Skip to main content
U.S. flag
Back to results
 

Civil Engineer

Department of the Army
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
ENGINEERING DIVISION GEOSYSTEMS BRANCH GEOTECHNICAL DESIGN SECTION

Summary

This is a Direct Hire Authority (DHA) solicitation utilizing the DHA for Certain Personnel of the DoD Workforce to recruit and appoint qualified candidates to positions in the competitive service.

About the Position: Serves as a technical expert responsible for the evaluation of embankments and subsurface conditions involving complex soil conditions for earth and rockfill dams, levees, spillway structures, pumping stations, bulkheads, cut-off walls, and other types of hydraulic structures.

Overview

Help
Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
04/24/2026 to 05/04/2026
Salary
$113,358 - $147,365 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 13
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
West Palm Beach, FL
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
50% or less - Upon completion of the construction phase, the position will relocate to the Jacksonville District Office. At that time, a 35% Temporary Duty (TDY) requirement will take effect.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—You may qualify for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with agency policy.
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
CERL-26-12931542-DHA
Control number
866442900

Videos

Duties

Help
  • Serve as a technical authority and leader on all matters related to embankment stability and seepage analysis.
  • Apply the theories of soil mechanics and seepage flow in porous soils and rocks to the design and construction of assigned projects.
  • Analyze and design a wide range of structures, including dams, levees, and spillways, in the context of ecosystem restoration projects.
  • Develop solutions for complex soil mechanics and foundation under seepage conditions.
  • Lead and facilitate meetings with district and A-E personnel to discuss technical issues and find resolutions.

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

  • Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
  • Upon completion of the construction phase, the position will relocate to the Jacksonville District Office. At that time, a 35% Temporary Duty (TDY) requirement will take effect.

Qualifications

Who May Apply: Only applicants who meet one of the employment authority categories below are eligible to apply for this job. You will be asked to identify which category or categories you meet, and to provide documents which prove you meet the category or categories you selected. See Proof of Eligibility for an extensive list of document requirements for all employment authorities.



In order to qualify, you must meet the requirements described below. 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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document.

Basic Requirement for Civil Engineer:

A. Degree: Bachelor's degree (or higher degree) in engineering. To be acceptable, the program must: (1) lead to a bachelor's degree (or higher degree) in a school of engineering with at least one program accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET); 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

B. Combination of Education and Experience: College-level education, training, and/or technical 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. 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) 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.

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, or Puerto Rico.

3. Specified academic courses - Successful completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences and that included the courses specified in A above. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program.

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 degree in engineering, provided the applicant has had 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.

In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below:

Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience conducting technical evaluations, developing and applying innovative engineering solutions, and providing expert guidance to both internal and external stakeholders. Experience with safety and stability of critical infrastructure through analysis, modeling, and understanding of soil and rock mechanics. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-12).

Selective Placement Factor:
This position requires a current Professional Certification as an Architect, Engineer or Geologist

Education

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Additional information

  • Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
  • You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship.
  • This position requires a 1 year probationary period during which the agency evaluates your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In making this determination, the agency may consider your performance and conduct; agency needs and interests; whether your continued employment supports organizational or Government goals; and whether it promotes the efficiency of the Federal service. Continued employment requires written certification that it advances the public interest.
  • Direct deposit of pay is required.
  • Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees.
  • If you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant, see the information in the Reemployed Annuitant information sheet.
  • This is a(n) a Career Program Engineers and Scientists Career Field position.
  • Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement.
  • When you perform a Civilian Permanent Change of Station (PCS) with the government, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) considers the majority of your entitlements to be taxable. Visit https://www.dfas.mil/civilianemployees/civrelo/Civilian-Moving-Expenses-Tax-Deduction/ for more information.
  • Permanent Change of Station (PCS) allowances may be authorized, subject to the provisions of the Joint Travel Regulations and an agency determination that a PCS move is in the Government Interest.
The following special programs/incentives MAY be offered if it is in the best interest of the government:
  • Student Loan repayment
  • Advanced in-hire (offered to new to federal service employees only)
  • Advanced Leave Accrual (offered to new to federal service employees only)
  • Relocation Incentive
  • Recruitment Incentive (offered to new to federal service employees only)
Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: https://appsupport.usastaffing.gov/hc/en-us/sections/28980686389652-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information

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.

Once the announcement has closed, a review of your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position.


Veterans and Military Spouses will be considered along with all other candidates.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Looking for a great place to work? The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is one of the best! In 2020, USACE ranked #2 of government large-agency subcomponent! USACE is one of the world's premier public engineering, design, and construction management agencies. We serve the American people, striving to provide the most effective engineering and environmental science solutions to the nation's complex problems affecting national security, the economy and the environment in which we live.

USACE offers a team-inspiring and collaborative work environment; providing challenging and rewarding careers across a variety of disciplines. We rely on leaders with vision, creativity, and programmatic and technical expertise to lead us into the future. Align your talents with your passion and find out why the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers is a great place to work!

Agency contact information

Army Applicant Help Desk
Website
https://portal.chra.army.mil/hr_public?id=app_inq
Address
RL-W2SR02 US ARMY ENGINEER DISTRICT-JACKSONVILLE
DO NOT MAIL
Jacksonville, FL 32202
US

Visit our careers page

Learn more about what it's like to work at U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, what the agency does, and about the types of careers this agency offers.

https://www.usace.army.mil/Careers/

Your session is about to expire!

Your USAJOBS session will expire due to inactivity in 8 minutes. Any unsaved data will be lost if you allow the session to expire. Click the button below to continue your session.