Duties
As a Supervisory General Engineer, you will:
The incumbent, as Division Chief, conceives, plans, directs, and supervises a series of engineering programs to develop and improve laboratory or full-scale crash test procedures for frontal, and side crash modes, test data collection, and information dissemination to fulfill legislative mandates. The incumbent serves as a national expert on crashworthiness and crash avoidance technologies in vehicles and safety assessment of these systems, occupant protection, marketing of consumer information, and consumer behavior. Duties of the incumbent are listed below:
- Develops and recommends the rationale and approach for testing passenger motor vehicles and associated equipment to assess crash avoidance capabilities, occupant crash protection, and vulnerable road user protection. Insures that the test results are accurate, timely, and presented in a fashion that will be beneficial and helpful to consumers in their vehicle purchasing.
- Assists consumers, members of Congress and other government and private organizations at the Federal, State, and local levels in understanding the agency's consumer information crash test and occupant and vulnerable road user protection programs. Assists in developing an information network to provide consumers with information on occupant protection.
- Provides advanced engineering assessments on the Division's programs and formulates recommendations for the agency's top management, senior technical personnel inside and outside of the agency, other government agencies, and cooperating outside organizations. The incumbent is responsible for successful accomplishment of the Division's programs, attainment of technical goals, adherence to the budget, and timely performance. In this capacity, the incumbent recommends the annual budget for the Division activities, develops detailed multi-year plans in coordination with other parts of the agency, and provides technical guidance to a staff of multi-disciplinary engineers and program analysts.
- Directs the dissemination of engineering test data and other technical information developed through contract and in-house programs; handles responses to non-routine requests for program information from Congress, various sources within the agency, other government agencies, private industry, and the general public; review and comments on policy matters, regulatory analyses, technical reports, research proposals, and various other matters.
- Leads, guides and directs members of the NCAP division, including assigning work, reviewing work from staff, hiring, mentoring, counseling, approval of leave requests, time and attendance recordkeeping and approval, development of performance evaluation plans, periodic evaluation of employee performance, employee career development plans, performance awards, promotions and disciplinary actions, as necessary.
The Ideal Candidate Statement: This position is perfect for innovative, process driven, detail oriented, and seasoned professionals seeking a position that will provide an opportunity to utilize strong leadership skills and technical expertise in the area of vehicle safety testing within a great Federal agency whose focus involves public safety. We are seeking highly qualified individuals who are willing to meet the fast-paced challenges of public service while supporting our mission to reduce the number of fatalities and injuries resulting from motor vehicle crashes. NHTSA desires someone who is a highly motivated self-starter who can effectively communicate both within the agency and with external stakeholders. Exhibiting a strong interest and ability to develop highly capable staff engineers that can execute testing programs in NCAP and communicate the results to the public, will be key to the success of the chosen candidate.
Requirements
Conditions of employment
- Must meet specialized experience stated in Qualifications section
- Submit application and resume online by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date
- Required documents must be submitted by the closing date.
CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:
As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:
- your performance and conduct;
- the needs and interests of the agency;
- whether your continued employment would advance the organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
- whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.
Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
- SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for the Selective Service.
- GOVERNMENT TRAVEL CARD: This position involves travel. A government contractor-issued travel card will be issued and must be retained for official business only.
- BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: You may be required to complete a background/security investigation and meet preliminary requirements prior to onboarding.
- SUPERVISORY PROBATIONARY PERIOD: You must complete a one-year supervisory probationary period (unless already completed).
- PROBATIONARY PERIOD: You must complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed).
- TIME-IN-GRADE: Federal applicants must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade in the competitive or excepted service in the executive branch to satisfy time-in-grade restrictions contained in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F.
Qualifications
To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must (1) meet the Education Requirement for the series, (2) provide a copy of transcripts for verification, AND (3) meet the specialized experience qualifications.
To qualify for the GS-15, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-14, it must include:
- Experience in leading programs and operations and managing budgets in support of testing passenger motor vehicles and associated equipment to assess crash avoidance capabilities, occupant crash protection, and/or vulnerable road user protection, and presenting the test results to the public in a manner that is beneficial to consumers in their vehicle purchasing.
- Experience leading people to achieve organizational mission by assigning work to professionals based on priorities established by management, taking into consideration work assignment program area, the difficulty and the requirements of the assignments and special abilties and expertise of employees.
- Experience in evaluating, interpreting test results, and effectively communicating the results to the public, and effectively engage with stakeholders on technical matters related to the testing program.
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:
- Engineering Knowledge- Knowledge of a broad spectrum of disciplines including principles of mechanical engineering, engineering mechanics, electronics, biomedical engineering, vehicle dynamics, statistical methods and databases.
- Execution of Engineering Programs- Ability to plan, implement, manage, and report on engineering test programs and budgets, including contractor officer's representative (COR) responsibilities or equivalent.
- Communication- Abiltiy to understand complex technical ideas and express views through effective writing, and presentation skills while influencing, motivating, and leading others in a variety of situations.
- Supervisory- directing and managing human resources and working effectively with individuals of various disciplines.
- Investigation- Ability to plan, implement and conduct technical investigations and lead investigation teams on matters pertaining to current and emerging vehicl safety technologies.
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.
For additional information about applying to Federal positions, please click on the following link: https://www.opm.gov/frequently-asked-questions/employment-faq/federal-hiring/how-do-i-apply-for-federal-jobs/
All 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. <B>OR</b>
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). All applicants must meet the education requirements under A or B to qualify for applying to an engineering position. Transcripts are required for this position.
Additional information
This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if similar vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.
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
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
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.
DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE: PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume/ application does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s). Your resume must contain sufficiently detailed information upon which to make a qualification determination. Please ensure that your resume contains specific information such as position titles, beginning and ending dates of employment for each position, average number of hours worked per week, and if the position is/was in the Federal government, you should provide the position series and grade level.
Eligible Federal employees also seeking consideration for noncompetitive reassignment for this position, must indicate interest in the assessment. Noncompetitive federal candidates must have competitive status on a SF-50, meet minimum qualifications, have served at the same grade or higher, and held or exceeded the promotion potential of this position.
Your application will be reviewed in two phases determine how you move forward in the hiring process. Phase I: Your resume will be reviewed to determine your technical qualifications for this position based on the required specialized experience. ONLY two (2) pages of your resume will be reviewed. Additional information beyond your resume (e.g., cover letter, links embedded in your resume) will not be reviewed. Applicants passing “Phase I” will move on to the “Phase II” of the assessment process where your application will be reviewed and rated based on the KSAs/Competencies listed in the vacancy announcement by a Subject Matter Expert (SME).
You may preview questions for this vacancy.
Required Documents
RESUME: In accordance with the OPM memorandum titled Merit Hiring Plan, dated May 29, 2025, resumes with a maximum of two (2) pages in length will be accepted as part of your application. These should be legible and in a readable font size. A determination of your eligibility and/or qualifications will be based only on those two (2) pages.
Your resume MUST contain specific information that can be used to make a qualification determination, including 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.
TRANSCRIPTS: Transcripts are REQUIRED if there is a stated education requirement for the series OR if you are substituting education for experience. The transcripts need not be official, but must show that you meet the stated education requirements, including specific major or class requirements.
ENGINEERS: If you are applying to an engineering position and are qualifying based on possessing a current Professional Engineer (PE) license, or passing the Engineer in Training (EIT) exam, please provide a copy of PE license or written documented proof of passing the EIT.
FEDERAL APPLICANTS: You must submit SF-50(s) that verify your highest competitive grade, full performance level, and eligibility as a federal applicant. DO NOT submit an award SF-50 as these often do not verify grade or eligibility. For consideration for a promotion, Box 4 of the SF-50 must show a date that is at least 52 weeks prior to the job announcement closing. We recommend submitting your last promotion SF-50 or within-grade increase SF-50. Pay adjustment raise SF-50s for the current year will not support the 52 weeks’ time-in-grade requirements. https://help.usajobs.gov/working-in-government/service/sf-50
PERFORMANCE APPRAISALS/INCENTIVE AWARDS: If applicable, performance appraisals and/or Incentive award documentation may be submitted and will be forwarded to the selecting official as support in consideration of your application in the evaluation process. To receive due weight, you must submit a recent performance appraisal (dated within 18 months) showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable (do not submit a performance plan) and/or incentive award documentation dated within the last 18 months (i.e. superior performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increases, etc.)
If requesting consideration under the Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP):
- your most recent performance appraisal,
- the proof of eligibility letter from the Agency, and
- your most current SF-50, displaying current series and grade.
- YOU MUST SUBMIT ALL 3 documents and meet the well qualified standards for this vacancy (meeting minimum requirements for position and scoring at least an 80) to be considered under CTAP.
Displaced employees may be eligible for CTAP priority consideration. For more information, please review the OPM Employee's Guide to Career Transition.
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 USAJobs does NOT ensure inclusion with your application to our system.
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.