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Architect

General Services Administration
Public Buildings Service
This job announcement has closed

Summary

As a Senior Architect, you will be responsible for all aspects of project management comprising of major, politially sensitive and complex initiatives.

Location of position: Design and Construction Division, San Francisco, CA

The Design and Construction Division provides expertise and technical support for the repair and alteration, modernization, build-to-suit of leased facilities and federal buildings.

We are currently filling one vacancy, but additional vacancies may be filled as needed.

Overview

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Job canceled
Open & closing dates
06/02/2023 to 06/20/2023
Salary
$121,873 to - $158,432 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 13
Location
Few vacancies in the following location:
San Francisco, CA
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - May be required to travel for site visits, meetings, conferences and training.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
13
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
High Risk (HR)
Trust determination process
Announcement number
23PBSA822TRMP
Control number
729274800

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Duties

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Duties include, but are not limited to:

Project Management Duties:

  • Overall responsibility for the successful initiation, planning, execution, and closure of leasing, design, or construction projects, which comprise the most major, politically sensitive, and complex initiatives.
  • Responsible for leading multidisciplinary team(s) through the project lifecycle. Sets team direction, coordinates activities across different organizational functions, and assigns roles and responsibilities for the project.
  • Ensures that projects are completed on time, within scope, and on budget. Establishes baselines for scope, schedule, and budget, monitors progress, takes action to correct deviations from the baseline, and reports project status.
  • Leads project team in developing, monitoring, and adjusting the project scope throughout the life cycle of the project.
  • Ensures project team reviews the design of architects and engineers for programmatic conformance, customer needs and compliance to industry codes and standards. Makes detailed study of each project, considers method of achieving assignment, and decides on best final solution.
  • Establishes project budgets, monitors progress, implements cost controls, and reports budget status. Reviews estimates prepared by contracted or government resources, reviews contractor’s proposals, and participates in negotiations with contractors.
  • Assists the Contracting Officer in the preparation of statements of work, determinations and findings and solicitation documents. Oversees detailed analyses of all elements of cost in proposals and recommends competitive range determinations to the Contracting Officer. In conjunction with the Contracting Officer, develops negotiation plans and objectives; holds conferences; and conducts discussions and negotiations. Participates in the A/E, Contractor and/or Lessor selection process and in negotiations for Construction Management, and design post-construction contract award services.
  • Manages all aspects of the project’s finances with the client including preparation, negotiation, presentation, approval, and communication of pricing, occupancy agreements, reimbursable work authorizations, and project budgets.
  • Leads discussions with client agencies regarding project requirements to determine the best solution based on available funding, technical recommendations and operational needs of end users.
  • Presents options to the customer based on derived knowledge of customer’s current and future requirements. Negotiates and coordinates project plans, budget objectives and schedules with customer agencies to establish and/or manage customer expectations.
  • Project Closeout - Ensures the completion of project documents and makes certain they are uploaded into all necessary systems of record in order to track established performance metrics and historical trends. Conducts and documents lessons learned analysis.

Contracting Officer’s Representative Duties:

  • Represents GSA and the Contracting Officer (CO) on A/E, Construction Management, lease and Construction contracts as the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR). As the COR, exercises full delegated authority from the CO reviewing, inspecting, and directing the work as it proceeds in compliance with contract requirements. Recommends payment for services received or appropriate action where non-conformance with the contract is discovered.
  • Construction inspection responsibilities include all facets and phases of construction engineering covering each of the building trades. Prepares statements of work and detailed instructions for guidance to architects and consulting engineers. Assists in evaluations,  election panels, and negotiations. Reviews technical reports and evaluates assumptions, formulas, and calculations. Manages the development of plans, specifications and cost estimates for building alterations, repairs, improvements, and new construction. Reviews cost estimates for accuracy and technical adequacy.
  • Analyzes contractor claims. May perform special services and investigations as required to evaluate claim documentation
    and provide recommendations on cost and schedule impact.

Professional Architectural Duties:

  • Conducts site surveys to determine condition of structures and systems, evaluates requirements and recommends incorporation, modification or exclusion of various project features to best meet long-term needs of the government in consideration of such factors as urgency of needed repairs or redesign, useful life of building components and systems, and cost/benefits involved.
  • Reviews complex architectural problems and provides recommendations to GSA management. Prepares technical reports on highly complex architectural matters that influence current and future regional programs.

Customer Service Duties:

  • Serves as the primary point of contact for the customer, and has overall responsibility for providing customer techical guidanc and sound business practices.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • US Citizenship or National (Residents of American Samoa and Swains Island)
  • Meet all eligibility criteria within 30 days of the closing date
  • Meet time-in-grade within 30 days of the closing date, if applicable
  • Register with Selective Service if you are a male born after 12/31/1959

If selected, you must meet the following conditions:

  • Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C or Non­Career SES employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the HR Office. Failure to disclose this information could result in disciplinary action including removal from Federal Service.
  • Serve a one year probationary period, if required.
  • Undergo and pass a background investigation (Tier 4 investigation level).
  • Have your identity and work status eligibility verified if you are not a GSA employee.  We will use the Department of Homeland Security’s e-Verify system for this. Any discrepancies must be resolved as a condition of continued employment.
  • Complete a financial disclosure report to verify that no conflict, or an appearance of conflict, exists between your financial interest and this position.

Qualifications

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO JUNE 20, 2023

For each job on your resume, provide:

  • the exact dates you held  each job (from month/year to month/year)
  • number of hours per week you worked (if part time).    

If you have volunteered your service through a National Service program (e.g., Peace Corps, Americorps), we encourage you to apply and include this experience on your resume.

For a brief video on creating a Federal resume, click here

The GS-13 salary range starts at $121,873.00 per year.  If you are a new federal employee, your starting salary will likely be set at the Step 1 of the grade for which you are selected.  

BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR ARCHITECTS: Use the following link: Basic Requirements for Architect Positions.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS: may be met by either A or B as further defined in B-1 or B-2:

  1. Degree in architecture or related field that included 60 semester hours of course work in architecture or related disciplines of which at least (1) 30 semester hours were in architectural design, and (2) 6 semester hours were in each of the following: structural technology, properties of materials and methods of construction, and environmental control systems.
  2. Combination of education and experience--college-level education, training, and/or technical experience that furnished (1) a thorough knowledge of the arts and sciences underlying professional architecture, and (2) a good understanding, both theoretical and practical, of the architectural principles, methods, and techniques and their applications to the design and construction or improvement of buildings. The adequacy of such background must be demonstrated by at least B-1 or B-2 below.
    • B-1: Degree in architectural engineering may be accepted as satisfying in full the basic requirements, provided the completed course work in architectural engineering provided knowledge, skills, and abilities substantially equivalent to those provided in the courses specified in paragraph A.
    • B-2: l year of experience in an architect's office or in architectural work for each year short of graduation from a program of study in architecture. In the absence of college courses, 5 years of such experience is required. This experience must have demonstrated that the applicant has acquired a thorough knowledge of the fundamental principles and theories of professional architecture.


In addition to the Basic Requirements listed above, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 in the Federal service.  Specialized experience is professional architecture experience in the design of construction or alteration projects involving large and complex buildings or major building systems; and the coordination of the activities of architects, engineers, tenants and construction contractors on such projects. Such experience must also include having independently managed projects (balance scope/quality, schedule and budget) requiring the services of multiple disciplines from project initiation phase through project closeout.

This position has a positive education requirement: Applicants must submit a copy of their college or university transcript(s) and certificates by the closing date of announcements to verify qualifications. If selected, an official transcript will be required prior to appointment.

Education

Note: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

Additional information

Bargaining Unit Status
Bargaining Unit Status: This position is eligible for the bargaining unit

Relocation Not Paid

Relocation-related expenses are not approved and will be your responsibility.  

Recruitment/Relocation Incentive

On a case-by-case basis, the following incentives may be approved:

·       Recruitment incentive if you are new to the federal government

·       Relocation incentive if you are a current federal employee

·       Credit toward vacation leave if you are new to the federal government

Management Rights

Additional vacancies may be filled from this announcement as needed; through other means; or not at all.  

Additional vacancies may be filled through this announcement in this or other GSA organizations within the same commuting area. 

Concurrent DEU Vacancy Announcement

We are also accepting applications from all U.S. Citizens and Nationals under Vacancy Announcement #23PBSA823TRDE.  You must apply separately to each announcement to be considered for both.

Diversity

GSA is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility that goes beyond our compliance with EEO regulations including: 
  • Valuing and embracing diversity, promoting equity, inclusion and accessibility, and expecting cultural competence; and
  • Fostering a work environment where all employees, customers and stakeholders feel respected and valued.
Our commitment is: 
  • Reflected in our policies, procedures and work environment;
  • Recognized by our employees, customers and stakeholders; and
  • Drives our efforts to recruit, attract, retain and engage the diverse workforce needed to achieve our mission.

How you will be evaluated

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

You will be evaluated on the questions you answer during the application process, which will measure your overall possession of the following competencies or knowledge, skills, and abilities.  Your responses to these questions must be supported by your resume or your score may be lowered. 

  • Expert knowledge to manage projects impacted by multiple competing priorities and requirements. Successfully integrate requirements to meet the goals outlined for development initiatives.  Skill in allocating fiscal, staff, and time resources to produce maximum results.
  • Knowledge of the principles, methods, and tools for developing, scheduling, coordinating, and managing projects and resources, including monitoring and inspecting cost, work, and contractor performance; knowledge and proficiency in using project management and scheduling software.
  • Expert ability to apply financial management and budgeting knowledge, techniques, and innovation to achieve project results with on-budget with fiscal integrity.
  • Knowledge of procurement principles and procedures of contracting.  Skilled in contract negotiation techniques to ensure the successful completion of a project. 
  • Knowledge of Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) duties and limitations monitoring progress and performance, conducting periodic inspections, verifying technical and management requirements.  Providing the CO with technical recommendations and interpretations of project requirements, contractor proposals, and potential contract modifications.
  • Knowledge of laws, rules and regulations that apply to leasing and development as well as to client organizations to determine potential impact on current and planned projects and to identify strategic objectives and long range plans for development.
  • Expert knowledge of the full range of qualitative and quantitative analytical techniques to solve a range of design and construction problems or issues that arise in the course of project initiation, planning and design through the development of recommendations and reasoning ability to identify rules, principles, or relationships that explain facts, data, or other information.
  • Mastery knowledge of professional architectural principles, concepts and practices applicable to a full range of design, layout, construction, repair and/or alterations.  Expert knowledge and skill to adapt standard design and construction practices and techniques.
  • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills to satisfy and support a diverse customer base. Proactively manage business relationships.

Additional hurdle assessments, such as narrative responses or other assessments, may be administered to applicants who meet the requirements of the first hurdle, e.g., the minimum qualification requirements.

If additional assessments are used, you will be provided with further instructions.

Consideration will be given to performance appraisals and incentive awards in merit promotion selection decisions in accordance with 5 CFR 335.103(b)(3). You should list any relevant performance appraisals and incentive awards in your resume so that information will be taken into consideration during the selection process.  If selected, you may be required to provide supporting documentation.

If you are eligible under Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan or GSA’s Career Transition Assistance Plan(ICTAP/CTAP), you must receive a score of 85 or higher to receive priority.


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