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Civil Engineer (Structural) - DIRECT HIRE

Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
This job announcement has closed

Summary

The employee is responsible for managing and promoting assigned programs within the State and serves as a technical advisor for the Federal Highway Division (FHWA) Division Office. The employee provides engineering stewardship and oversight for assigned projects/programs and assists with the administration of the structural design, construction and inspection programs.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
06/14/2024 to 06/24/2024
Salary
$80,006 to - $124,659 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 11 - 12
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Lansing, MI
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—The position may be eligible for telework. This is not a full-time telework position or approved as a remote work position.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Occasional travel will be required to attend conferences, meetings, and highway project sites.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—Relocation expenses are authorized for this position.
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time - Full Time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
12
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
FHWA.FO-2024-0133
Control number
795668100

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 not a Bargaining unit position.

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Duties

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As a Civil Engineer (Structural), you will:

  • Assist with the oversight and administration of FHWA structural inspection programs (National Bridge Inspection Program (NBIP) and National Tunnel Inspection Program (NTIP). Evaluate compliance with the National Bridge Inspection Standards (NBIS) and the National Tunnel Inspection Standards (NTIS) and develop strategies to address compliance deficiencies.
  • Evaluate projects in terms of geometric design standards and applications, economic and environmental factors, maintenance and construction costs, traffic analysis and service, aesthetics, and appropriateness for the proposed highway system. Interpret and apply relevant structural codes for testing, design, construction, and maintenance of structures, including seismic design and retrofit.
  • Participate in maintaining and conducting oversight of assigned program areas to ensure infrastructure is designed, constructed, and inspected in accordance with applicable standards and federal funds are expended in accordance with applicable Federal laws and regulations. Assess effectiveness and conformance of assigned program areas. Provide commendations and recommendations regarding compliance.
  • Maintain regular contacts with State DOT and local officials to keep informed of the status and progress of Federal aid projects within the state; to be aware of emerging activities; to participate in all phases of project development and on all other matters or developments that affect the program delivery and stewardship of Federal aid projects.
  • Participate in oversight activities, such as process reviews, product evaluations, and in-depth inspections of Federal aid programs; advise on problems and deficiencies, prepare reports and analysis, coordinate corrective actions, review, and evaluate practices, and share innovative practices, procedures and technologies.

The ideal candidate for this position is an engineering professional with diverse experience in road/bridge design, construction inspection, and program management.

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.
  • BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: You may 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: Varies by position and is determined by the hiring agency.  If selected, a one-year or two-year probationary period may be required.
  • 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.

Qualifications

To meet the basic qualifications for this position, you must (1) meet the Mandatory Education Requirement for the series, (2) provide a copy of your transcripts or other applicable documentation for verification, AND (3) meet the specialized experience requirements for each grade you are applying to. Please review the following information before proceeding with the application process:

(1) All applicants must meet the 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:    

  1. Professional registration or licensure - current registration as an Engineer Intern (EI), engineer in Training (EIT), or licensure as a Professional Engineer (PE).
  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 which included the courses as specified in Paragraph A above.
  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 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.

For additional information, please refer to the OPM qualifications standard for GS-800: All Professional Engineering Positions qualifications at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0800/files/all-professional-engineering-positions-0800.pdf.

(2) Upload the appropriate document(s) to your application for verification purposes.

(3) Specialized Experience:

To determine if you may be eligible, 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 or you may be deemed ineligible.  

For the GS-11:

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

  • Experience assisting in the development and/or evaluation of plans, specifications, and estimates packages for bridges related to transportation projects; AND/OR
  • Experience inspecting bridges under construction; AND/OR
  • Experience inspecting in-service bridges using National Bridge Standards (NBIS).

Or on Education, you must have 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree OR Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree.

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

For the GS-12:

On Experience, you must have at least one year of specialized experience, equal or equivalent to the GS-11 grade level, which included one or more of the following:

  • Experience developing and/or evaluating the quality of plans, specifications, and estimate (PS&E) packages for bridges related to transportation projects; AND/OR
  • Experience inspecting in-service bridges using National Bridge Standards (NBIS); AND/OR
  • Experience inspecting bridges under construction and/or assessing compliance of bridge condition.

Although you must first meet the mandatory education requirement, you cannot qualify for the GS-12 grade based on education, you must meet the specialized experience, which is cited above.

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:

  1. Compliance
  2. Civil and Structural Engineering
  3. Partnering
  4. Oral and Written Communication

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).

Students enrolled in a qualifying degree program can apply to the GS-11 grade based on education 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.

Education

See the Qualifications section for the 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.

The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Transportation and its Operating Administrations from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to the Department of Transportation by email at, FairChanceAct@dot.gov. To learn more, please visit our page at: The Fair Chance to Compete Act | US Department of Transportation 

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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