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Civil Engineer (Hwy) (Proj Del/Pave & Mat) -GS-0810-11/12 (Open to U.S. Citizens)

Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
This job announcement has closed

Summary

You will be responsible for managing and promoting assigned Federal highway programs within the State or, as a shared resource, in multiple states. Provide engineering stewardship and oversight at various junctures of Federal aid infrastructure projects within the state (s), and exercise broad discretion for delivery and stewardship of the pavement and materials programs for the State(s). You will also exercise approval authority in line with Division delegations of authority.

This entails working on a broad range of engineering activities in the State associated with the design, construction and maintenance of highways and highway-related facilities. Participating in the development of overall Division Office policy and procedures and in the revision or establishment of national policy on behalf of the Division Office. You will also have the authority to commit the agency to actions on behalf of the Division Office(s) represented in line with delegations of authority.

The ideal candidate is an entry-level to mid-career engineer with experience monitoring Federally-funded highway programs or participating in the delivery of highway projects, from initial scoping through construction support and maintenance; and in the design, construction, and/or maintenance of pavements, utilizing knowledge of highway materials testing and acceptance procedures. In addition, experience in conveying ideas and concepts in meetings and discussions, and in writing would be very desirable.

PLEASE NOTE: This vacancy may be used to fill similar positions within 60 days for these locations.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
02/16/2018 to 03/02/2018
Salary
$61,218 to - $95,388 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 11 - 12
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Lincoln, NE
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Some travel is required.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—Relocation expenses are authorized for this position.
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time - Full Time
Service
Promotion potential
12
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Announcement number
FHWA.FO-2018-0080
Control number
491660400

This job is open to

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Duties

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Serving as the Civil Engineer (Highway), you will:

  • Provide engineering stewardship and oversight at various junctures of Federal aid infrastructure project development within the state (s), and exercise broad discretion for project delivery and stewardship of the pavement and materials programs for the State.
  • Serve as a key technical advisor in meetings, telephone contacts, public hearings, field reviews, and visits with State DOT officials and other Federal, State, and local agencies regarding assigned program areas and in assisting in the implementation of leadership initiatives.
  • Communicate and apply Federal laws, regulations, and FHWA policies applicable to Federal aid projects within the State DOT project development process.
  • Monitor highway and other infrastructure improvements to determine if they are constructed to a desired quality and whether Federal aid construction funds are being expended in a manner consistent with applicable Federal laws and regulations.
  • Participate in assessments of State programs for effectiveness and compliance, and provide recommendations to partners for performance and operational improvements, and guidance on corrective actions.
  • Review projects in accordance with the Division’s risk-based stewardship and oversight plan. This may include review of plans, specifications and estimates (PS&E) for appropriate application of design standards and criteria, conformance with policy and regulations, eligibility for Federal participation, traffic safety features, reasonableness of estimated unit prices, fulfillment of requirements from the transportation planning and NEPA process, and proper standard an special specifications and contract provisions.
  • Participate in and contribute to Division program management activity including development of stewardship and oversight plans, conducting risk assessments, development of strategic operations and business plans, promoting the implementation of a performance-based planning and programming process to partner agencies, identifying and tracking performance measures, and the associated reporting process.
  • Serve as the Division's resource for pavement management and pavement engineering and provides technical guidance and assistance on pavement systems, design, construction, maintenance of new and rehabilitated pavement structures. Promote new technology in all pavement- and materials-related activities. This includes but is not limited to products, findings, and methods related to the Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP).
  • Serve as Division's technical expert/resource for all phases of materials engineering, including testing methods, material acceptance programs, specifications, and state-of-the-art practices.

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
  • Announcement also advertised Status & VEOA Applicants: FHWA.FO-2018-0079.

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).

Qualifications

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

MANDATORY EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS:

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

A. Successful completion of a degree in engineering that: (1) has at least one program accredited by 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 more specifics, please see 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



SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:

To qualify on for the GS-11 on Experience, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-09, it must include:


  • Experience in planning, design, or construction of highway or transportation project features (such as roads, bridges, or appurtenant structures) in accordance with engineering design and construction standards, principles and methods; and/or in performing pavement inventories, pavement design, or maintenance activities.



To qualify for the GS-11 on Education alone, you must have:
  • 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree.
  • You can also qualify based on a combination of higher level graduate education and experience. This must be fully supported by your resume and transcripts, provided with your application.



To qualify on for the GS-12 on Experience, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-11, it must include:


  • Experience in planning, design, or construction of highway or transportation project features (such as roads, bridges, or appurtenant structures) in accordance with engineering design and construction standards, principles and methods; and applying pavement management principles, pavement design and rehabilitation strategies to the work. AND
  • Experience consulting with others to develop alternatives and help to resolve engineering issues or conflicts that arise with processes or outcomes.


You cannot qualify for the GS-12 on Education, you must have Experience.



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.

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.

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.

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.
To preview questions please click here.

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