As a Research Materials Engineer, you will serve as a researcher responsible for managing FHWA’s asphalt materials research program; identifying, planning, conducting, managing, and coordinating research and development activities associated with asphalt and other flexible pavement materials. You will also serve as the Federal Laboratory Manager for the Asphalt Binder and Mixtures Laboratory, leading national-level research and assisting in deployment of research findings.
Summary
As a Research Materials Engineer, you will serve as a researcher responsible for managing FHWA’s asphalt materials research program; identifying, planning, conducting, managing, and coordinating research and development activities associated with asphalt and other flexible pavement materials. You will also serve as the Federal Laboratory Manager for the Asphalt Binder and Mixtures Laboratory, leading national-level research and assisting in deployment of research findings.
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 not a Bargaining unit position.
Manage FHWA’s asphalt materials research program and the Asphalt Binder and Mixtures Laboratory.
Identify, plan, conduct, and coordinate research and development activities.
Oversee progress of studies, projects, and contracts involving asphalt materials research.
Evaluate findings and promote the use of research results.
Prepare technical materials for peer reviewed journals, reports, and FHWA websites.
The ideal candidate is a professional with experience in managing research and development projects, and laboratory facilities in the conduct of an infrastructure materials research program focused on asphalt and other flexible pavement materials.
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.
BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: You will be required to complete a background/security investigation and meet preliminary requirements prior to onboarding.
PCS/RELOCATION/RECRUITMENT: Permanent Change of Station (PCS), Relocation, and Recruitment Incentive authorization varies by position/selection and a service agreement may be required.
PROBATIONARY PERIOD: Applicants may be required to successfully complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed).
GOVERNMENT TRAVEL CARD: This position involves travel. A government contractor-issued travel card will be issued and must be retained for official business only.
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.
CERTIFICATION: You will be required to obtain and maintain a FAC-COR (Federal Acquisition Certification for Contracting Officer's Representatives) Level II certification.
Qualifications
To meet the basic qualifications for this position, you must (1) meet the Mandatory Education Requirement for the series, AND (2) provide a copy of your transcripts or other applicable documentation for verification and (3) meet the specialized experience for each grade you are applying to. Please review the following information before proceeding with the application process:
(1) All applicants must meet the education requirements under A or B to qualify for applying to an engineering position:
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 the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET); or (2) that included differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced that first year physics and chemistry) in five of the following seven areas of engineering science or physics: (a) statics, dynamics; (b) strength of materials; (c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (d) thermodynamics; (e) electrical fields and circuits; (f) nature and properties of materials; and (g) any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics;
OR
B. Combination of education or training: college level education, training and/or technical experience that has 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:
Professional registration or licensure - current registration as an Engineer Intern (EI), engineer in Training (EIT), or licensure as a Professional Engineer (PE).
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.
Specified academic courses - Successful completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences which included the courses as specified in Paragraph A above.
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 had at least 1 year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance. There should be either an established plan of intensive training to develop professional engineering competence, or several years of prior professional engineering type experience. This must be clearly described in your resume.
(2) Upload the appropriate document(s) to your application for verification purposes.
(3) Specialized Experience:
To determine which grade(s) you may be eligible for, review the following grade specific details. You will be asked a few questions as part of your application but make sure to verify how you meet this experience in your resume.
Note: Students enrolled in a qualifying degree program can apply to the GS-12 grade 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.
For the GS-12:
On Experience, you must have at least one year of experience, equal or equivalent to the GS-11 grade level, which included:
Experience conceiving, formulating, conducting, and disseminating research studies.
Or on Education, you must have Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree.
You can also have a combination of graduate level education, beyond the second full year, and sufficient specialized experience as described above. This must be fully supported by your resume and transcripts, provided with your application.
For the GS-13: You must have at least one year of experience, equal or equivalent to the GS-12 grade level, which included:
Experience with asphalt and flexible pavement materials conceiving, formulating, conducting, and disseminating research studies to a broad audience, including senior management officials.
For the GS-14: You must have at least one year of experience, equal or equivalent to the GS-13 grade level, which included:
Experience managing a transportation infrastructure research program; AND
Experience with asphalt and flexible pavement materials conceiving, formulating, conducting, and disseminating research studies to a broad audience, including senior management officials.
Note: Although you must first meet the mandatory education requirement for this series, you cannot qualify for the GS-13 and GS-14 grades based solely on education, you must meet the specialized experience, which is cited above for each grade.
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:
Civil Engineering - Knowledge of the concepts, principles, theories, and methods required to plan, design, construct, operate, and maintain facilities such as buildings, transportation systems, water and sanitary systems, and other public works systems.
Materials Engineering - Knowledge of the concepts, principles, theories, and methods related to the composition, structures, and properties of materials, their use, behavior and performance under environmental influences, and the identification, processing, and manufacture of optimal materials for various applications.
Research - Knowledge of the scientific principles, methods, and processes used to conduct a systematic and objective inquiry; including study, design, collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; and the reporting of results.
Problem Solving - Identifies and analyzes problems, weighs relevance and accuracy of information; generates and evaluates alternative solutions; makes recommendations.
Creativity and Innovation - Develops new insights into situations; questions conventional approaches; encourages new ideas and innovations; designs and implements new or cutting-edge programs/processes.
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 the Qualifications section for Mandatory Education Requirements.
Additional information
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.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
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.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
ALL Applicants must provide a resume that fully supports the required specialized experience and was created within USA Jobs Resume Builder and respond to the vacancy questions by the closing date of the vacancy.
TRANSCRIPTS - Transcripts are REQUIRED per the mandatory education requirement for the series, and also if you are applying based on education for the GS-12 grade. The transcripts need not be official, but must show that you meet the stated education requirements, including specific major or class requirements.
Foreign education must be reviewed by an organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. You must show proof the education credentials have been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education program. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education and a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, see the Department of Education website.
If you are qualifying based on possessing a current Professional Engineer (PE) license, or passing the Engineer in Training (EIT) exam, please provide a copy of the PE license or written document showing proof of passing the EIT.
DISPLACED EMPLOYEES: If requesting consideration under the Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or Interagency CTAP program (ICTAP), you must meet the well qualified standards for this vacancy (meeting minimum requirements for position and scoring at least an 85) and provide all of the following documents:
your most recent performance appraisal,
the proof of eligibility letter from the Agency, and
your most current SF-50, displaying current series and grade.
Displaced employees may be eligible for ICTAP or CTAP priority consideration.
Failure to submit any of the required documents by the closing date of the vacancy will result in your removal from consideration for this position. Please review your application prior to final submission and ensure you have submitted all appropriate documents. Uploading documents to USA Jobs does NOT ensure inclusion with your application to our system. You must verify that the documents are in the system with your application prior to final submission.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
You must submit a complete application package (including resume, vacancy questions and supporting documents) no later than 11:59 pm (EST) on the closing date of the announcement.
To begin, click the "Apply Online" button on the job announcement posting.
Follow the directions to register, submit all required documents and complete the assessment questionnaire.
You may review your saved application(s) at https://my.usajobs.gov.
If you are having difficulty applying online, please contact the DOT Automated Staffing Office via email at: Transjobs@dot.gov
DOT, FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION
Submit Application and Documents Online
1200 New Jersey Ave SE / HAHR - 50
Washington, District of Columbia 20590
United States
Next steps
You may check your application status by logging into USAJobs.com (Select "My USAJobs" and click "Applications". Within two weeks of the closing date, a Human Resources Specialist will evaluate your application. Qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager. If you are selected for an interview, the hiring agency will contact you directly. Once the position is filled, we will notify all applicants of their final status.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
ALL Applicants must provide a resume that fully supports the required specialized experience and was created within USA Jobs Resume Builder and respond to the vacancy questions by the closing date of the vacancy.
TRANSCRIPTS - Transcripts are REQUIRED per the mandatory education requirement for the series, and also if you are applying based on education for the GS-12 grade. The transcripts need not be official, but must show that you meet the stated education requirements, including specific major or class requirements.
Foreign education must be reviewed by an organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. You must show proof the education credentials have been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education program. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education and a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, see the Department of Education website.
If you are qualifying based on possessing a current Professional Engineer (PE) license, or passing the Engineer in Training (EIT) exam, please provide a copy of the PE license or written document showing proof of passing the EIT.
DISPLACED EMPLOYEES: If requesting consideration under the Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or Interagency CTAP program (ICTAP), you must meet the well qualified standards for this vacancy (meeting minimum requirements for position and scoring at least an 85) and provide all of the following documents:
your most recent performance appraisal,
the proof of eligibility letter from the Agency, and
your most current SF-50, displaying current series and grade.
Displaced employees may be eligible for ICTAP or CTAP priority consideration.
Failure to submit any of the required documents by the closing date of the vacancy will result in your removal from consideration for this position. Please review your application prior to final submission and ensure you have submitted all appropriate documents. Uploading documents to USA Jobs does NOT ensure inclusion with your application to our system. You must verify that the documents are in the system with your application prior to final submission.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
You must submit a complete application package (including resume, vacancy questions and supporting documents) no later than 11:59 pm (EST) on the closing date of the announcement.
To begin, click the "Apply Online" button on the job announcement posting.
Follow the directions to register, submit all required documents and complete the assessment questionnaire.
You may review your saved application(s) at https://my.usajobs.gov.
If you are having difficulty applying online, please contact the DOT Automated Staffing Office via email at: Transjobs@dot.gov
DOT, FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION
Submit Application and Documents Online
1200 New Jersey Ave SE / HAHR - 50
Washington, District of Columbia 20590
United States
Next steps
You may check your application status by logging into USAJobs.com (Select "My USAJobs" and click "Applications". Within two weeks of the closing date, a Human Resources Specialist will evaluate your application. Qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager. If you are selected for an interview, the hiring agency will contact you directly. Once the position is filled, we will notify all applicants of their final status.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
