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Civil Engineer (Pavement & Materials) - Direct Hire

Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
This job announcement has closed

Summary

The position is located in a FHWA Federal-aid Division Office. The employee is responsible for managing and promoting assigned Federal highway programs within the State or in multiple states. Provides engineering stewardship and oversight at various junctures of project and program delivery of Federal-aid infrastructure projects within the state(s).

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
03/16/2021 to 03/25/2021
Salary
$78,778 to - $123,991 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 12 - 13
Locations
Albany, NY
1 vacancy
Columbus, OH
1 vacancy
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Work requires field work and site visits to highway, bridge and structure construction sites.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—Relocation is authorized.
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time - Full Time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
13
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
FHWA.FO-2021-0045
Control number
595202300

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted from any U.S. citizen. Direct Hire Authority will be used to fill this position. The 'Rule of Three', Veterans Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants does not apply to this vacancy.

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Duties

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As Civil Engineer (Transportation), you will:

  • Serves as the Division Pavement & Materials technical expert/resource, leading reviews of pavement design submittals, reviews (materials, construction, and maintenance) documents for procedural and implementation adequacy and to ensure conformance with applicable regulations, specifications and standards; recommends innovative and cost effective design, promotes (materials, construction, and maintenance) practices which have the potential for improving the condition of pavements and infrastructure in the State; markets the latest state-of-the-art practices and techniques; promotes and encourages good safety practices.
  • Provides authoritative technical assistance and policy guidance to Division staff and the State DOT on pavement resurfacing, restoration, rehabilitation, reconstruction, preservation, skid resistance, drainage, friction, and rideability as well as any project-specific problems and analysis.
  • Keeps informed and utilizes knowledge of Federal-aid highway legislation, program directives, national regulations, policies and guides to provide program and technical assistance to the Division, State, local government, academia, and the private sector.
  • Provides interpretations, advice, guidance and training through personal contacts, presentations, letters, or memoranda on policies, pavement and material concepts, standards, and procedures.
  • Manages and promotes a Quality Assurance (QA) program for construction materials, material sampling and testing procedures, methods and best practices of processing and handling materials, specifications related to materials, and construction through timely office and field reviews.
  • Takes a leadership role to assist in the coordination with Federal, State and local agencies on demonstration, experimentation projects and technology application activities. Provides recommendations on proposed deployment of high-pay-off research and technology pavement and material applications including marketing and demonstrations.

The ideal candidate is a mid-career to senior engineer with experience monitoring Federally-funded highway programs or delivering highway projects from initial scoping through construction; and in the design, construction, maintenance/rehabilitation, and network level management of pavements, utilizing knowledge of highway materials testing and acceptance procedures. In addition, experience in conveying complex ideas and concepts to others through presentations, meetings and discussions, and in writing.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen & meet specialized experience to qualify.
  • Submit application and resume online by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date.
  • Applicable documents are required for the Mandatory Education requirements.
  • Direct Hire Authority will be used to fill this position.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

  • SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for the Selective Service.
  • BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: You will be required to complete a background/security investigation and meet preliminary requirements prior to onboarding.
  • PCS/RELOCATION/RECRUITMENT: Permanent Change of Station (PCS), Relocation, and Recruitment Incentive authorization varies by position/selection. If recruitment incentive is offered, selectee will be required to sign a service agreement.
  • PROBATIONARY PERIOD: Applicants may be required to successfully complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed).
  • GOVERNMENT TRAVEL CARD: This position involves travel.  A government contractor-issued travel card will be issued and must be retained for official business only.
  • DRIVER'S LICENSE: You must have a valid state driver’s license and be fully qualified to operate a government-owned vehicle.
  • PHYSICAL DEMANDS: Field reviews require reasonable mobility and alertness and may involve climbing to heights on existing bridges and structures, or ones that are under construction or in deteriorated condition.

Qualifications

To meet the basic qualifications for this position, you must (1) meet the Mandatory Education Requirement for the series, (2) provide a copy of your transcripts or other applicable documentation for verification, AND (3) meet the specialized experience requirements for the grade. Please review the following information before proceeding with the application process: 

(1) All applicants must meet the education requirements under A or B to qualify for applying to an engineering position:

A. Successful completion of a degree in engineering that: (1) has at least one program accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET); or (2) that included differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced that first year physics and chemistry) in five of the following seven areas of engineering science or physics: (a) statics, dynamics; (b) strength of materials; (c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (d) thermodynamics; (e) electrical fields and circuits; (f) nature and properties of materials; 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 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 which included the courses as specified in Paragraph A above.
  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.

For additional information, please refer to the OPM qualifications standard for 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.

(2) Upload the appropriate document(s) to your application for verification purposes.

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.

(3) Specialized Experience:

To determine if you are eligible, review the following grade specific details.  You will need to verify how you meet this experience in your resume.  

For the GS-12:

On Experience, you must have at least one year of experience, equal or equivalent to the GS-11 grade levelwhich included:

  • Experience in transportation project design, development or construction of highway, bridge, or other highway transportation projects (such as those involving socio-economic or environmental considerations, project location, multiple use of highway rights-of-way, high traffic volumes, major intersections, or others), including experience with pavement and materials engineering (such as design, construction, maintenance, materials sampling, testing, acceptance, and/or specifications), performance management systems; AND
  • Experience consulting with others to develop alternatives and help to resolve pavements and materials issues or conflicts that arise with processes or outcomes.

You cannot substitute education at this level, you must have experience.

For the GS-13:

On Experience, you must have at least one year of experience, equal or equivalent to the GS-12 grade levelwhich included:

  • Experience in transportation project design, development or construction of highway, bridge, or other highway transportation projects (such as those involving socio-economic or environmental considerations, project location, multiple use of highway rights-of-way, high traffic volumes, major intersections, or others), including managing and leading experienced individuals with pavement and materials engineering (such as design, construction, maintenance, materials sampling, testing, acceptance, and/or specifications), performance management systems; AND
  • Experience representing the organization with partners and stakeholders to provide advice, consultation, or project/program oversight on pavement, materials, asset management, or performance programs.

You cannot substitute education at this level, you must have experience.

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

  1. Knowledge of highway engineering concepts, requirements, laws, principles and practices in multiple specialty areas to represent the office in providing stewardship and oversight; resolving highly complex technical issues/problems in engineering design, construction, maintenance, safety, operations and other functional areas as assigned.
  2. Knowledge and understanding of pavement management, design, rehabilitation, construction, and maintenance principles and practices, including a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of highway materials, including testing methods, materials acceptance programs, statistical specifications, and state-of-the-art practices.
  3. Knowledge and understanding of asset management and performance management systems, including performance gap analysis, life-cycle planning, risk management, financial planning, and investment strategy development of state-of-the-art asset management systems.  Proficient in state-of-the-art Asset Management principles, and knowledge of emerging Asset Management technologies to affect the development and delivery of the Federal-aid program in Washington.
  4. Proficient in advanced principles and practices of transportation programs and management systems to provide advice and expertise in resolving complex issues related to Federal-aid delivery systems consistent with Federal laws and regulations.

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.

Education

See the Qualifications section for Mandatory Education Requirements.

Additional information

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.

For this announcement, all applicants will be reviewed to determine if they meet the mandatory education requirements. 

Applicants will not be rated or ranked.  Veteran's Preference does NOT apply.

All applications that are verified to meet the education requirements and specialized experience will be referred to the selecting official.

DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE: PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.  All answers provided in the on-line process must be substantiated by a USAJOBS built resume. If, upon review, it is determined that your USAJOBS built resume and/or supporting documents do not support your answer choices, your application may be removed from consideration.

Ultimately, the Automated Staffing Office is responsible for determining an applicant's eligibility. Please ensure that your resume provides enough detail to support your answers to the Vacancy Specific Questions.


To preview questions please click here.

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