Summary
About the Position: Performs mechanical engineering design and review work for both Host Nation and US funded projects in support of Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and other official agencies.
This is a Direct Hire Authority (DHA) solicitation utilizing the DHA for OPM Government-wide Direct Hire Authority to recruit and appoint qualified candidates to positions in the competitive service.
This job is open to
Clarification from the agency
See "Who May Apply" in the "Qualifications" section for more information on who is eligible to apply for this position.
Duties
- Performs mechanical engineering design and review work for both Host Nation and US funded projects.
- Projects cover problems ranging from the conventional to the complex and require a capability of adapting precedence and engineering theories and principles to the particular needs of the project.
- Reviews mechanical designs prepared by Architect-Engineers (A-E) to ensure design excellence and that user and funding requirements are met.
- Prepares the engineering criteria and detailed as well general parameters for guidance in preparing contract plans and specifications.
- Checks designs for proper interpretation and application of building codes, established technical criteria, sound engineering principles, and standard practices.
- Responsible in serving other staff elements of the District and other agency staff elements as consultant and technical expert in mechanical engineering problems involving planning, design, construction, and operations.
- Performs quality assurance reviews for soundness of mechanical engineering in a variety of areas and system types such as HVAC, compressed air, plumbing, and Cybersecurity, etc.
- Applies advanced concepts, principles, and practices of mechanical engineering to interpret and develop technical criteria.
- Prepares replies to architect-engineer firms, other Districts/Centers, or contractors/manufacturers regarding the mechanical portions to set forth the basis for exceptions taken and revisions required in proposed mechanical systems.
- Perform inspections and assessments of existing mechanical systems and develops memos and reports with recommendations for correction or improvement.
- Maintain awareness of current advances in mechanical design and construction to recommend changes in programs, practices, methods or design procedures.
- Ensures that design drawings, design analysis, and specifications are accurate, and that conclusion and assumptions are sound.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- One year trial/probationary period may be required.
- Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
- Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
- You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship.
- Applicants must comply with the Exceptional Family Member Program requirements as outlined in the DoD Instruction 1315.19.
- Must be able to satisfy the requirements of the 26JUL12 DODI 1400.25 V1230, DoD Civilian Personnel Management System: Employment in Foreign Areas and Employee Return Rights. Visit http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf/140025v1230.pdf.
- This position requires a Public Trust Security Background investigation.
- This position requires approximately 10% of your duty to be performed in Temporary Duty Away (TDY) from your place of work status (Travel Conditions).
- The incumbent must possess or be able to obtain/maintain a Professional Engineer License.
Qualifications
Who May Apply: All US Citizens
If you are currently stationed in the overseas area, all of your overseas time will be credited toward your current overseas tour end date. Your overseas time served will not reset upon accepting this assignment.
If you have returned from OCONUS within the past 2 years or less, your time previously served in the OCONUS area will be credited to your 5 year overseas rotation upon accepting this assignment.
In order to qualify, you must meet the education and experience requirements described below. 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; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience.
Basic Requirement for Mechanical Engineer:
A. Degree: Bachelor's degree (or higher degree) in Mechanical engineering. To be acceptable, the program must: (1) lead to a bachelor's degree (or higher degree) 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) heat transfer; (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, electrical fields and circuits, 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. Licensure as a Mechanical Professional Engineer is not required but is highly preferred. Applicants who have a current (PE) License must submit a copy of your license or certification with your application package.
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, or 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 A above. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program.
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 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.
In addition to meeting the basic requirements above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below:
Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes meeting THREE OF THE FOLLOWING: 1) Developing detailed mechanical engineering reports, plans, and/or specifications for new construction, renovation, or rehabilitation projects for mechanical and plumbing equipment and features of complex construction projects; and 2) Perform inspections and assessments of existing mechanical systems and develops memos and reports with recommendations for correction or improvement; 3) Utilize computer based design tools to analyze viability of building cooling, heating, and ventilation loads for the purpose of selecting mechanical equipment, annual energy cost consumption evaluation, and Life Cycle Cost Analysis; 4) Providing technical review of Architect/Engineer or in-house designs, specifications, and/or reports as related to mechanical and plumbing issues for technical adequacy and compliance with codes and regulations; 5) Preparing technical specifications, material estimates, technical reports, and/or portions of design memoranda for an engineering program. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-11) or equivalent grade level.
Time in Grade Requirement: Applicants who have held a General Schedule (GS) position within the last 52 weeks must have 52 weeks of Federal service at the next lower grade or equivalent (GS-11).
Separated Military Members: Resumes will be accepted from members of the Armed Forces who indicate in their applications that they are available for appointment within 120 days of the closing date of this announcement. Military members may be appointed while on terminal/transitional leave, before the effective date of their military retirement/separation.
Military Retirees: Within the DoD (Department of Defense), including non-appropriated fund positions, the appointment of retired military members within 180 days immediately following the retirement date to a civilian position is subject to the provisions of 5 United States Code 3326 or 5 U.S.C. 5305.
Education
FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.
Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience in order to qualify. For this job, you must meet the qualification requirement using experience alone--no substitution of education for experience is permitted.
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.
Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire
You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents).
Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.
Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees.
If you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant, see the information in the Reemployed Annuitant information sheet.
You may claim Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Spouse Preference (MSP) Eligible (PPP DoD MSP)
You may claim Priority Placement Program, DoD MR and NG Preference Eligible Tech Receiving Disability Retirement (PPP DoD MRNG Dis)
You may claim Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Reserve (MR) and National Guard (NG) Technician Eligible (PPP DoD MRNG)
Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP). If you are a Federal employee in the competitive service and your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority for this position. To receive selection priority, you must: (1) meet ICTAP eligibility criteria (2) be rated well-qualified for the position and; (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your ICTAP eligibility. To be considered well-qualified and receive selection priority applicants must satisfy all qualification requirements for the position and receive a score of 90 or above. Additional information about the program is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website.
Required Documents
The documents you are required to submit vary based on the authority you are using to apply (i.e., applying as a veteran, applying as a current permanent Federal employee, applying as a reinstatement, etc). Please review the following links to see which documents you need to provide to prove your eligibility to apply: Applicant Checklist for Internal/Merit Promotion Announcements (OCONUS).
As described above, your complete application includes your resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which prove your eligibility to apply. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further.
1. Your resume:
- Your resume may be submitted in any format and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement.
- If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations and you may not be considered for this vacancy.
- For qualifications determinations your resume must contain hours worked per week and the dates of employment (i.e., HRS per week and month/year to month/year or month/year to present). If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as incomplete and you may not receive consideration for this position.
- For additional information see: What to include in your resume.
2. Other supporting documents:
- Cover Letter, optional
- Most recent Performance Appraisal, if applicable
- Proof of Eligibility to Apply: Your application must include the documents which prove you are eligible to apply for the vacancy. The Proof of Eligibility document describes authorities commonly used in merit promotion recruitment and what document(s) are required to prove you meet the requirements of the authority. You must meet the requirements of at least one of the authorities listed in the Who May Apply section above to receive further consideration.
- Time-in-grade documentation: If you are applying for a higher grade and your SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you meet the one year time-in-grade requirement so you will need to provide an SF-50 which clearly demonstrates you meet the time-in-grade requirements (examples of appropriate SF-50s include Promotions, Within-grade Grade/Range Increases, and SF-50s with an effective date more than one year old).
- This position has an individual occupational requirement and does not allow for substitution of education for experience. If you meet this requirement based on education you MUST submit a copy of your transcript with your application package or you will be rated ineligible. See: Transcripts and Licenses
NOTE: Documents submitted as part of the application package, to include supplemental documents, may be shared beyond the Human Resources Office. Some supplemental documents such as military orders and marriage certificates may contain personal information for someone other than you. You may sanitize these documents to remove another person's personal information before you submit your application. You may be asked to provide an un-sanitized version of the documents if you are selected to confirm your eligibility.
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 and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:
- Click the Apply Online button.
- Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12453801
- Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on 08/23/2024.
- If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice.
- Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
- Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
- Set aside at least 3 hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link.
- Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused.
For more general information, system requirements, reasonable accommodation information, and to request assistance regarding the USA Hire Assessments, review the following resources: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=USA_Hire_Assessments
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 view the announcement status or your application status: Click on this: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.
Next steps
If you provided an email address, you will receive an email message acknowledging receipt of your application. Your application package will be used to determine your eligibility, qualifications, and quality ranking for this position. If you are determined to be ineligible or not qualified, your application will receive no further consideration.
Based on your application and your responses to the application questionnaire, you may be presented with instructions on how to access the USA Hire system to complete the online assessments. The online assessments must be completed within 48 hours following the close of this announcement. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation for the assessment should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended.
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