Analysis and Problem Solving
  • Communications
  • General Engineering
  • Technical Competence
To calculate, first identify the percentage of required education you have earned (when substituting, you cannot use the first 60 semester hours that you earned). Then identify the percentage of required experience you possess. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify at the GS-14. For example, an applicant who has 9 semester hours of graduate level education (i.e. 50% of graduate education required) and 6 months of creditable specialized experience (i.e. 50% of the required experience) would equal 100% of the required experience for the position A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

There is no educational substitution for the GS-14 level.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). 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.

Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

Education

There is no educational substitution for this position; however, you must meet Basic Occupational Requirement for the General Engineering series 0801

A. Degree: Professional Engineering. To be acceptable, 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: (a) statistics, 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. [COPY OF BACHELOR'S DEGREE TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED WITH APPLICATION]

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)1 , 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].

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/.

If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education.

Additional information

VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be well-qualified, applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors if applicable, and must be proficient in most of the requirements of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website which can be found at https://www.opm.gov/.

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

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.

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.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Applicants will be referred in the order in which they were received.

Required Documents

Documents Accepted:

  • Cover Letter
  • DD-214/ Statement of Service
  • Disability Letter (Schedule A)
  • Disability Letter (VA)
  • Other (1)
  • PCS Orders
  • Professional Certification
  • Proof of Marriage Status
  • Resume
  • Separation Notice (RIF)
  • SF-15
  • SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
  • Transcript


Documents Required:
  • Resume
  • Transcript


Please review the above list(s) to ensure you have included all necessary documents required for your application. Not every applicant will require the same documents, therefore it is the applicants responsibility to ensure that their application package includes all necessary documents to determine qualifications and eligibility for appointment, such as a copy of your SF-50, transcript, ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees).You will not be contacted for additional information. Applicants will be deemed ineligible if supporting documentation is not submitted.

Veterans' Preference: Since the Direct-Hire Recruitment Authority is being used, traditional Veterans' Preference rules do not apply. Qualified veterans will, however, be given full consideration for this position.

Applications are accepted online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application.

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

All applicants are encouraged to apply online.

To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 11/18/2024 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12595061.

1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.

2. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.

NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date. To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.

To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.

Agency contact information

VACO OCHO HRSC Recruiting & Staffing Team
Address
Office of Construction and Facilities Management
425 I Street NW
Washington, DC 20001
US
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

After the vacancy announcement closes, applicants are evaluated to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email.


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


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