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Interdisciplinary (Physical Scientist)

Department of the Army
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
SW Border Barrier Planning, Project and Program Division
This job announcement has closed

Summary

About the Position: This announcement is for current, permanent Army employees that would like to be considered for a time-limited promotion, reassignment or change to lower grade. External status candidates should apply to Announcement # CEDD-26-12832632-MP.

Please see "Additional Information" section below for further details.

Recruitment or Relocation incentive may be authorized.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
11/17/2025 to 12/02/2025
Salary
$92,702 to - $134,317 per year

Salary is determined by location, grade and step for which selected.

Pay scale & grade
GS 12
Locations
1 vacancy in the following locations:
Phoenix, AZ
Los Angeles, CA
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—Eligible for situational telework only, including Emergency and OPM prescribed "Unscheduled Telework".
Travel Required
50% or less - You may be expected to travel 20-40% of the time for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—You may qualify for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with agency policy.
Appointment type
Temporary promotion - Position may be filled as a time-limited promotion, reassignment or change to lower grade not to exceed (NTE) 2 years by a current permanent Army employee. See "Additional Information" section below for further details.
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
13
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
Yes
Announcement number
CEDD-26-12832633-IMP
Control number
850183200

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

See "Who May Apply" in the "Qualifications" section for more information on who is eligible to apply for this position. The Area of Consideration is limited to employees serving continuously within the agency - Department of the Army, applying for Time-Limited Assignments.

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Duties

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  • At the Full Performance, GS-13, you will:
  • Provides expert project management for projects of high dollar value, national and military priority, environmental sensitivity, extraordinary urgency, or having similar requirements.
  • Serve as a Program Manager for a program segment of work assigned to the Military/Support For Others (SFO) Branch.
  • Assures the efficient, effective, and timely accomplishment and coordination of the planning, design and construction phases.
  • Provides guidance to subordinate PM's through program oversight activities and interaction. Is the District's primary point of contact with the customer throughout the projects life.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
  • You may be expected to travel 20-40% of the time for this position.

Qualifications

Who May Apply: Only applicants who meet one of the employment authority categories below are eligible to apply for this job. You will be asked to identify which category or categories you meet, and to provide documents which prove you meet the category or categories you selected. See Proof of Eligibility for an extensive list of document requirements for all employment authorities.

  • Current Department of Army Civilian Employees Applying on Time-Limited Assignments


In order to qualify, you must meet the education and experience requirements described below. 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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document.

Basic Requirement for GS-1301, Physical Scientist (Project Manager):

A. Degree:
Bachelor's degree (or higher degree) in physical science, engineering, or mathematics that included 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science such as mechanics, dynamics, properties of materials, and electronics.

OR

B. Combination of Education and Experience: Courses equivalent to one of the majors, as shown in A above, that included at least 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below:

Specialized Experience:
One year of specialized experience which includes assisting with the coordination of planning, scoping, design, construction, and direction of major projects to support a specific program.
This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-11).

Time in Grade Requirement: Applicants who have held a General Schedule (GS) position within the last 52 weeks must have 52 weeks of Federal service at the next lower grade or equivalent (GS-11).

Education

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Additional information

  • Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
  • You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship.
  • One year trial/probationary period may be required.
  • Direct deposit of pay is required.
  • Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees.
  • If you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant, see the information in the Reemployed Annuitant information sheet.
  • This is a(n) 18 Engineers and Scientists (Resources and Construction) Career Field position.
  • Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
  • Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement.
  • When you perform a Civilian Permanent Change of Station (PCS) with the government, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) considers the majority of your entitlements to be taxable. Visit https://www.dfas.mil/civilianemployees/civrelo/Civilian-Moving-Expenses-Tax-Deduction/ for more information.
  • Permanent Change of Station (PCS) allowances may be authorized, subject to the provisions of the Joint Travel Regulations and an agency determination that a PCS move is in the Government Interest.
  • Position may be filled as a time-limited promotion, reassignment or change to lower grade not to exceed (NTE) 2 years by a current permanent Army employee. Time-limited promotions may be extended up to a maximum of five years. Time-limited reassignments and changes to lower grade may exceed five years; however, return rights may be impacted. Position may be made permanent without further competition.
  • Current, permanent USACE employees who are selected for this position will receive administrative return rights for the duration of the initial assignment and for any extensions up to 3 years, with potential to request further return rights to a maximum of 5 years.
  • Return rights for non-USACE Army employees will be negotiated upon selection. If return rights are approved, a return rights agreement/statement of understanding will be required to be completed prior to appointment.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: https://appsupport.usastaffing.gov/hc/en-us/sections/28980686389652-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information.

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.

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 based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the online assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

  • Attention to Detail
  • Customer Service
  • Decision Making
  • Flexibility
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork


Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

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