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General Engineer

Department of Labor
Mine Safety and Health Administration
MSHA, Technical Support, Mine Emergency Operations (MEO) Division

Summary

This position is with Department of Labor, Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), Technical Support, Mine Emergency Operations (MEO) Division.

MSHA works to prevent death, illness and injury from mining; promote safe and healthful workplaces for U.S. miners. MSHA carries out the provisions of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 (Mine Act) as amended by the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response (MINER) Act of 2006.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
05/08/2026 to 05/21/2026
Salary
$56,039 - $120,309 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 7 - 12
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Pittsburgh, PA
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—This is not a remote work position. The selectee will report to an assigned DOL office location on a regular basis and is eligible for participation in telework as determined by management in accordance with DOL policy.
Travel Required
25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
12 - There is no obligation to provide future promotions if you are selected. Promotions are dependent on your ability to perform the duties at a higher level, meet all the performance requirements, and the supervisor's recommendation to the next grade.
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
Yes
Bargaining unit status
Yes
Announcement number
DE-26-DAL-MSHA-12951921-RAD
Control number
868084100

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Open to U.S. Citizens; and ICTAP/CTAP eligibles within in the local commuting area. Also advertised as job # MS-26-DAL-MSHA-12951922-RAD for current federal employees in the competitive service; VEOA eligibles; Reinstatement eligibles, Land and Base Management eligibles; Military Spouses; OPM Interchange Agreement eligibles; and CTAP/ICTAP eligibles within the local commuting area. To be considered for each vacancy, apply to both announcements.

Duties

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The responsibilities described are for the full performance level GS-12. At developmental grade levels, assignments will be of more limited scope performed with less independence, and limited complexity.

  • Designs, maintains, and operates equipment for Mine Emergency Operations (MEO) including underground communications and tracking systems and MEO computer systems.
  • Planning, initiation, and direction of the most difficult technical issues related to engineering problems regarding MEO and mine seals.
  • Reviews engineering design plans, studies, and investigative reports.
  • Reviews the most complex and politically sensitive submittals regarding MEO and mine seals. Makes necessary recommendations for approval or disapproval of such plans.
  • Interfaces with researchers both inside and outside of the government, and design engineers/consultants to develop and implement engineering solutions to identified MEO or mine seal issues.
  • Provides engineering expertise and services during mine disasters, fatalities, and serious nonfatal accidents and other non-emergency investigations.
  • Meets with manufacturers and others to evaluate the latest MEO equipment and make recommendations on its suitability and operational functionality.
  • Develops and presents seminars and training courses and makes formal presentations to MSHA personnel, mining and labor organizations, and other government agencies.
  • Serves as an expert witness in both civil and criminal litigation.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen.
  • Must be at least 16 years old.
  • Requires a probationary period if the requirement has not been met.
  • Candidate required to obtain the necessary security/investigation level.
  • Subject to financial disclosure requirements.
  • Requires medical exam and must maintain physical requirements.
  • Requires a valid driver's license.

Qualifications

In addition to the basic requirements as described in the Education section, your application and resume must clearly show that you possess the experience and/or additional education requirements defined below. If qualifying based on experience, be sure these types of examples are evident in your resume.

Specialized Experience is the experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of the position successfully, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level.

For this position, specialized experience is defined as professional engineering work the demonstrates a thorough comprehensive knowledge of concepts, principles, and practices of engineering in the mining industry including knowledge of rock mechanics concepts and methods of experimental stress analysis, underground mining equipment, and a comprehensive knowledge of long-wall mining as practiced in the United States.

GS-7:
Must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-5 that has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, experience and skills to successfully perform the duties of the position.
Specialized experience must include two of the following:

  • Apply professional training in engineering towards completing minor phases of technical projects.
  • As a trainee, provide engineering support services to assist higher-grade employees during work phases, such as design analysis, investigations, studies or surveys of various mining systems, and equipment.
  • Assist higher-grade employees with field inspections.
OR

Applicants must have one full year of graduate level education (coursework directly related to position being filled);

OR

Superior Academic Achievement:
Class standing -- Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Engineering, based on completed courses.
Grade-point average (G.P.A.) -- Applicants must have a grade-point average of:
  • 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on their official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or
  • 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum.
Election to membership in a national scholastic honor society -- Applicants can be considered eligible based on membership in one of the national scholastic honor societies recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies. Membership in a freshman honor society cannot be used to meet the requirements of this provision. (Proof of membership must be submitted.)

OR

Successful completion of a 5-year program of study of at least 160 semester hours leading to a bachelor's degree in engineering;

OR

An appropriate combination of graduate level education and specialized experience as described above.

GS-9:
Must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-7 that has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, experience and skills to successfully perform the duties of the position.
Specialized experience must include three of the following:
  • Assist in the review and analysis of underground mine seal designs.
  • Assist with providing engineering consultative services to mine investigations and inspections.
  • Assist in mine emergency procedures and operations.
  • Prepare written technical reports and presentations for review by a higher-graded employee.
  • Participate in the design, maintenance, and operation of technical mine equipment such as communication systems and tracking systems and mine emergency operation computer systems.

OR

Possess a master's or equivalent graduate degree with course work directly related to the position being filled that provided the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to do the work of this position; OR, Possess two (2) full years of progressively higher level graduate education with course work directly related to the position being filled that provided the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to do the work of this position;

OR

Successful completion of a 5-year program of study of at least 160 semester hours leading to a bachelor's degree in engineering and 1 year of appropriate professional experience. Professional engineering experience is defined as nonroutine engineering work that required and was characterized by (1) professional knowledge of engineering; (2) professional ability to apply such knowledge to engineering problems; and (3) positive and continuing development of professional knowledge and ability.

OR

Possess a combination of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level in or related to the work of this position and graduate level education (only graduate education in excess of 18 semester hours may be used to qualify applicants for this grade level) with course work directly related to the position being filled that provided the specific knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position.


GS-11:
Must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-9 that has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, experience and skills to successfully perform the duties of the position.
Specialized experience must include three of the following:

  • Review and analysis of complex underground mine seal designs
  • Provide engineering consultative services to mine investigations and inspections.
  • Participate in mine emergency procedures and operations.
  • Draft, finalize, and present detailed technical reports and presentations.
  • Design, maintain, and operate technical mine equipment such as communication systems and tracking systems and mine emergency operation computer systems.

OR

Possess a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree that provided the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to do the work of this position; OR, Possess three (3) full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree with course work directly related to the position being filled that provided the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to do the work of this position;

OR

Possess a combination of Specialized Experience equivalent to the GS-09 level in or related to the work of this position and graduate level education an appropriate combination of specialized experience and graduate level education (beyond what is required for a master's degree, i.e., more than 36 semester hours leading to a Ph.D.) with course work directly related to the position being filled that provided the specific knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position.

GS-12:
Must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 that has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, experience and skills to successfully perform the duties of the position.
Specialized experience must include four of the following:

  • Review and analysis of complex underground mine seal designs
  • Provide engineering consultative services to mine investigations and inspections.
  • Participate in mine emergency procedures and operations.
  • Draft, finalize, and present detailed technical reports and presentations.
  • Design, maintain, and operate technical mine equipment such as communication systems and tracking systems and mine emergency operation computer systems.

There is no substitution of education in lieu of specialized experience at the GS-12 grade level.

Education

You must meet the Basic Requirements to qualify for General Engineer, as described below. Transcripts must be submitted to verify education requirements.

Basic Requirement:

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; 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, and 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 the basic requirements under paragraph A. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program as described in paragraph A.

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 bachelor's 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. (The above examples of related curricula are not all-inclusive.)


Any applicant falsely claiming an academic degree from an accredited school will be subject to actions ranging from disqualification from federal employment to removal from federal service.

If your education was completed at a foreign college or university, you must show comparability to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States and comparability to applicable minimum coursework requirements for this position. Click Evaluation of Foreign Education for more information.

Additional information

Applicants must meet all legal and regulatory requirements. Reference the Required Documents section for additional requirements.

The mission of the Department of Labor (DOL) is to protect the welfare of workers and job seekers, improve working conditions, expand high-quality employment opportunities, and assure work-related benefits and rights for all workers.

Refer to these links for more information: GENERAL INFORMATION, REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS, ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION, FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES

As a condition of employment, all personnel must undergo a background investigation for access to DOL facilities, systems, information and/or classified materials before they can enter on duty: BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION

This position is inside the bargaining unit. If the duty location is within the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, the position will be included in the Local 12, AFGE bargaining unit. If the duty location is outside the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, the position will be included in the NCFLL bargaining unit.

This position is subject to the confidential financial disclosure requirements of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 (P.L. 95-521). Therefore, if selected, you will 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(s) and your prospective position with DOL. This information will be required annually.

All MSHA employees and their spouses, and minor children are prohibited by regulation from having any interest, direct or indirect, in any mine or mining company that may be directly affected by the work of MSHA through its investigations, technical research, or other activities. These interests are prohibited under the Department of Labor's Supplemental Standards of Ethical Conduct Regulations at 5 CFR 5201.105. Certain MSHA employees are required to file a financial disclosure report. For questions, please contact Rhonda Dory at dory.rhonda.a@dol.gov or 972-850-4427.

Based on agency needs, additional positions may be filled using this vacancy.

The Department of Labor may use certain incentives and hiring flexibilities, currently offered by the Federal government to attract highly qualified candidates. Click for more information on Pay, Leave, and Workforce Flexibilities.

The Fair Chance Act (FCA) prohibits Federal agencies from requesting an applicant's criminal history information before the agency makes a conditional offer of employment. If you believe a DOL employee has violated your rights under the FCA, you may file a complaint of the alleged violation following our agency's complaint process Guidelines for Reporting Violations of the Fair Chance Act. Note: The FCA does not apply to some positions specified under the Act, such as law enforcement or national security positions.

All Department of Labor employees are subject to the provisions of the Drug-Free Workplace Program under Executive Order 12564 and Public Law 100-71.

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.

Your evaluation will be based on how well you meet the qualifications outlined in this vacancy announcement, as demonstrated through your resume and supporting documentation.

Click Application of Veterans Preference for more information.

You may preview application questions for this vacancy here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12951921

If you meet the minimum qualifications, you will be evaluated against the evaluation factors below and will be placed into a category based on your vacancy question responses.

Category A - Meets the basic qualification requirements for the vacancy and has successful experience in the same or similar job that has demonstrated superior proficiency in applying critical competencies required by this position to work of increased levels of difficulty and complexity.

Category B - Meets the basic qualification requirements for the vacancy and demonstrates satisfactory proficiency in the critical competencies required by this position.

Category C - Meets the specialized experience described in the minimum qualification requirements section of this announcement and demonstrates proficiency in the basic competencies.

Clickhere for Evaluation details.

SME Resume Panel Review

Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) will review your resume to assess your technical qualifications based on the competencies listed below. Applicants who meet the required qualifications will advance to the next stage of the hiring process.

For each below competency, SME(s) will provide a rating of 0-Not Applicable, 1-Awareness, 2-Basic, 3-Intermediate, 4-Advanced, or 5-Expert based on the content of your resume.

Evaluation Factors (Competencies) - All qualified applicants will be evaluated on the following key competencies:

  • General Engineering
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Mine Safety and Health
  • Oral Communication
  • Problem Solving



The information you provide may be verified by a review of your paid, unpaid, volunteer, as it demonstrates the competencies or skills required for the position to be filled. Your evaluation may include an interview, reference checks, or other assessment conducted by HR specialists, subject matter experts, or panel members and may include other assessment tools (ex. interview, structured interview, written test, work sample, etc.).

INFORMATION FOR ICTAP/CTAP ELIGIBLE(S) ONLY: If you are eligible for special priority selection under ICTAP/CTAP, you must be well-qualified for the position to receive consideration. ICTAP/CTAP eligible(s) who are Category B or higher will be considered well-qualified. Be sure to review the eligibility questions to reflect that you are applying as an ICTAP or CTAP eligible and submit supporting documentation.

Mine Safety and Health Administration

Begin a challenging career with the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), and you will help shape the workforce of tomorrow. DOL offers rewarding opportunities to contribute to a noble mission; to serve and protect American workers, prepare them for new and better jobs, and to ensure the safety and fairness of American workplaces.

The Department of Labor values its customers. Every DOL employee is responsible for delivering good customer service through accurate, courteous, efficient, and effective transactions.

The Department of Labor does not make unfavorable hiring decisions on the basis of an applicant's previous or current unemployment, or the fact that an applicant has experienced financial difficulty through no fault of his/her own and has undertaken good faith efforts to meet his/her financial obligations. Consideration is given to financial status in relation to appointments only where required by law, regulation, or Executive Order.

Applicants with disabilities can contact the vacancy point of contact listed on the job vacancy announcement to request reasonable accommodations needed for the application process.

Agency contact information

Rhonda Dory
Phone
972-850-4427
Email
dory.rhonda.a@dol.gov
Address
Mine Safety and Health Administration
200 Constitution Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20210
US

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