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Mechanical Engineer

General Services Administration
Federal Acquisition Service

Summary

As a Mechanical Engineer, you will serve as a technical specialist for the organization in the application of advanced engineering theories, concepts, principles and processes for an assigned area of responsibility.

Location of position: General Services Administration, Federal Acquisition Service, Location Negotiable After Selection

We are currently filling three vacancies, but additional vacancies may be filled as needed.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
04/15/2026 to 04/28/2026
Salary
$106,437 - $172,980 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 13
Locations
3 vacancies in the following locations:
San Francisco, CA
Lakewood, CO
Washington, DC
Orlando, FL
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—This position is full-time in the office. In rare instances, situational telework may be approved on a case-by-case basis.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Occasional travel may be required.
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
No
Announcement number
QS-2026-0008
Control number
865270000

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Your application will be considered if you are a: • Internal GSA/Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) employee • GSA surplus or displaced employees in the local commuting area who qualify for the Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) • You must be serving on a career or career-conditional appointment, or under a noncompetitive Special Appointing Authority which provides for conversion to a permanent position in the Competitive Service.

Duties

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As a Mechanical Engineer, you will perform the following duties:

  • Review industry standards, test methods, and technology to ensure they are used in Federal Product Descriptions (FPD's) or agency technical contract support documents. Apply a wide range of qualitative and quantitative methods to assess and improve program effectiveness for complex management processes, projects, and systems.
  • Develop new specifications and standards and modify existing specifications and standards for assigned items. Review proposed and existing military specifications and standards used in Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) procurement.
  • Present findings and recommendations for preparing activities. Develops and maintains FPD's, Commercial Item Descriptions (CID's), Item Purchase Descriptions (IPD's), Federal specifications and other agency technical contract support documents.
  • Act as an agency representative to industry for assigned commodity areas (i.e., serves on technical industry standards committees; clarify and interpret specifications and standards, etc.). Represent the organization in high level conferences and meetings in explaining and interpreting policies and requirements to others, and in negotiating important issues with other groups.
  • Identify and recommend items for either elimination or addition to the GSA supply system based upon projected economies and standardization studies. Evaluate and make recommendations concerning the disposition of supplier requests for deviations from technical contractual obligations.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • US Citizenship or National (Residents of American Samoa and Swains Island)
  • Meet all eligibility criteria within 30 days of the closing date
  • Meet time-in-grade within 30 days of the closing date, if applicable
  • Register with the Selective Service if you are a male born after 12/31/1959

If selected, you must meet the following conditions:

  • Serve a one year probationary period, if required.
  • Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C or Non­Career SES employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the HR Office. Failure to disclose this information could result in disciplinary action including removal from Federal Service.
  • Undergo and pass a background investigation (Tier 2 investigation level).

Qualifications

For each job on your resume, provide:

  • the exact dates you held each job (from month/year to month/year)
  • number of hours per week you worked (if part time).    

If you have volunteered your service through a National Service program (e.g., Peace Corps, Americorps), we encourage you to apply and include this experience on your resume.

The GS-13 salary range starts at $106,437 per year. Locality will be determined based on duty location.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR ENGINEERS: A Degree in professional engineering OR a combination of college-level education, training, and/or technical experience. For specifics on qualifying education and/or experience - use the following link: Basic Requirements for Engineer Positions.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE:  

In addition to the Basic Requirements listed above, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as experience serving as a mechanical engineer responsible for complex multi-disciplinary engineering projects from initial concept through final completion. Qualifying experience must demonstrate the ability to:

  • Developing technical contract support documentation (such as Product Descriptions (PDs), Commercial Item Descriptions (CIDs), and/or Item Purchase Descriptions (IPDs)) to support the acquisition of engineering commodities;
  • Providing engineering guidance to stakeholders in accordance with applicable laws, policies, regulations, and established mechanical engineering principles and practices; and
  • Preparing engineering reports to resolve product-related and/or compliance issues.

This position has a positive education requirement: Applicants must submit a copy of their college or university transcript(s) and certificates by the closing date of announcements to verify qualifications. If selected, an official transcript will be required prior to appointment.

Education

Note: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit:  https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/  

Additional information

Candidates will not be hired based on their race, sex, color, religion, or national origin.

Applicants are encouraged to make their resume searchable in their USAJOBS.gov profile. This will allow Federal hiring specialists and hiring managers across agencies to find their resume as part of agency recruitment campaigns or staffing searches.

If you apply to this position and are selected, we will not ask about your criminal history before you receive a conditional job offer. If you believe you were asked about your criminal history improperly, contact the agency or visit GSA's webpage.

Relocation-related expenses are not approved and will be your responsibility.

Additional vacancies may be filled through this announcement in this or other GSA organizations within the same commuting area as needed; through other means; or not at all.

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.

A panel of Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) will review the resumes of qualified candidates and assign a score for each of the five required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) based on the experience documented in the resume and narrative responses.

  1. Knowledge of mechanical engineering and related knowledge of applicable technological principles and needs particular to customer usage for assigned commodities.
  2. Skill in developing and reviewing engineering designs, specifications, and technical reports ensuring accuracy, compliance with standards, and clarity for diverse audiences.
  3. Ability to communicate complex technical information effectively both orally and in writing to diverse audiences, including technical experts, non-technical stakeholders, and senior management.
  4. Knowledge of mechanical engineering, procurement regulations, contract management principles, and relevant laws and policies, enabling informed decision-making and effective problem-solving.
  5. Ability to develop and implement new methods to overcome problems for which there are no established guidelines.

Demonstration of these KSAs must be supported by your resume. Applicants should also make note of each KSA, as you will be asked to address them later in the application process.

Consideration will be given to performance appraisals and incentive awards in merit promotion selection decisions in accordance with 5 CFR 335.103(b)(3). You should list any relevant performance appraisals and incentive awards in your resume so that information will be taken into consideration during the selection process. If selected, you may be required to provide supporting documentation.

If you are eligible under the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) or GSA’s Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), your resume must clearly demonstrate experience in at least 3 of the 5 required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) to receive priority consideration.


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Federal Acquisition Service

Agency contact information

Lauren Hayes
Phone
202-256-1226
Fax
000-000-0000
Email
Lauren.Hayes@GSA.Gov
Address
GSA, Federal Acquisition Service
Servicing HR Office: Federal Acquisition Service
GSA, Office of Human Resources Management (OHRM)
1800 F Street, NW
Washington, District of Columbia 20405
United States

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https://www.gsa.gov/about-us

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