Who May Apply: US Citizens
In order to qualify, you must meet the education and/or 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; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is
in this document.
Basic Education Requirement for Mechanical Engineer 0830 series:
A. Degree: Bachelor's degree (or higher degree) in 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) 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: Professional registration or licensure, Written Test, Specified academic courses, and/or Related curriculum. Please see the following link for more detail:
https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0800/files/all-professional-engineering-positions-0800.pdf.
Applications will also be accepted from applicants who will graduate within 9 months of application.
In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the specialized experience listed below:
GS-07:
Specialized Experience
: One year of specialized experience which includes one of the following: 1) Perform engineering duties of limited scope in knowledge of work processes; 2) apply standard mechanical engineering practices; 3) identify problem; and interpret mechanical engineering rules and procedures; and 4) familiar with other engineering disciplines. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-05).
OR
Education:One full year of graduate level education in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position.
OR
Superior Academic Achievement. In order to be creditable under this provision, Superior Academic Achievement must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled, such as that identified in Education above. Superior Academic Achievement is based on:(1) 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 Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses; OR(2) Grade-Point Average (G.P.A.) - Applicants must have a grade-point average of either (a) 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on your 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 (b) 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.; OR(3) Honor Society Membership - Applicants may be considered eligible based on membership in one of the approved national scholastic honor societies listed by the Association of College Honor Societies (https://www.achsnatl.org/).
GS-09:
Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes meeting two of the following: 1) Perform routine and recurring mechanical engineering duties; 2) utilize typical engineering calculations; 3) select appropriate approach to solve routine problems and/or recommends course of action; 4) interpret and apply mechanical engineering rules and procedures; and 5) familiar with other engineering disciplines. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-07).
OR
Education
: Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position.
GS-11:
Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes meeting all of the following: 1) Perform engineering duties concerned with the design, installation, and/or inspection of complex mechanical equipment and systems for construction activities; and 2) investigate and analyze any of a variety of problems or conditions.
OR
Education: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position.
OR
Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the second year (total graduate semester hours minus 36) by 18. Add the two percentages.
GS-12:
Specialized Experience:One year of specialized experience which includes meeting all of the following: 1) Apply the latest advanced mechanical engineering design and/or construction techniques to develop design plans and specifications for all types of structures and buildings; 2) experience using computer aided design and/or building information modeling software; 3) develop design plans and/or specifications for complex construction, renovation or maintenance projects; 4) review engineering designs and shop drawings and prepare responses for construction requests for information; and 5) utilize various forms of technical design/evaluation software to prepare energy modeling, life cycle cost analysis calculations, and/or database management. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-11).
"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".