Clarification from the agency

Open to current and former Federal employees with competitive status, VEOA Applicants AND All U.S. Citizens. This is not a Bargaining unit position.

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As an Engineering Technician (Civil - Construction) at the entry level, you will:

• Assist construction inspector in charge of paving with responsibility for quality assurance of paving operations.
• Assist bridge inspector with checking line and grade, checking forms, placement of reinforced or structural steel or other similar work connected with bridges, large box culverts, or retaining walls.
• Serve as inspector of contractor's surveying operations, responsible for monitoring and evaluating contractor staking.
• Monitor contractor sampling and testing procedures for accuracy and conduct independent assurance sampling.
• Monitor and enforce contractor for compliance with all required quality control responsibilities.
• Observe and evaluate safety precautions of contractor and calls attention to infractions of safety regulations.

The ideal candidate for this position is a technician with education and/or experience in the technical aspects of highway construction, who can ensure compliance with contract specifications, provide technical direction and guidance, and perform contract administration services and support.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen and eligible for consideration.
• Submit application and resume online by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date.
• Submit applicable documentation early for open period review consideration.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

• SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for the Selective Service.
• BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: You will be required to complete a background/security investigation and meet preliminary requirements prior to onboarding.
• TIME-IN-GRADE: Federal applicants must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade to satisfy time-in-grade restrictions contained in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F.
• PROBATIONARY PERIOD: Current Federal employees and non-competitive selectees may need to complete a probationary period (unless already completed).
• DEU REQUIREMENTS: Applicants selected under delegated examining procedures may be required to successfully complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed).
• TELEWORK ELIGIBILITY: This position may be eligible for occasional and/or regularly scheduled telework.  The number of telework days approved will be determined by your immediate supervisor or manager following the agency’s telework policy and guidance. If participating in the telework program, you will be required to sign a telework agreement detailing agency telework policy requirements, working conditions, and expectations for the position. 
• GOVERNMENT TRAVEL CARD: This position involves travel.  A government contractor-issued travel card will be issued and must be retained for official business only.
• DRIVER'S LICENSE: You must have a valid state driver’s license and be fully qualified to operate a government-owned vehicle.
• TRAVEL: The position involves a significant amount of travel away from your duty station for extended periods of time.  Travel may often be to remote locations. You must be willing to travel for extended periods of time, often to remote locations.
• PHYSICAL CONDITIONS: The work requires some physical exertion such as bending, crouching, climbing, lifting, and walking long distances. In addition, you will be exposed to varying weather and terrain conditions.
• FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE: The Ethics in Government Act of 1978 requires the applicant selected for this position to submit a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450) within 30 days of appointment and annually thereafter.

Qualifications

Individual Occupational Requirements for series 0802 (for positions at GS-4 or equivalent and above): This series covers technical positions supervising, leading, or performing work involving applying a practical knowledge of the methods and techniques of engineering or architecture; and construction, application, properties, operations, and limitations of engineering systems, processes, structures, machinery, devices, and materials.

Examples of qualifying specialized experience include technical work in: drafting, surveying construction estimating, physical science, mathematics, aerospace, architecture, chemicals, electrical or mechanical systems, mining, petroleum, or nuclear systems.

Experience in a trade or craft may be credited as specialized experience when the work provided intensive knowledge of engineering principles, techniques, methods, and precedents. Examples are trade positions with substantial developmental, test, or design responsibilities such as:

• Planner and estimator who analyzed designs for production purposes.
• Instrument maker or model maker who performed design or development work on devices fabricated.

For more information refer to: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0800/engineering-technical-series-0802/

To determine which grade(s) you are eligible for, review the following grade specific details.  You will be asked questions as part of your application but make sure to verify how you meet this experience in your resume, and/or upload the applicable education documents, or you may be deemed ineligible.  

For the GS-07:

On Experience, you must have at least one year of specialized experience, equal or equivalent to the GS-05 grade level, which included:

• Experience assisting/monitoring materials sampling and testing; interpreting highway design plans and specifications; and surveying for roadway construction.

Or on Education, you must have at least one (1) full year of graduate education* leading to a master's degree or equivalent with major study in an appropriate field of engineering, construction, or industrial technology.

You can also have a combination of the graduate education* and specialized experience listed above.  This must be fully supported by your resume and transcripts, provided with your application.

Please note that specialized experience requirements for the following grades, 09 and 11, can be met by qualifying experience at the second lower grade level since no one-grade level positions exist in the normal line of progression for this occupation in this organization/location. Also note that Time-In-Grade requirements (for Status applicants) can be met by experience at the second lower grade level for the same reason.

For the GS-09:

On Experience, you must have at least one year of specialized experience, equal or equivalent to the GS-07 grade level, which included:

• Experience evaluating procedures, methods, controls, and operations for compliance with specifications and construction operations as they relate to the construction of roadways.

Or on Education, you must have at least two (2) full years of graduate education* or a master's degree or equivalent with major study in an appropriate field of engineering, construction, or industrial technology.

You can also have a combination of the graduate education and specialized experience listed above.  This must be fully supported by your resume and transcripts, provided with your application.

*Graduate Education - To qualify for GS-0802 positions at grades 07 & 09 based on graduate education (which is education above a Bachelor's degree), the field must be directly related to the position.

For the GS-11:

On Experience, you must have at least one year of specialized experience, equal or equivalent to the GS-09 grade level, which included:

• Experience working on the administration and inspection of Federal, State, or local highway construction projects that include operations such as grading, drainage, concrete and asphalt construction, and traffic flow and maintenance.

You cannot qualify based on education at the GS-11 level, you must have experience.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will also be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas:

• Civil Engineering Technical Knowledge - Knowledge of the concepts, principles and methods required to provide technical assistance to plan, design, construct, operate, and maintain facilities such as buildings, transportation systems, water and sanitary systems, and other public works systems.
• Quality Assurance - Knowledge of the principles, methods, and tools of quality assurance and quality control used to ensure a product fulfills functional requirements and standards.
• Written Communication - Writes in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience.
• Oral Communication - Makes clear and convincing oral presentations. Listens effectively; clarifies information as needed.

For all types of consideration, 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.

Applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

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. 

To compete with U.S. Citizens:  If you meet the qualification requirements, your application will be placed in one of two categories: Qualified and Well Qualified 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.

To compete with other competitive status government employees: If you meet the qualification requirements, your application will be scored based upon your responses to the vacancy questions. The top rated applications will be reviewed for the quality of your experience, education and training relevant to the position. If referred, all relevant documents including performance appraisals and awards submitted with your application package will be forwarded to the hiring official for review.

Eligible Federal employees also seeking consideration for noncompetitive reassignment for this position must indicate interest in the assessment. Noncompetitive federal candidates must have competitive status on a SF-50, meet minimum qualifications, have served at the same grade or higher, and held or exceeded the promotion potential of this position.

All applicants:  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 on your behalf 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.