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General Engineer

Department of Health and Human Services
National Institutes of Health
Office of Research Facilities
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Do you have engineering experience related to facilities construction, renovation, and design? The Office of Research Facilities has General Engineer positions available in two divisions:

The Division of Technical Resources (DTR)
The Division of Design and Construction Management (DDCM)

Please see the responsibilities section below for further information on the roles of each Division.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
01/26/2023 to 02/04/2023
Salary
$112,015 to - $145,617 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 13
Location
2 vacancies in the following location:
Montgomery County
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Not required
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
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
NIH-ORF-DH-23-11793272
Control number
702180000

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

You must be a U.S. Citizen or U.S. National. Foreign nationals or legal permanent residents are not eligible for consideration.

Duties

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As a General Engineer in ORF, you will:

  • Lead planning and design work for substantial multi-phase new construction, renovation, and improvement projects for a variety of real property facilities.
  • Lead site investigations and evaluate data obtained to determine feasibility, topography, and site configuration or condition of structure and essential data prior to initiating design.
  • Direct the preparation of detailed fee estimates and the pertinent correspondence, plans, reports and A/E contract criteria necessary for project completion.
  • Monitor project reviews, readjusting money, schedules and work required to complete assigned projects.
  • Perform final acceptance inspections and complete all administrative actions required to close out assigned projects.
  • Use information management, project tracking and computer aided design and drafting (CADD) programs to solve engineering problems and facilitate work.
  • Ensure construction contractors are meeting local, state and federal health and safety requirements.
For Division of Technical Resources (DTR):The Division of Technical Resources provides technical expertise and consultation, comprehensive design reviews, quality assurance, and oversight for design and construction documents for NIH intramural and extramural biomedical research facilities, animal research facilities, aseptic production facilities, healthcare facilities, data centers at the NIH Central Utilities Plant (CUP), and Cogeneration (COGEN) Plant. DTR performs these functions through an established and systematic design review process that ensures that NIH facility design and construction conforms to applicable regulations, codes and standards, policies, and guidelines. DTR also develops and maintains ORF policies and national and international standards for NIH facilities' design, construction, commissioning, biocontainment certification and operations, and maintenance programs for new, renovated, and leased facilities in the intramural and extramural design and construction program as well as for select grantees. These are based on best practices and state-of-the-art bio-environmental research conducted at the NIH.

For Division of Design and Construction Management (DDCM):The Division of Design and Construction Management leads and manages the NIH research facilities program for engineering, architecture, and construction from planning through contract closeout. DDCM supports the NIH biomedical research mission by providing unique and innovative facility solutions to support intramural research and related functions at the nearly 300-acre Bethesda, MD campus including the world's largest clinical research hospital, laboratories, animal research facilities, and office buildings. DDCM engineering positions are unique within the NIH, and provide the opportunity to work in the complex and specialized field of biomedical research planning, design, and construction. DDCM provides a diverse operating environment including working with all NIH Institutes to deliver construction projects. DDCM projects provide engineers the ability to work in a variety of engineering roles and be involved in building cutting edge research facilities that are truly one of a kind. The construction environment at NIH is dynamic, exciting, and often requires innovative thinking in a multi-disciplinary environment. This requires engineers who think creatively to help develop solutions in partnership with researchers to support the research facility needs. This makes the job extremely interesting and offers a tremendous opportunity to learn and grow as an engineering professional.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship requirement or proof of being a U.S. National must be met by closing date.
  • Employment is subject to the successful completion of a background investigation, verification of qualifications, completion of onboarding forms, submission of required documents, and any other job-related requirement before or after appointment.
  • Applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
  • Males born after December 31, 1959 must be registered with the Selective Service.
  • Position requires completion of a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report, OGE Form 450.
  • Position requires Education. Transcripts required. (See "Qualifications" section of this announcement).
  • DDCM Position is a Tier 2, Non-Emergency, Teleworker.
  • Must obtain Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) certification(s) within the timeframe specified by the supervisor.
  • DTR Position is a Tier 1, emergency essential position.

Qualifications

In order to meet the Basic Qualification Requirements of a General Engineer, GS-0801 position, you must have:

A. a degree in professional engineering from a school of engineering with at least one curriculum accredited by the Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology (ABET) as a professional engineering curriculum; OR

B. a degree in professional engineering that includes differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced that first-year physics and chemistry) in 5 of the following 7 areas of engineering science or physics: (1) statics, dynamics; (2) strength of materials (stress-strain relationships); (3) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (4) thermodynamics; (5) electrical fields and circuits; (6) nature and properties of materials (relating particle and aggregate structure to properties); and (7) any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics; OR

C. be registered as a professional engineer by any State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico; OR

D. be currently registered as an Engineering Intern (EI) or an Engineer in Training (EIT); OR

E. 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.; OR

F. successfully completed at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences and in engineering that included the courses specified in the basic requirements. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of a professional engineering curriculum as described above; OR

G. successfully completed a curriculum that led to a bachelor's degree in engineering technology OR in an appropriate professional field, e.g., physics, chemistry, architecture, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, or geology AND have at least 1 year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance.

In addition, in order to qualify for a General Engineer, GS-0801 position at the GS-13 level, you must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector, performing the following types of tasks: evaluating design and construction objectives and identifying the most economical and efficient procedures for building renovation, design and construction; preparing detailed fee estimates and A/E contract criteria necessary for project completion; conducting studies and developing plans, specifications, and construction requirements such as schedules, costs, labor and materials; coordinating construction projects and resolving problems or conflicts that impede the progress and timely completion of construction projects; and interpreting building codes, regulations, construction standards and guidelines.

You will receive credit for all experience material to the position, including experience gained in religious, civic, welfare, service, and organizational activities, regardless of whether you received pay.

Do not copy and paste the duties, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.

Preview assessment questionnaire before you apply: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11793272

Education

This position has an education requirement. You are strongly encouraged to submit a copy of your transcripts (or a list of your courses including titles, credit hours completed and grades). Unofficial transcripts will be accepted in the application package. Official transcripts will be required from all selectees prior to receiving an official offer. Click here for information on Foreign Education.

Additional information

  • The DDCM position is designated as a "non-emergency/teleworker" position and the selected candidate will be considered a "non-emergency/teleworker" employee. In the event of a closure, you must be available to telework or request leave.
  • The DTR position is designated as an "emergency essential" position and the selected candidate will be considered an "emergency essential" employee and will be required to be available, ready, willing, and able to report for duty under all circumstances (e.g., inclement weather, government closings and holidays, lapses in appropriations, non-emergency and emergency situations) for operation 24 hours a day and 365 days per year coverage.
  • At the supervisor's discretion, this position may offer work schedule flexibilities: [telework (work from home on a regular basis or ad hoc basis but reports to the office at least once a week/two days a pay period), compressed schedules, flexible schedules].
  • If selected, you will be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report, OGE Form 450 to determine if a conflict or an appearance of a conflict exists between your financial interest and your prospective position with the agency. This information is required annually. For information, visit the NIH Ethics website: https://ethics.od.nih.gov/topics/fd.html.
  • A one-year probationary period may be required upon selection/placement.
  • PHS Commissioned Officers interested in performing the duties of this position within the Commissioned Corps should also apply online to this announcement in order to receive consideration.
  • The National Institutes of Health participates in the USCIS Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify). E-Verify helps employers determine employment eligibility of new hires and the validity of their Social Security numbers.
  • The NIH maintains a tobacco free work environment and campus.
  • Must be able to perform the essential duties of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation.
  • Visit our Applicant FAQs page for helpful information on the application process.
  • Visit our Total Compensation page and this sample for a detailed look into the benefits, awards, leave, retirement, and other incentives employees may receive as part of a rewarding work environment.

How you will be evaluated

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

You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):


Additional selections may be made for similar positions across the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) within the local commuting area(s) of the location identified in this announcement. By applying, you agree to have your application shared with interested selecting official(s) at HHS. Clearance of CTAP/ICTAP will be applied for similar positions across HHS.

The position(s) advertised in this announcement are covered by a direct hire authority. Traditional rating and ranking of applicants, including category rating, does not apply to this vacancy. You will be initially evaluated against the basic qualifications only. Qualified applicants will be referred for consideration in accordance with the Office of Personnel Management direct hire guidelines. Veterans' Preference does not apply to positions covered by a direct hire authority.

To determine your qualifications and referral status, we may review your resume and supporting documentation and compare it against your responses to the vacancy questionnaire. Ensure you support your self-ratings by the information you provide in your application. We may verify or assess your qualifications at any time. Inflated or unsupported qualifications may affect your rating. Any misrepresentation or material omission of facts may be sufficient cause to end further consideration of your candidacy. Persons listed as having knowledge of your past accomplishments or experience in your application may be contacted for verification purposes at any time. Verification may, but need not, begin prior to receiving an offer.

To be considered well qualified for the purposes of the Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) and the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP), you must be able to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry and substantively exceed the basic qualifications and meet all eligibility, physical, medical, suitability, and all other requirements.

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