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Engineering Technician (Civil)

Department of Agriculture
Forest Service
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is part of the Southern Regional Office within Region 8 boundaries.

The incumbent provides technical engineering work on complete conventional projects of limited scope, or a portion of a larger and more diverse project.

For additional information about the duties of this position, please contact LaRue Bryant at jacques.bryant@usda.gov.

See Additional Information section for more information.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
03/13/2023 to 03/27/2023
This job will close when we have received 100 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$33,693 to - $42,022 per year

Salary is listed as Rest of United Stated (RUS) locality. Final salary will be determined at the time of selection dependent on the duty location.

Pay scale & grade
GS 4 - 6
Location
MANY vacancies in the following location:
Location Negotiable After Selection
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
50% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position with overnight lodging for meetings, trainings and project work.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
9 - Full performance level (target grade) may vary based on location of position.
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
23-R8EHE-RO-0802-456-DP
Control number
712262500

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Duties

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  • Duties listed are at the full performance level, GS-09.
  • Using engineering project survey notes, data and specifications, makes designs and layouts of roads, trails, bridges, drainage structures, and other systems of moderate complexity.
  • Makes and/or recommends revised or alternate designs to eliminate or reduce engineering problem areas without undue sacrifice of standards, economy, or esthetics.
  • Ascertains that all information needed for a project is provided in accordance with appropriate design and drafting standards.
  • Recommends changes to correct errors or nonconformance with established design practices and standards.
  • Conducts a wide range of non-standard surveys and data collection activities to provide data for civil engineering project designs.
  • Makes field surveys and collects field data required for engineering plans for design and construction on Forest administrative sites.
  • Administers construction and maintenance contracts to insure compliance with the terms and conditions of the contract.
  • Oversees the development of project plans and specifications prior to contract advertisement to ensure compliance with environmental requirements.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
  • Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service or exempt.
  • Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
  • Successful completion of one-year probationary period, unless previously served.
  • Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
  • Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit E-Verify.

Qualifications

In order to qualify, you must meet the eligibility and qualifications requirements as defined below by the closing date of the announcement. For more information on the qualifications for this position, visit the Office of Personnel Management's General Schedule Qualification Standards.

Your application and resume must clearly show that you possess the experience requirements. Transcripts must be provided for qualifications based on education. Provide course descriptions as necessary.


Basic Requirement:
For the GS-04 level: Applicants must have 6 months of general experience and 6 months of specialized experience equivalent to at least GS-03 grade level; OR an associate's degree or 2 years of successfully completed education above high school (60 semester/90 quarter hours) with major study in an appropriate field of engineering, construction, or industrial technology or that included at least 12 semester hours in any combination of courses such as engineering, engineering or industrial technology, construction, physics, drafting, surveying, physical science, or mathematics (at least 3 of the 12 semester hours must have been in drafting if the position has been designated by a drafting area of specialization); OR combinations of successfully completed post-high school education (in excess of the first 60 semester/90 quarter hours) and specialized experience. The education must have been obtained in an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college or university with courses related to the occupation of the position.
Examples of general experience is defined as one or more of the following: Performed farm/ranch labor, such as feeding and tending livestock or general maintenance of farm/ranch facilities; worked in a greenhouse or nursery moving, watering, and tending plants and performing other general labor tasks; fed and watered animals, such as in a laboratory, pet store, or zoo; and/or any related work experience, paid or unpaid. Unpaid experience, for example, may be regular volunteer work, such as at a park, hospital, community sports league, etc.
Examples of specialized experience includes: Technical work in drafting, surveying construction estimating, physical science, mathematics, aerospace, architecture, chemicals, electrical or mechanical systems, mining, petroleum, or nuclear systems.

For the GS-05 level: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least GS-04 grade level; OR a bachelor's degree or 4 years of successfully completed education above high school (120 semester/180 quarter hours) with major study in an appropriate field of engineering, construction, or industrial technology or that included at least 24 semester hours in any combination of courses such as engineering, engineering or industrial technology, construction, physics, drafting, surveying, physical science, or mathematics (at least 6 of the 24 semester hours must have been in drafting if the position has been designated by a drafting area of specialization); OR combinations of successfully completed post-high school education (in excess of the first 60 semester/90 quarter hours) and specialized experience. The education must have been obtained in an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college or university with courses related to the occupation of the position.
Examples of specialized experience include work: Assisting higher-graded technicians and engineers who work in surveying and civil engineering specializations; processing data according to well-defined methods and established formulas using mathematics, elementary algebra and geometry, and standard formulas; and operating and making operational adjustments to a variety of surveying and testing equipment.

For the GS-06 level: Applicants must have one-year equivalent to the GS-05 grade level. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include work: Assisting higher-graded technicians and engineers who work in surveying and civil engineering specializations; processing data according to well-defined methods and established formulas using mathematics, elementary algebra and geometry, and standard formulas; and operating and making operational adjustments to a variety of surveying and testing equipment.

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 above for education that may be qualifying for the GS-04 and GS-05 grade levels. There is no substitution of education for specialized experience for the GS-06.

Additional information

The USDA Forest Service has legislative authority to recruit and fill Permanent (Career/Career-Conditional), Temporary, and Term Appointments under the USDA Demonstration Project. Under this authority, any U.S. citizen may apply.

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP eligibles must meet the agency's definition for a quality candidate as provided in the How You Will Be Evaluated section of this announcement to be considered.

If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan, and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is not guaranteed.


This position may be eligible to telework up to four days per week, based upon the duties of the position. This position may also be eligible for flexible work arrangements as determined by agency policy and any applicable collective bargaining agreements.

The Forest Service may use certain incentives and hiring flexibilities, currently offered by the Federal government, to attract highly qualified candidates. Additional information is available at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/pay-and-leave-flexibilities-for-recruitment-and-retention/

This is a bargaining unit position and is represented by either NFFE, AFGE, or NAGE.

Forest Service daycare are not available.

Government Housing may be available.

LOCATION INFORMATION: The location is negotiable. However, it must be within 49 miles of a Forest Service Office in the Continental United States Region 8 boundaries (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia). No further negotiation is authorized. Final determination of the duty location for this position will be made by the selecting official prior to the job offer. The salary is listed as Rest of United Stated (RUS) locality. However, final salary will be determined at the time of selection dependent on the duty location of the selectee.

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 in accordance with the category rating procedure as defined in the USDA Demonstration Project Plan. Applicants who meet the basic minimum qualification requirements established for the position will be placed in the Eligible category. You will be further evaluated against criteria for placement in the Quality category. This evaluation is based on the level of your experience, education, and/or training as determined by your responses to the Assessment Questionnaire. Individuals with veterans' preference are listed ahead of applicants who do not have veterans' preference within each category.

Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your score may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities, or you may be found ineligible. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action up to including removal from the Federal service.

To view the application form, visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11866127

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