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General Engineer

Department of Energy
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Summary

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is ranked within the top 5 mid-size agencies through the Partnership for Public Service’s Best Places to Work in the Federal Government Rankings! This General Engineer position is in the Office of Energy Projects. For more information visit: Office of Energy Projects (OEP).

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
02/26/2026 to 03/09/2026
Salary
$121,785 to - $158,322 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 13
Location
Few vacancies in the following location:
Washington, DC
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
25% or less - You may be expected to travel up to 25% for this position to include consecutive overnight stays to attend site visits, meetings, conferences, and training.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-Time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
13
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
Yes
Announcement number
HQ-DHA-2026-0006
Control number
859010900

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Duties

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This General Engineer position is in the Division of Hydropower Licensing in Washington, DC in the Office of Energy Projects.

As a General Engineer, some of your typical work assignments may include:

  • Assembling and analyzing diverse data on engineering economics, need for power, hydroelectricity generation, hydroelectricity transmission, geology and soils, sediment transport, river hydrology, groundwater, and marine environments as they relate to the construction, modification, operation, and maintenance of hydropower and hydrokinetic projects
  • Preparing input to correspondence, orders, and environmental documents, including sections related to need for power, project economics, and comprehensive development of the waterway.
  • Participating in and may be involved with the planning and execution of settlement conferences and technical sessions on complex and diverse engineering, geology and soils, sediment transport, river hydrology, groundwater, and marine environment related matters.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
  • A background investigation is required.
  • This is a bargaining unit position (AFGE Local 421)
  • Generally, male applicants must be registered with the Selective Service.
  • This position has an education requirement, you must submit transcripts.
  • Relocation expenses will not be paid.
  • If hired, you may be required to divest certain energy-related securities.
  • Maximum of 2 page resume.
  • A one-year probationary period may be required.

You must meet all eligibility and qualification (experience and/or education) requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:
• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.
Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

To view the eligibility and qualification requirements of a General Engineer,GS-0801, please visit: General Engineer, 0801.

In addition to the education required for this position, you must have one full year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-12 level. Specialized experience is defined as: experience preparing documents that assess engineering issues associated with existing or proposed water-based infrastructure projects (such as dams, levees, surface water intakes, canals, flumes, or hydropower projects). 

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 any volunteer experience.

Please do not cut and paste  the position description, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire from this announcement into your resume, as this will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.

Education

This position has an education requirement and therefore, transcripts are required. Failure to submit a copy of your transcripts at the time of application will result in your application being marked incomplete and you will not receive further consideration.

Additional information

Our employees ranked FERC as a top 5 mid-size agency in Effective Leadership according to the Partnership for Public Service’s Best Places to Work in the Federal Government!  In addition, FERC was also ranked #1 in Work-Life Balance and we are proud to offer telework and workplace flexibilities in accordance with agency policy.

If selected for this position, you will be required to:

  • Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) to determine your suitability for Federal employment.
  • Have your Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of your choice.
  • Go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S. FERC also participates in the USCIS Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify). For more information about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit: http://www.uscis.gov/e-verify.
  • Attend a mandatory ethics training. We are governed by the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) Standards of Conduct, the criminal conflict of interest statutes, and FERC’s supplemental ethics regulation, which specifically prohibits FERC employees from holding certain energy-related securities. To comply with these regulations and statutes, divestiture of at least some energy securities is likely to be required after you begin employment. See 5 C.F.R. 2634-41; 18 U.S.C. 201-208; 5 C.F.R. 3401. If selected, you may also be required to file a financial disclosure statement within 30 days of appointment.
  • Receive authorization from OPM on any job offer you receive, if you are or were (within the last 5 years) a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-Career SES employee in the Executive Branch.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

How you will be evaluated

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

  1. Once the vacancy announcement closes, we will review your resume and any supporting documentation to determine whether you meet the eligibility and minimum qualification requirements for the position. Your resume must address the following competencies (knowledge, skills, and abilities, and other characteristics):

    Engineering

    Written Communication

    Verbal Communication

  2. The online assessment is used to evaluate your relevant education and experience in relation to the required competencies for this position.
  3. If you meet the eligibility and minimum qualification requirements, your application will be forwarded to the selecting official for consideration. Veterans’ preference and category rating procedures do not apply for this announcement under Direct Hire Authority regulations. For more information, visit: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-information/direct-hire-authority/#url=Overview.
  4. You may be required to participate in a selection interview. Please note - only your resume and cover letter will be forwarded to the selecting official.

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