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General Engineer

Department of the Interior
Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement
Oil Spill Preparedness Division
This job announcement has closed

Summary

DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled through the office of Personnel Management's (OPM) Government-Wide Direct-Hire Authority for this occupation and is open to all U.S. Citizens. Since the Direct-Hire Recruitment Authority is being used, traditional Veterans' Preference rules do not apply. Qualified Veterans will, however, be given full consideration for this position.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
04/30/2020 to 05/20/2020
Salary
$72,030 to - $157,709 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 11 - 14
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Sterling, VA
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel 1-4 days per month (on average) for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-Time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
14
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Trust determination process
Announcement number
BSEE-EEGG-20-DC-083(DH)
Control number
566989100

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

All U.S. Citizens

Duties

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This position is located within the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), Oil Spill Preparedness Division (OSPD), in Sterling, Virginia.

At the full performance level (GS-14) the major duties of this position include, but are not limited to the following:
1. Serves as the lead Project Manager for a specific area of research or program area; ensures scientific integrity is maintained in all research efforts; provides recommendations for prioritized research needs within the program area; coordinates research needs with other BSEE offices; transfers information regarding research projects' results; and serves as an agency authority, recognized technical expert and BSEE representative to government and industry-sponsored committees, work groups, or other entities convened to evaluate research needs within your program.

2. Serves as a Senior Research Project Manager for the most complex and critical projects and studies. Designs studies or research projects to address gaps in data and knowledge; collaborates with other technical experts to identify and evaluate technology innovations and practices, and to determine scope of work; maintains awareness of relevant research activities of other organizations to avoid duplication; establishes and implements the stakeholder communication requirements and plans for the project; develops appropriate funding requirements; determines time, scope, and performance requirements; identifies and mitigates project risks; monitors and controls change within the project; establishes and conducts management review processes; and ensures peer review requirements are established and implemented.

3. Serves as a Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) for high-risk oil spill research projects or other contracts within the Division; writes statements of work and/or statements of objectives; conducts market research; prepares government cost estimates and requisitions; analyzes contract scope, cost, and duration, recommending changes to the contracting officer (CO) when necessary; provides updates to the contract management database, files, and webpages; provides direction to contractors within the scope of work, ensuring work is done according to the contract requirements; reviews and accepts deliverables; and evaluates contractors' performance.

4. Provides agency and division technical support; reviews guidelines, standards, or directives to industry or other entities conducting operations on the OCS as needed; develops narratives, briefing papers, program and policy documents, and other materials required to support BSEE activities; prepares and presents briefings on assigned projects to management; makes presentations to a variety of audiences on assigned projects; leads teams that conduct special studies, analyses, and technical or program evaluations; contributes information to the OSPD strategic plan; provides information on special issues and problems; collects and tracks oil spill and other needed operational data; and, categorizes and queries oil spill response research data.

The OSPD has determined that the duties of this position are telework eligible.

Salary Information

GS-11: ($72,030 - $93,638)
GS-12: ($86,335 - $112,240)
GS-13: ($102,663 - $133,465)
GS-14: ($121,316 - $157,709)

First time hires to the Federal government normally start at the lower salary range of the grade level.

This vacancy may be used to fill additional positions as vacancies become available.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service system, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See http://www.sss.gov/.
  • You must be a U.S. Citizen.
  • You will be subject to a background/suitability investigation/determination
  • You will be required to have federal payments made by Direct Deposit.
  • You must submit ALL required documents and a completed questionnaire.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualification Requirements:
To qualify for this position you must meet the (1) Basic Educational Requirements AND/OR (2) Specialized Experience for the series to which you are applying.

(1) Basic Educational Requirements:
In addition to the specialized experience requirements for this position, applicants must meet the Education Requirements described below:

A. Degree: professional engineering. To be acceptable, the curriculum must: (1) be in a school of engineering with at least one curriculum accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) as a professional engineering curriculum; 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 professional 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 listed in the link: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0800/files/all-professional-engineering-positions-0800.pdf.

(2) Specialized Experience
To qualify for the GS-11, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-9 level in the Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through Federal service. Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience: pursuing technical research related to various professional engineering concepts, theories, and practices.

OR

Substitution of Appropriate Education for Experience: You may substitute education (education that is directly related) for experience at the GS-11 level if you have achieved:

- a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree from an accredited institution; OR
- 3 full years of progressively higher education beyond graduate level leading to such a degree;

OR

Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and specialized experience, which when combined, equal 100% of the qualification requirement. Only directly related education in excess of the first two years of progressively higher level graduate education toward a doctoral or the equivalent graduate degree may be used toward this combination. (example: 2.5 years in a doctoral program (50%) plus 6 months of specialized experience (50%) = 100%).

To qualify for the GS-12, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level in the Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through Federal service. Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience: 1) experience pursuing technical research related to various professional engineering concepts, theories, and practices; and 2) experience integrating concepts, theories, and practices related to chemical treatments (such as colloids, solvents, additives, or surface agents [surfactants]) with general engineering as part of technical research project.

To qualify for the GS-13, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level in the Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through Federal service. Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience: 1) experience pursuing technical research related to various professional engineering concepts, theories, and practices; 2) experience integrating concepts, theories, and practices related to chemical treatments (such as colloids, solvents, additives, or surface agents [surfactants]) with general engineering as part of technical research project; and 3) at least one of the following: A) managing a research program requiring the integration of professional engineering theories, concepts, and practices with varying chemical treatments to address technical challenges related to at least two of the following: oil, cleanup, remediation and related cleanup technologies, oil and gas regulatory programs, industry standards, academia, industry, and Federal and State regulatory and research programs; or B) conducting engineering research, performing corresponding analyses, and developing conclusions/recommendations for appropriate actions that withstand close examination by the public and/or private industry.

To qualify for the GS-14, you mustpossess at least 52 weeks specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-13). Specialized experience is defined as 1) experience pursuing technical research related to various professional engineering concepts, theories, and practices; 2) experience integrating concepts, theories, and practices related to chemical treatments (such as solvents, additives, or surface agents [surfactants]) with general engineering as part of technical research project; 3) managing a research program requiring the integration of professional engineering theories, concepts, and practices with varying chemical treatments to address technical challenges related to at least two of the following: modification of materials and/or surfaces, oil, cleanup, remediation and related cleanup technologies, oil and gas regulatory programs or other related regulatory programs, industry standards, academia, industry, and Federal and State regulatory and research programs; and 4) at least one of the following: A) conducting engineering research, performing corresponding analyses, and developing conclusions/recommendations for appropriate actions that withstand close examination by the public and/or private industry; B) providing integrated knowledge of novel technologies, chemical treatments (such as dispersants, surfactants, or other compounds), industry standards (as applicable), and various academic, industry, and Federal and State regulatory and research programs; or C) experience performing well-grounded engineering and technical analyses as a basis for developing conclusions and recommendations for appropriate actions that withstand close examination by the public and private industry.

Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualification Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions and is available at OPM's website: https://www.opm.gov/qualifications/standards/indexes/num-ndx.asp

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

Education: This position requires specific educational course work to qualify. You are required to provide transcripts as proof of meeting the requirements.

Foreign Education: Education completed in colleges or universities outside the United States may be used to meet the specific educational requirements as stated above. You must provide acceptable documentation that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. For more information on how foreign education is evaluated, visit: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-policies/#url=e4

Additional information

Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position.

Identification of promotion potential in this announcement does not constitute a commitment or an obligation on the part of management to promote the employee selected at some future date. Promotion will depend upon administrative approval and the continuing need for and performance of higher-level duties.

The application contains information subject to the Privacy Act (P.L. 93-579, 5 USC 552a). The information is used to determine qualifications for employment, and is authorized under Title 5, USC, Section 3302 and 3361.

Important Note: All Department of the Interior (DOI) employees are subject to the conflict of interest restrictions imposed upon all employees of the Executive Branch of the Federal Government and may be required to file a Financial Disclosure Report. In addition, DOI employees, GS-15 and above, who work in the Office of the Secretary; along with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) employees (at ALL grade levels), are further restricted concerning their interests in Federal lands and resources administered or controlled by the Department of the Interior. This includes holding stock in energy corporations which lease Federal lands (e.g.: oil, gas, coal, alternative energy resources, etc.). If you have any such investments you should contact the DOI, BOEM or BSEE Ethics Office before accepting employment. DOI employees are held to the highest level of integrity. Employees must be objective and impartial in the performance of their work. All potential issues (e.g.: work-related interactions with friends, family members, or previous employers) must be disclosed at the time of application or during the interview process.

NOTICE: This employer participates in E-Verify and will utilize your Form I-9 information to confirm you are authorized to work in the U.S.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

For this announcement, all applicants will be reviewed to determine if they meet the basic qualifications for this position, specifically the educational and specialized experience requirements. Applicants will not be rated or ranked. All applications that are verified to meet the basic qualifications will be referred to the selecting official. 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.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas:

1. Technical Competence - Uses knowledge that is acquired through formal training or extensive on-the-job experience to perform one's job; works with, understands, and evaluates technical information related to the job; advises others on technical issues.

2. Written Communication - Writes in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience.

3. Oral Communication - Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately.

If you are a status applicant (current career or career-conditional Federal employee or former permanent Federal employee with reinstatement eligibility in the competitive service), or are eligible under a special appointing authority and you are selected under this vacancy, you may be subject to serving a new one-year probationary period.

To preview the assessment questionnaire click: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/10802970

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