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Civil Engineer (Highway)

Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
This job announcement has closed

Summary

You will be assigned to the CFL Career Development Program (CDP), and participate in a 24-month training and developmental program. This program is designed to introduce the individuals to the technical, administrative, and program management aspects of highway engineering in the Central Federal Lands Highway Division (CFLHD). 

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
10/07/2019 to 03/20/2020
Salary
$37,069 to - $73,013 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 05 - 09
Location
MANY vacancies in the following location:
Lakewood, CO
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
76% or greater - Occasional travel
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time - Full Time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
12
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Announcement number
FHWA.CFL-2019-0075
Control number
547847500

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Open to All U.S. Citizens

Duties

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As a Civil Engineer (Highway), you will:

  • Work assignments related to Highway Design, Construction, Geotechnical, Structural, Surveying, Pavements Design, Hydraulics, and/or Environment.
  • Perform construction inspection on roadway construction projects with guidance from the Project Engineer to ensure the quality and progress of the work complies with the contract and specifications.
  • Assist the Project Engineer in contract administration, roadway design, and construction engineering duties.
  • Determine design standards and prepares plans, specifications, and
  • Select appropriate highway design standards and develops horizontal and vertical alignments.
  • Work with Micro station, GEOPAK, and Engineers Estimate program to develop plans and estimates.
  • Work with geotechnical, structural, and hydraulic software to determine technical recommendations and designs for transportation
  • Prepare written documents and reports for transportation projects.

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, survey and mapping, hydraulics and materials testing. Candidates need to 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. Travel will be to various National Parks, National Forests and Wildlife Refuges within the 14-state region that CFLHD services. Travel demands will range anywhere from 10% to 75% of an employee’s time per year, depending on assignments provided.


This is a developmental position. Individuals hired at the GS-07 grade level will receive assignments with increasing complexities and responsibility targeted at the functions of the GS-12 level. This position has known promotion potential to GS-12.

*PLEASE NOTE: Given our continuing need for professionals in this field, we will routinely review applications and refer the top candidates for potential interviews multiple times during the open period of the announcement. Reviews and referrals of applications will be completed on an as needed basis with the initial review occurring ten days after the opening date.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must meet specialized experience to qualify.
  • 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

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

  • 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.
  • DEU REQUIREMENTS: Applicants selected under delegated examining procedures may be required to successfully complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed).
  • BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: You will be required to complete a background/security investigation and meet preliminary requirements prior to onboarding.

Qualifications

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

To qualify for the GS-5:

  • You must meet the Mandatory Education Requirements. No additional education or experience is required.


To qualify for the GS-07 on Experience, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-05, it must include:

  • 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).

To qualify for the GS-07 on Education alone, you must have at least 1 year of graduate-level education OR superior academic achievement.

You can also qualify based on a combination of graduate level education and experience. This must be fully supported by your resume and transcripts, provided with your application.
 

To qualify for the GS-09 on Experience, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-07, it must include:

  • Experience as an engineer performing a variety of highway construction activities, such as conducting construction project surveys, performing materials testing, and conducting construction inspections.

To qualify for the GS-09 on Education alone, 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.

You can also qualify based on a combination of graduate education and experience.  This must be fully supported by your resume and transcripts, provided with your application.


MANDATORY EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS: 

All applicants must meet one of the following requirements to qualify for consideration for an engineering position:

  • Successful completion of an engineering degree at an accredited university or college. OR
  • Combination of education or training: college level education, training and/or technical experience that has 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)
  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 as described by OPM.
  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 had at least 1 year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance.  There should be either an established plan of intensive training to develop professional engineering competence, or several years of prior professional engineering type experience.  This must be clearly described in your resume.
  5. Please review the OPM page on specifics about required curriculum and for more information on qualifications, please visit GS-800: All Professional Engineering Positions qualifications at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0800/files/all-professional-engineering-positions-0800.pdf

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/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-policies/#url=e4

Students enrolled in a qualifying degree program can apply if the anticipated graduation date is within six months of closing date of the announcement. Graduation transcript must be received before start date.

Other applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.







Additional information

Displaced employees may be eligible for ICTAP or CTAP priority consideration. For more information, please review the OPM Employee's Guide to Career Transition.

EEO STATEMENT: The Department of Transportation (DOT) maintains a model federal work environment that is free of discrimination. DOT ensures equal employment opportunity for employees and applicants for employment, regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), genetic information, age, disability, sexual orientation, or protected activity.

This vacancy may be used to fill similar positions within 90 days for these locations.

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. 

If you meet the qualification requirements, your application will be placed in one of four categories: Platinum, Gold, Silver or Bronze, which is based upon your responses to the vacancy questions. Within these categories, applicants eligible for veteran's preference that have provided supporting documents will receive selection priority over non-veterans.  The top-rated applications will be reviewed for the quality of your experience, education and training relevant to the position. If your resume does not support the specialized experience or if your application does not support your answers to the Vacancy Specific Questions, your final rating may be modified and/or you may be disqualified from consideration

Your application will be rated on the extent and quality of your experience, education and training relevant to the position. The answers you select in the on-line process must be substantiated in your application package.  If upon review, it is determined that your described work history, competencies, and/or supporting documents do not support your answer choices, your application may be updated or you may not be referred to the selecting official. Please ensure that your work history provides enough details to support your answers. The Automated Staffing Office is ultimately responsible for determining your final rating.


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