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Survey Technician-Open to both U.S. Citizens and Federal Employees

Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is in the Technical Services Branch, Western Federal Lands Highway Division, Federal Highway Administration. They serve as an instrument operator and rodman on a survey crew. This includes, using electronic total stations, levels, global positioning system (GPS), and other modern survey equipment. Performs preliminary and location surveys; records and transmits data for use in design and construction operations. The WFLHD projects are in the Northwestern United States and Alaska.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
10/31/2024 to 01/21/2025
Salary
$71,033 to - $101,454 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 10 - 11
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Vancouver, WA
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—This position is eligible for telework. This is not a full-time telework position nor approved as a remote work position.
Travel Required
75% or less - 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
11
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
FHWA.WFL-2025-0002
Control number
816844600

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Duties

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As a Survey Technician, you will:

  • Advise on and resolve difficult and complex, but well-precedented and recurring, challenges involved in survey work, evaluating, and analyzing and how the overall impact.
  • Operate modern survey instruments to conduct topographic surveys, bridge site surveys, cadastral and right-of-way surveys, and establish geodetic control networks.
  • Operate survey instruments and associated survey equipment as needed for the assignment; identify and correct deficiencies; resolve operational problems that may occur; and ensure appropriate interaction between components.
  • Collect data electronically or in field books; make on-site determinations based on data; and act or make recommendations based on preliminary data interpretation or analysis.
  • Utilize and maintain a system using modern survey equipment including Total Stations, Scanners, GPS equipment, digital levels, Unmanned Aircraft Systems, bathymetric equipment, data collectors, personal computers, and related software packages to fully automate collection and transmission of survey data into and out of CADD systems.

The ideal candidate for this position has experience in the Geomatics/Land Surveying field working with modern survey equipment to complete topographic-location surveys, construction surveys, route surveys, cadastral surveys, geodetic surveys, and control network surveys. Candidate has performed survey work in a team setting. Desired values in the candidate include self-motivation, versatility, integrity, resourcefulness, a sound work ethic, positive attitude, teamwork, and a strong commitment to provide internal and external service. This ideal candidate would be able to travel up to approximately 75% of the total time and work in remote areas in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen and eligible for consideration.
  • You must meet specialized experience to qualify.
  • Required documents must be submitted by the closing date.
  • Submit application and resume online by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

  • SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for the Selective Service.
  • GOVERNMENT TRAVEL CARD: This position involves travel.  A government contractor-issued travel card will be issued and must be retained for official business only.
  • 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: You must complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed).
  • TIME-IN-GRADE: Federal applicants must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade in the competitive or excepted service in the executive branch to satisfy time-in-grade restrictions contained in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F.
  • 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.

Qualifications

To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must meet the specialized experience qualifications for the grade at which you are requesting consideration.

To qualify for the Grade 10, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-9, it must include:

  • Experience operating modern survey equipment; AND
  • Experience assisting others in performing surveys and collecting data.
  • Experience in handling, setup, care and modification of electronic instruments and their accessories.


To qualify for the Grade 11, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-10, it must include:

  • Experience assisting others in applying standardized rules and operations, methods, and practices to perform surveys and collect data; AND
  • Experience operating modern survey equipment; AND
  • Experience in assisting in the creation of survey data from Plans and Specifications.


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:

  1. Surveying - Knowledge of the concepts, principles, theories, and methods used in the measurement or determination of land boundaries, distances, elevations, areas, angles, and other features of the earth’s surface.
  2. Technical Competence - Uses knowledge that is acquired through formal training or extensive on-the-job experience to perform one's job; works with, understands, and evaluates technical information related to the job; advises others on technical issues.
  3. Oral Communication (*) - Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately.
  4. Written Communication - Writes in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience.

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

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

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

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

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: Highly Qualified and 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.


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