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Civil Engineer

Department of Agriculture
Forest Service
This job announcement has closed

Summary

A Relocation or Recruitment Incentive may be available.

This is an open and continuous announcement. See Additional Information section for more information. Applications will expire every 90 days. To remain active for consideration, applicants must resubmit their application. Positions may be filled at one or more of the duty locations included in this announcement.

For more information please contact SM.FS.AKPermHire@usda.gov.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
05/01/2023 to 09/29/2023
Salary
$64,660 to - $79,090 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 7 - 9
Locations
Few vacancies in the following locations:
Anchorage, AK
Craig, AK
Hoonah, AK
Juneau, AK
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—You may qualify for reimbursement of relocation expenses or a recruitment or relocation incentive in accordance with agency policy.
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time - Positions filled will be full time or seasonal 18/8 or 13/13.
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
11 - The promotion potential of positions filled will be GS-09 or 11, final determination at time of the job offer.
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-R10OCR-CIVENG-07-11-DP
Control number
722858300

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Duties

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  • Duties listed are at the full performance level; GS-09 - These positions serve as a civil engineer on a Forest Service unit performing a variety of typical engineering duties.
  • Plans and conducts civil engineering projects according to clear and specified objectives.
  • Plans and carries out work in accordance with approaches that have been structured by others.
  • Conducts preliminary surveys and site investigations to obtain baseline and field data on soils, topography, drainage, existing structures and utilities, and feasible layout of proposed roads, facilities or structures in relation to terrain.
  • Investigates various routes and locations for proposed roads and trails using aerial photos and topographic maps.
  • Performs location reconnaissance and flags routes along corridors established by the transportation plan.
  • Prepares location reports.
  • Determines most economical design to meet multiple use needs and construction feasibility.
  • Prepares design criteria for smaller or less complex portions of conventional roads, facilities, utility systems, or structures.
  • Prepares completed road designs involving drainage structures, base and surfacing analysis, and special structures using basic survey data.
  • Computes quantities and makes cost estimates based on cost data and knowledge of project, terrain, and climate.
  • Makes field inspections of problems or questionable areas indicated by field notes to obtain information for clarification.
  • Makes inspections and evaluation of the conditions of facilities and structures to insure accuracy, existing standards, codes, regulations and requirements, and suitability of final design.
  • Participates in field surveys and investigations of existing facilities and utility systems to ensure that maintenance and repair schedules and procedures conform to safety, health, and regulatory requirements.
  • Supervises inspection of construction operations for compliance with intent of design and specifications.
  • Investigates need for and prepares engineering data for change orders, considering conditions at work site, field measurements and computations, and local prices, sometimes discussing and working out details with contractor personnel
  • Serves as Contracting Officers Representative (COR), Engineering Representative (ER), or inspector as assigned.
  • Observes and investigates construction at all stages to identify problems, take timely action to change designs within delegated authority, or recommend changes to solve problems such as unusual foundation conditions
  • Interprets safety regulations, promotes overall safe working conditions and assures that safe practices are followed during projects.
  • Conducts preliminary site investigations to obtain field data on existing structures

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:

GS-0810 Series

Must have an Engineering Degree. To be acceptable, the program must: (1) lead to a bachelor's degree in a school of engineering with at least one program accredited by ABET; or (2) include differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced than first-year physics and chemistry) in five of the following seven areas of engineering science or physics: (a) statics, dynamics; (b) strength of materials (stress-strain relationships); (c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (d) thermodynamics; (e) electrical fields and circuits; (f) nature and properties of materials (relating particle and aggregate structure to properties); and (g) any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics.

OR:

Have a combination of education and experience -- college-level education, training, and/or technical experience that 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) by any State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico. Absent other means of qualifying under this standard, those applicants who achieved such registration by means other than written test (e.g., State grandfather or eminence provisions) are eligible only for positions that are within or closely related to the specialty field of their registration. For example, an applicant who attains registration through a State Board's eminence provision as a manufacturing engineer typically would be rated eligible only for manufacturing engineering positions.

(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 and that included the courses specified in the basic requirements under paragraph A. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program as described in paragraph A.

(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 has had at least 1 year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance. Ordinarily there should be either an established plan of intensive training to develop professional engineering competence, or several years of prior professional engineering-type experience, e.g., in interdisciplinary positions. (The above examples of related curricula are not all inclusive.)

In addition to meeting the basic requirement, you must also possess experience and/or directly related education in the amounts listed below.

Specialized Experience Requirement:

For the GS-07: You must have one year specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service. Qualifying specialized experience includes meeting at least one of the following specialized experience examples: (1) Assisted with the completion of engineering surveys for civil engineering projects. (2) Completed reviews for adequacy and soundness of plans and specifications. (3) Assisted with the inspections of contract construction for roads or bridges, or buildings or other civil engineering projects to ensure compliance with plans or specification or other contract terms. (4) Assisted with the inspection of the condition of infrastructure assets to determine maintenance and repair needs. (5) Assisted with engineering project tasks.

OR:

Have Superior Academic Achievement (click the link to determine if you are eligible: http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/policy/ApplicationOfStds-04.asp)

OR:

Completed one full year of graduate level education (coursework directly related to Engineering).

OR:

Completed a 5-year program of study of at least 160 semester hours leading to a bachelor's degree in engineering.

OR:

A combination of graduate level education and specialized experience. Professional engineering experience is defined as nonroutine engineering work that required and was characterized by (1) professional knowledge of engineering; (2) professional ability to apply such knowledge to engineering problems; and (3) positive and continuing development of professional knowledge and ability.

For the GS-09: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level. Qualifying specialized experience includes meeting at least one of the following examples: 1) Assisted in the design and development of construction drawings and specifications for civil engineering projects. 2) Assisted with construction inspection oversight or 3) Performed assigned engineering project tasks under the supervision of a senior engineer.

OR:

Completed 2 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree (coursework directly related to Engineering).

OR:

Completed a 5-year program of study of at least 160 semester hours leading to a bachelor's degree in engineering and 1 year of appropriate professional experience.

OR:

Have a combination of superior academic achievement and 1 year of appropriate professional experience.

OR:

Have a combination of specialized experience and education (only graduate education in excess of 18 semester hours may be used to qualify applicants for this grade level). Professional engineering experience is defined as nonroutine engineering work that required and was characterized by (1) professional knowledge of engineering; (2) professional ability to apply such knowledge to engineering problems; and (3) positive and continuing development of professional knowledge and ability.

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 listed above that may be qualifying for the specific grade level.

Additional information

The salary amount will be adjusted to include a Cost of Living Allowance (COLA). A gradually reducing COLA will continue to be paid after December 31, 2012. COLA will not be eliminated until 65% of the locality pay equals the frozen COLA rate. See the OPM website at: http://www.opm.gov/oca/cola/index.asp for additional information.

This type of announcement provides the Forest Service with a readily available source of applicants when vacancies occur. Eligibility and qualifications will be verified when there is a vacancy for the location and grade for which you applied. Information on specific locations where jobs are being filled and the dates when applications are due for these locations can be found on the Forest Servicewebsite.

Positions filled will be full-time; or full-time seasonal with either 13 pay periods of guaranteed pay status and 13 pay periods of nonpay time or 18 pay periods of guaranteed pay status and 8 pay periods of nonpay time.

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.

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.

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.

The positions 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/

Positions filled from this announcement may be a bargaining or a non-bargaining unit position represented by either NFFE, AFGE or NAGE.
THIS IS AN OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT. This type of announcement provides the Forest Service with a readily available source of applicants when vacancies occur. Eligibility and qualifications will be verified when there is a vacancy for the location and grade for which you applied. Information on specific locations where jobs are being filled and the dates when applications are due for these locations can be found at https://fsoutreach.gdcii.com/Outreach.

We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies.

Forest Service daycare facilities may be available at the Federal building in Juneau at cost to the employee.

Government Housing may be available depending on location.

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/11950521

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