Pathways Recent Graduate Civil Engineer (Highway) Job in Lakewood, CO

Vacancy No. FHWA.CFL-2024-0048 Department Federal Highway Administration
Salary $44,001.00 to $86,670.00 Grade 05 to 09
Perm/Temp Temporary FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 10/7/2024 Close Date 1/6/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Lakewood, CO


Summary

This Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Pathways Recent Graduate Program position is assigned to the Central Federal Lands Highway Division (CFLHD) Career Development Program (CDP), and the Recent Graduate participates in a 24-month training and developmental program. 

Anticipated starting date of the position is May/June 2025, or potentially earlier if you have already graduated.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

This position is part of the Pathways Program and is open to Recent Graduates Eligibles only. For additional information please visit:https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-information/students-recent-graduates/#url=graduates

Duties

Are you ready to start your career in a Federal Agency that consistently ranks high as a best place to work? Do you want to make a difference designing and overseeing construction of roads, bridges, and trails in National Parks, Forests, Wildlife Refuges, and Recreation Areas? Since the early 1900’s our mission at the Office of Federal Lands Highway (FLH) of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has been to build safe, reliable, equitable, and resilient access to our Nation’s treasures! Our partners rely upon us to solve and manage unique program and project challenges that are wide-ranging in environment, geography, and complexity, through engineering solutions that are sensitive to the context of the land. For more information, visit https://highways.dot.gov/federal-lands/careers. We Work Where You Play!

This is an entry-level full-time, permanent civil engineer position at the Central Federal Lands Highway Division, which covers 14 central and western states including Hawaii. For the first 24-months you will be in our Career Development Program (CDP), where you will have rotations:

  • On construction projects within our area of jurisdiction assisting FLH project engineers and staff overseeing the construction of roadway, trail, and bridge projects, and;
  • In the Lakewood, CO office in our Highway Design branch designing roads and trails;
  • As well as typically two of the following teams in the office: Bridge, Environment, Geotechnical, Hydraulics, Pavements/Materials, Programming, or Safety

During the 24-month program you will gain practical skills and experience in civil engineering that will be the foundation of your career!

After the 24-month program, you will be permanently assigned to the Construction Branch, Highway Design Branch, or in one of the other areas. The decision on which area you are assigned to will be based on needs of the Division at the time, and to the greatest extent possible your career interests.

As a newly-hired recent graduate serving as a Civil Engineer (Highway) in the CDP, you will:

  • Complete three major components: on-the-job training, developmental assignments, and several required training activities.
  • Spend at least one-half of the 24-month program actively engaged in valuable training under the guidance and direction of seasoned professionals, both in design and construction. To build upon this experience, other developmental assignments will be provided to give individuals the opportunity to broaden their generalist experience. Assignments will be selected to provide the participant with needed technical skills, and enhance project development and program delivery knowledge and understanding.

The ideal candidate for this position is an entry to beginning level engineer who has a desire to learn about the various aspects of highway engineering, including but not limited to, highway design, construction, bridge, geotechnical, hydraulics, and materials testing. The ideal candidate should have between 0 to 5 years of experience, be mobile and willing to travel to remote locations for extended periods of time and be able to work independently and in a team environment.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen and meet Pathways Recent Graduate requirement.
  • Submit application and resume online by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date.
  • Review Required Documents Section as documents are required by closing date
  • Must meet Recent Grad requirements by closing date.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

PATHWAYS RECENT GRADUATE PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY - You must:

  • Provide required documentation to verify degree has been, or will be, completed prior to appointment.
  • Meet the basic qualification standards outlined under the Qualifications section for this series and grade level.
  • Exceptions are made for veterans, as defined in 5 USC 2108, who, due to military service obligations, were precluded from applying to the Program during the two-year eligibility period described above. These individuals have a full two-year period of eligibility upon their release or discharge from active duty. In no event, may their eligibility period extend beyond six years from the date they completed their academic requirements.

If selected, you: 

  • Must sign a Pathways Recent Graduate Program Participant Agreement;
  • Will serve on an excepted service appointment for at least a one year trial period; 
  • Will enter a formal training program with a mentor and execute an Individual Development Plan outlining training requirements and program expectations;
  • Must be provided at least 40 hours of interactive training, directly linked to your employment field, within 45 days of appointment;
  • Will be assigned a mentor within 90 days of appointment;
  • Will be evaluated for conversion to a term or permanent appointment in the competitive service at the end of one year.

ADDITIONAL CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

  • SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/1959 must be  registered for the Selective Service.
  • DECLARATION FOR FEDERAL EMPLOYMENT: Selectee is required to complete a Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) to determine suitability for federal employment.
  • BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: A background security investigation is required for all selected individuals. Appointment will be subject to the applicant’s successful completion of the security investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to meet these requirements will be grounds for termination.
  • PCS/RELOCATION/RECRUITMENT:  Permanent Change of Station (PCS), Relocation, and Recruitment Incentive authorization varies by position/selection and a service agreement may be required.
  • GOVERNMENT TRAVEL CARD: A government contractor-issued travel card will be issued and must be retained for official business only.
  • TRIAL PERIOD: The recent graduate is in a trial period throughout the entire Pathways Recent Graduate/FHWA PDP appointment.
  • PHYSICAL LOCATION: The recent graduate will be required to work onsite.

Qualifications

To determine which eligibility, review the following grade specific details.  You will be asked questions as part of your application but make sure to verify how you meet this experience and/or education in your resume and/or uploaded transcripts or you may be deemed ineligible. 

To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must meet the education requirement AND experience qualifications for the grade at which you are requesting consideration.

To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must meet the Pathways Recent Graduate Program requirements (see the Conditions of Employment section), the mandatory Individual Occupation Requirements for the Series (refer to the Education Requirements section) AND then meet the following experience and/or education qualifications to qualify for the grade at which you are requesting consideration.

For the GS-05:  Applicants who meet the basic requirements described in the individual occupational requirements are fully qualified for this entry grade.

For the GS-07:

On Experience, you must have at least one year of experience, equal or equivalent to the GS-05 grade level, which included:

  • Experience assisting higher-graded engineers in performing engineering work relevant to planning, design, or construction of any civil engineering features or projects (buildings, roads, bridges, site preparation, or other related work).

Or, on Education, you must have at least 1 year of graduate-level education OR superior academic achievement* at the baccalaureate level in an engineering program. 

For the GS-09: 

On Experience, you must have at least one year of experience, equal or equivalent to the GS-07 grade level, which included:

  • Experience providing support in the application of highway engineering concepts such as or directly related to highway planning, environment, design, construction and/or maintenance functions.
  • Experience providing support in the application of highway engineering concepts such as or directly related to highway planning, environment, design, construction and/or maintenance functions.

Or on Education, you must have at least 2 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or have been awarded a master's or equivalent graduate degree in an engineering program.

RECENT GRADUATE PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY:
*Applicants must have obtained a qualifying associates, bachelors, master's, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution, within the previous 2 years unless military service interfered with a veterans eligibility to apply during that two year time frame. Veterans meeting the above exclusion may apply within 2 years of discharge or 6 years from the date of receipt of the degree whichever comes first.

(http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/policy/ApplicationOfStds-04.asp) for information on crediting education.

You must provide a copy of ALL of your college/vocational/technical transcript(s). See  "Required Documents" section for additional information.

Applicants may refer to the U.S. Department of Education’s Institutional Accreditation System to determine whether their school/program is accredited: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/Search.aspx.

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. See OPM's General Policies (http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/policy/ApplicationOfStds-04.asp) for information on crediting education.

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).  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.

Accreditation: Only education from an accredited college or university recognized by the Department of Education is acceptable to meet education requirements or to substitute for experience, if applicable. For additional information, please go to the Office of Personnel Management at http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/ and U.S. Department of Education website at http://www2.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html.

Foreign Education: If your education was completed or is from foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that 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: http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas:

  1. Civil Engineering - Knowledge of the concepts, principles, theories, and methods required to plan, design, construct, operate, and maintain facilities such as buildings, transportation systems, water and sanitary systems, and other public works systems.
  2. Communication - Includes: Written and oral communication; Partnering/negotiating; Interpersonal skills; and Teamwork.
  3. Learning - Uses efficient learning techniques to acquire and apply new knowledge and skills; uses training, feedback, or other opportunities for self-learning and development.

For all types of consideration, 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).  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

Students enrolled in a qualifying degree program can apply if the anticipated graduation date is within six months. Graduation transcript must be received before start date. Other applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

MANDATORY EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS:

A. Degree: Engineering To be acceptable, the program must: (1) lead to a bachelor’s degree in a school of engineering with at least one program accredited by 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:

  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).

(2) Specialized Experience:
To determine which grade(s) you are eligible for, review the following grade specific details.  You will be asked questions as part of your application but make sure to verify how you meet this experience in your resume or you may be deemed ineligible.

(3) Upload the appropriate document(s) to your application for verification purposes. (Refer to 'Required Documents' section for additional guidance).
Students enrolled in a qualifying degree program can apply if the anticipated graduation date is within six months of the closing date of this announcement. If selected, the final transcript must be received before your start date.  Other applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement. Transcripts are required for this position.

EDUCATION INFORMATION:

College or university education -- Educational course work may be at either the undergraduate or graduate level. Successful completion of graduate level courses will be accepted as evidence that an applicant also possesses the knowledge taught in courses at lower levels in the same field.

Additional information

PLEASE NOTE: 

MOBILITY AGREEMENT: Appointees will be required to sign a Mobility Agreement. If you decline a position due to geographic location, you will receive no further consideration under this announcement. This agreement states that in order to be placed in the program, or upon graduation from the program, you may be assigned to any location, within the Agency and that you will move to the new duty location. Failure to relocate can be used as the basis for non-selection and failure to relocate after completion of the program can be the basis for your termination from the Federal service.

IMPORTANT: Applicants must be open to geographic mobility for developmental assignments and permanent placement relocation nationwide. If you decline a position due to geographic location, you will receive no further consideration under this announcement.

SERVICE AGREEMENT: Appointees will be required to sign an agreement to continue in service upon completion of the Professional Development Program and serve in the agency for two times the length of the training period (approximately 24 months).

TELEWORK ELIGIBILITY: This position is approved for occasional telework. The number of telework days approved is determined by the agency policy, emergency situations, the approval of your immediate supervisor, and if applicable, approval of additional officials. You are required to report to the office on a regular basis since this is not a full-time telework position, or approved as a remote work position.

For more information on the Pathways Program, please visit: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-information/students-recent-graduates/#url=Program-Fact-Sheets.

The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Transportation and its Operating Administrations from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to the Department of Transportation by email at, FairChanceAct@dot.gov. To learn more, please visit our page at: The Fair Chance to Compete Act | US Department of Transportation

This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if similar vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.

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.

All applicants will be reviewed to determine if they meet the DOT Pathways Recent Graduate Program requirements, then the education qualifications for this series, and finally if they meet the education and/or specialized experience requirements for the grade(s). 

All answers provided in the on-line process must be substantiated by a resume. If, upon review, it is determined that your resume and/or supporting documents do not support your answer choices, your application may be removed from consideration.

You will not be considered for the position if any part of the application or supporting documentation is incomplete.  Falsifying your background, education, and/or experience is cause for not hiring you or adverse action after hiring.

Ultimately, the Automated Staffing Office is responsible for determining an applicant's eligibility. All applications that are verified to meet all of the requirements will be referred to the selecting official.

Applicants will not be rated or ranked. Qualified Recent Graduates will be referred to the hiring manager in unranked order by veteran preference status:  (1) Preference eligible having a compensable, service-connected disability of 10 percent or more; (2) all other candidates eligible for 10-point veteran preference; (3) candidates eligible for 5-point veteran preference; and (4) candidates not eligible for veteran preference.


You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Required Documents

The following is a list of documents that are only required based on the type of position and consideration for which you are applying.  Please review each of the following sections to determine which, if any, additional documents you need to provide with your application.

RESUME: Your resume MUST contain specific information used to make a qualification determination that includes employment beginning and ending dates for each position, whether employment is Full-time or Part-time or average number of hours worked per week,  and position titles.  If the position is/was in the Federal government, you will need to provide the position series and grade level.  The resume should show relevant experience and education as well as support the required specialized experience. Formatted resumes may be uploaded later in the application process.

COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRE.

TRANSCRIPTS - are required. The transcript may be an unofficial transcript at the time of application, but must show that you meet the stated education requirements, including specific major or class requirements. You will need to provide an official transcript if selected.

  • Foreign Education: If your education was completed or is from foreign colleges or universities, to meet the qualification requirements you must show that 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: http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.
  • If you possess a current Professional Engineer (PE) license, or have passed the Engineer in Training (EIT) exam, you can provide a copy of your PE license or written documented proof of passing the EIT, but a transcript is still required to verify eligibility under the recent graduate program.

VETERANS: Your last DD214 (member 4 copy), Certificate of Release or Discharge From Active Duty, that shows the type of discharge and all dates of active duty is required to verify your eligibility.  It need not be official.

  • If you wish to be considered as a preference eligible, you need to submit a copy of your DD214 (member-4 copy).
  • If you are claiming preference eligibility as a disabled veteran, you must submit proof of entitlement of this preference which is normally a valid letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs certifying to the present existence of the service-connected disability and indicating the percentage of your disability.  An SF-15 is desired, but not required.

Failure to submit any of the required documents by the closing date of the vacancy will result in your removal from consideration for this position. Please review your application prior to final submission and ensure you have submitted all appropriate documents. Uploading documents to USA Jobs does NOT ensure inclusion with your application to our system.  You must verify that the documents are in the system with your application prior to final submission.

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

You must submit a complete application package (including resume, vacancy questions and supporting documents) no later than 11:59 (EST) on the closing date of the announcement.

To begin, click the "Apply Online" button on the job announcement posting.

Follow the directions to register, submit all required documents and complete the assessment questionnaire.

You may review your saved application(s) at https://help.usajobs.gov/


If you are having difficulty applying online, please contact the DOT Automated Staffing Office via email at Transjobs@dot.gov.
 

Agency contact information

Automated Staffing Office
Phone
202-366-1298
Fax
571-258-4052
Email
TRANSJOBS@dot.gov
Address
DOT, FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION
Submit Application and Documents Online
1200 New Jersey Ave SE / HAHR - 50
Washington, District of Columbia 20590
United States
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

You may check your application status by logging into USAJobs.com. (Select "My USAJOBS" and click "Applications"). Within two weeks of the closing date, a Human Resources Specialist will evaluate your application. Ratings will be determined based on the documents and information received by the closing date.  The most highly qualified candidates are then referred to the hiring manager for further consideration in veteran's preference order. If you are selected for an interview, the hiring agency will contact you directly. Once the position is filled, we will notify all applicants of their final status.


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


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