Videos

As a Mechanical Engineer, you will:

• Perform professional or technical duties such as: designs equipment, structures, or systems using established criteria or specifications; tests material, equipment, or systems for compliance with specifications or for evaluation in terms of operational use; reviews technical aspects of applications, designs, or proposed plans for compliance with laws, regulations, standards, specifications, or other requirements and criteria.
• Conduct advanced mechanical engineering analysis and synthesis of systems used in experimental development studies to advance the frontiers for understanding the interdependent relationships between workplace exposures/hazards found within the industries and the health and safety problems.
• Develop methods and technologies to reduce the risk associated with workplace exposures and hazards.
• Serve as technical advisor and consultant to internal and external customers for a wide range of mining occupational health and safety issues.
• Prepare comprehensive reports of study results which include discussion of substantive health issues and research objectives.

Conditions of employment

Due to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) process enhancement to use Shared Certificates throughout the Agency, some of the requirements below may differ:

• US Citizenship required.
• Males born after December 31, 1959 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (http://www.sss.gov).
• May be subject to a Background/Security Investigation. Security clearance level may differ from the position announced when certificates are shared.
• CDC participates in the USCIS Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify). If selected, CDC will determine your employment eligibility using your social security number.
• Direct deposit is required.
• One-year probationary period may be required.
• This position may be subject to a Collective Bargaining Agreement.
• The incumbent performs work in a laboratory and in both underground and surface mines, requiring passing an underground physical examination.
• The work requires regular and recurring inspections, in which there is a considerable amount of walking stooping, bending and climbing.
• There is regular and recurring exposure to moderate discomforts and unpleasantness, such as high levels of noise, high temperatures, or adverse weather conditions
• This position may be subject to the OGE Financial Disclosure requirements of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 (P.L. 95-521). CDC inspires public confidence in its trust responsibilities and mission by maintaining high ethical principles. If selected, you may be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450) to determine if a conflict or an appearance of a conflict exists between your financial interest and your prospective position with the agency. If identified, this will be an annual requirement.
• In accordance with Executive Order 12564 of September 15, 1986, The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is A Drug-Free Federal Workplace. This position may require a Drug Test and be subject to Random Drug Testing. The position may require the submission of a urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment and be subject to reasonable suspicion and post-accident drug testing upon hiring. If required to submit to urinalysis, the appointment to the position will be contingent upon a negative test result.

Qualifications

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.

Basic Qualifications:

Have 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 (http://www.abet.org/) 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 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. I am currently registered as an Engineer Intern (EI), Engineer in Training (EIT), or licensed 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.

Or

Have a combination of education and 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. I have 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, or Puerto Rico.

Or

Have a combination of education and 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. I have successfully completed at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences that included the courses specified in A above. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program as described in A above.

Or

Have a combination of education and 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. I have successfully completed 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, and have 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.)

Minimum Qualifications:

To qualify at the GS-09 grade level, you must have at least one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-07 grade level, which must include the following experience: assisting engineers and other professionals in the experimental development of engineering control solutions; and analyzing test data to identify discrepancies and provide recommendations for solutions.

Or

Have 2 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree.

Or

Have a combination of experience and education that meets 100% of the qualification requirements.

To qualify at the GS-11 grade level, you must have at least one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-09 grade level, which must include the following experience: performing engineering or research duties, which include designing, conducting, and/or reporting on research studies or equipment development efforts; developing and evaluating engineering solutions and preparing reports of study results to include engineering considerations.

Or

Have 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree.

Or

Have a combination of experience and education that meets 100% of the qualification requirements.

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.

Promotion potential: Promotion to the next grade level is at management's discretion and is based on your meeting qualifications and time-in-grade requirements, demonstrated ability to perform the higher-level duties, the continuing need for the higher-level duties, and administrative approval. Promotion to the next grade level is not guaranteed and no promise of promotion is implied.

How you will be evaluated

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

Additional selections may be made for similar positions across the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) within the local commuting area(s) of the location identified in this announcement. By applying, you agree to have your application shared with interested selecting official(s) at HHS. Clearance of CTAP/ICTAP will be applied for similar positions across HHS.

The utilization of shared certificates for additional selections within the same geographical area can be made from multiple Centers of the Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry (ATSDR).

Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP): For information on how to apply as a(n) CTAP/ICTAP eligible see http://opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp#ictap. To be well-qualified and exercise selection priority for this vacancy, displaced Federal employees must be rated at 85.0 or above on the rating criteria for this position.

The category assignment is a measure of the degree to which your background matches the competencies required for this position. Qualified candidates will be ranked into one of three categories: Best Qualified, Well Qualified or Qualified. The Category Rating Process does not add veterans' preference points but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each category. Preference eligibles who meet the minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent must be listed in the highest quality category (except in the case of scientific or professional positions at the GS-9 level or higher).

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):

• Continuous Development
• Customer Service
• Decision Making
• General Engineering
• Oral Communication
• Problem Solving
• Results Driven
• Written Communication