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General Engineer (Program Manager) - DIRECT HIRE

Department of Transportation
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is located in the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), in the Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS). The Office of Pipeline Safety is responsible for carrying out a national program to ensure the safe, reliable, and environmentally sound operation of the nation’s natural gas and hazardous liquid pipeline transportation system.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
10/26/2023 to 11/06/2023
Salary
$118,071 to - $153,490 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 14
Location
2 vacancies in the following location:
Anywhere in the U.S. (remote job)
Remote job
Yes
Telework eligible
Not applicable, this is a remote position.
Travel Required
50% or less - Some travel will be required.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time - Full Time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
14
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Top Secret
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
High Risk (HR)
Trust determination process
Announcement number
PHMSA.PSRG-2024-0002
Control number
756959300

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted from any U.S. citizen. Direct Hire Authority will be used to fill this position. The 'Rule of Three', Veterans Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants does not apply to this vacancy. This is a Bargaining unit position represented by local 8888.

Duties

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As a General Engineer (Program Manager), you will:

  • Facilitate discussions strengthening pipeline (including control room, LNG and UNGS) Operators’ Cyber Security programs.
  • Stay aware of current Cyber Security threats and mitigation techniques.
  • Identify improvements and strategies designed to strengthen Operators Cyber Security programs associated with Operational Technology (OT) systems.
  • Reviewing and providing technical expertise on security and cyber-security related policies.
  • Assist with internal Cyber Security training specific to (OT) systems for PHMSA staff.
  • Provide accident or other investigation assistance, when necessary, assist with implementation of the CRM Inspection plan including developing strategies for program success.
  • Execute CRM inspections and associated CRM inspection enforcement.

The ideal candidate for this position is an experienced Cyber Security expert. Cyber Security experience and background is required for successful, meaningful communication with pipeline operators regarding OT structure vulnerabilities and threat assessment. Prior Cyber Security experience will be used to help assess and identify strength and weaknesses along with areas of improvement for Operators programs and to provide training designed to increase PHMSA Cyber Security knowledge and understanding.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. citizen & meet specialized experience to qualify
  • Submit application and resume online by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date
  • Required documents must be submitted by the closing date.
  • Direct Hire Authority will be used to fill this position

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

  • SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for the Selective Service.
  • FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE: The applicant selected is required to submit a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450) within 30 days of appointment and annually thereafter.
  • GOVERNMENT TRAVEL CARD: This position involves travel.  A government contractor-issued travel card will be issued and must be retained for official business only.
  • SALARY INFO: If selected, your starting salary may be different that what is listed above, as salaries are based upon your duty location. All locality pay tables are available on the OPM website:
    https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/
  • SECURITY CLEARANCE: This position requires a Top-Secret security clearance, or the ability to obtain one within one year of appointment.
  • DRUG TESTING: Tentatively selected candidates are required to undergo urinalysis in accordance with DOT 3910.1D entitled "Drug and Alcohol-Free Departmental Workplace", which includes testing for marijuana. Marijuana is legal in some states, however it’s still illegal at the federal level. Therefore, if selected for the position you will be required to submit to a pre-employment/pre-appointment drug test, you will also be subject to Random Drug Testing.
  • RELOCATION AUTHORIZED: Permanent Change of Station (PCS), Relocation, and Recruitment Incentive authorization varies by position/selection.
  • PROBATIONARY PERIOD: Applicants 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 the specialized experience requirements.

To qualify for the Grade 15, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equal or equivalent to the GS-14, it must include:

  • Experience and insight with Operational Technology (OT) structure (software and hardware) and Cybersecurity vulnerability assessments and protection strategies.
  • Experience with the identification of equipment, specialty training, and/or software tools needed to develop and enhance PHMSA internal strength on OT Cyber Security aspects.
  • Experience performing and providing inspection feedback on customer relationship management (CRM) plans and programs, executing enforcement on CRM inspection findings as necessary, and providing input on the prioritization of which pipeline operators should receive the most regulatory oversight.

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

  • Compliance Inspection: Ability to direct an enforcement program in order to determine probable violations, assess preliminary civil penalties, issue proposed compliance orders, issue corrective action order, act as a senior official at enforcement hearings, evaluate response material, recommend final enforcement actions and issue warning letters.
  • Technical Competence: Skill in assuring that field actions comply with national policies, objectives, and regulations, as well as ensuring those regional programs are compatible with environmental, social, and economic goals and needs.
  • General Engineering: Knowledge of the concepts, principles, and theories of engineering and their practical applications.

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.

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

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



Education

MANDATORY EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS:

A. Degree: Engineering 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

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)1 , 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).

(2) Specialized Experience:
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 or you may be deemed ineligible.

(3) Upload the appropriate document(s) to your application for verification purposes. (Refer to 'Required Documents' section for additional guidance).
Students enrolled in a qualifying degree program can apply if the anticipated graduation date is within six months of the closing date of this announcement. If selected, the final transcript must be received before your start date.  Other applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement. Transcripts are required for this position.

Additional information

The agency has the option of extending a term appointment up to the 4-year limit.

This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if similar vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.

Qualified CTAP/ICTAP candidates receive priority and will be referred to the hiring manager.

How you will be evaluated

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

For this announcement, all applicants will be reviewed to determine if they meet the basic qualifications for this position, specifically the educational requirements.  Applications that are verified to meet the basic qualifications will be referred to the selecting official.

Applicants will not be rated or ranked.  Veteran’s Preference does NOT apply.

DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE: PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC.  WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.  All answers provided in the on-line process must be substantiated by a resume.  If, upon review, it is determined that your resume and/or supporting documents do not support your answer choices, your application may be removed from consideration.

Please ensure that your work history provides enough details to support your answers. 


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