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General Engineer

Department of Defense
Office of Inspector General
Evaluations

Summary

This position is located within the Deputy Inspector General for Evaluations, Space, Intelligence, Engineering Oversight Directorate. In this position, you will perform broad and complex oversight of engineering assessments, evaluations, or inspections of technical programs, policies, procedures, and function as a member of the Research & Engineering Division.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
05/14/2026 to 05/21/2026
Salary
$121,785 - $158,322 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 13
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Alexandria, VA
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency 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
13
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Sensitive Compartmented Information
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Special-Sensitive (SS)/High Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
IG-26-12961272-EVAL-DHA
Control number
869304600

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

All U.S. Citizens. Veteran's Preference does NOT apply.

Duties

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  • Applies engineering concepts and principles in the assessment of complex DoW weapons systems and facilities for the purposes of oversight reporting and recommendations.
  • Demonstrates and applies DoW Acquisition System knowledge and best practices engineering standards, and compliance, engineering, acquisition, and critical thinking skills to the assessment of complex DoW weapons systems and facilities.
  • Participates, as part of a collaborative team, or leads technical evaluations or assessments to provide technical insight and perspective in written products and formal reports based on multiple engineering disciplines.
  • Actively participates and contributes to the research, planning, and execution of evaluation projects, and preparation of written products to support the evaluation or assessment of complex DoW weapon systems or facilities oversight reporting.
  • Develops high-quality written products, work papers, and reports essential to the oversight of weapons systems and facilities throughout the acquisition lifecycle using established standards, criteria, and multi-disciplined engineering practices.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be a U.S Citizen or National
  • Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or be exempt from Selective Service (see http://www.sss.gov).
  • This national security position, which may require access to classified information, requires a favorable suitability review and security clearance as a condition of employment. Failure to maintain security eligibility may result in termination.
  • Incumbent is required to submit to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment, and is subject to random drug testing for the duration of service with DoW OIG.
  • Position has been designated as Special Critical Sensitive. Incumbent is required to obtain and maintain a Top-Secret clearance with access to Sensitive Compartmented Information.
  • The incumbent must adhere to the DoW Standards of Conduct.

Qualifications

Basic Requirements: 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)2 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.)
Specialized Experience: Applicants must have at least 52 weeks of specialized experience at the GS-12 or equivalent level. Specialized experience is defined as experience in one or more STEM disciplines, such as: Cybersecurity, Electronic Warfare, Nuclear Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Civil Engineering, Environment Engineering, Computer Science, and Chemical Engineering. Experience supporting engineering and technical reviews, assessments, or evaluations of acquisition programs, weapon systems, supporting infrastructure, or other critical DoW systems. Ability to demonstrate critical thinking in the analysis of collected data for oral and written presentations and reports. Demonstrated writing proficiency through the use of highly effective and high-quality written products or reports with knowledge of and experience in engineering concepts, principles, techniques, and practices. Experienced in technical reviews providing input towards decision-making.

This position is announced under the OPM Government-Wide Scientific, Technical, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Direct Hire Authority, which is a special hiring authority for certain STEM positions for grades GS 11 - 15. Under the STEM Direct-Hire Authority, veterans' preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants including category rating does not apply to positions filled under this announcement. All applicants who meet the minimum qualification requirements will be forwarded to the selecting official for consideration.

For more information on OPM's authorization of Direct Hire Authority, please visit: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-information/direct-hire-authority/#url=Governmentwide-Authority

You must meet the minimum qualification requirements as stated in the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Operating Manual, Qualification Standards for General Schedule Positions: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/#url=0800-ndx and the Individual Occupational Requirements: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0800/files/all-professional-engineering-positions-0800.pdf

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 to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience.

Only experience and/or education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered.

Education

There is no substitution of education for the qualifying experienceat the GS-13 grade level.

USING YOUR EDUCATION TO QUALIFY: You MUST provide unofficial transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated: (1) unofficial transcripts are acceptable, or (2) you may submit a list with all of your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement.

PASS/FAIL COURSES: If more that 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim of superior academic achievement must be based upon class standing or membership in an honor society.

GRADUATE EDUCATION: One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specialized 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: http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Additional information

  • Incumbent will be required to serve a one-year probationary period.
  • This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies within 90 calendar days of the initial issue date of the referral list.
  • Position(s) may be filled by displaced Department of War (DoW) employees through the Priority Placement Program.
  • Recruitment Incentive will notbe authorized at the discretion of the Hiring Official.
  • Relocation allowance will notbe authorized.
  • PCS expenses will notbe paid.
  • The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 make certain reimbursements/payments taxable. For information on these changes and the Relocation Income Tax Allowance (RITA), for which some appointees are eligible, click here.
  • Telework availability will be based upon the mission requirements and supervisory determination.
  • Veteran's Preference does NOT apply. These positions are announced under DoW Direct Hire Authority (5 U.S.C. 9905 section 1109; PL, 116-92).
  • Retired Civil Service Employee: Employment of retired Federal employees receiving an annuity is subject to the requirements of the Department of War (DoW) policy guidance. (See DoD Instruction 1400.25, Volume 300.)
  • Retired/Retiring Veterans: Please be aware that there is a 180-Day Restriction on Department of War (DoW) Employment of Military Retirees. A retired member of the Armed Forces may not be appointed to a civilian position in the DoW within 180 days after retirement unless the agency requests and is granted a waiver; the position is authorized special pay under 5 U.S.C. 3505; or a state of national emergency exists.
  • Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) Priority Consideration: DOES NOT APPLY FOR DHA VACANCIES.
  • Resume: DO NOT include the following information: Classified or government sensitive information; social security number; photos of yourself; personal information, such as age, sex, religious affiliation, etc.; or encrypted and digitally signed documents. Read more about what you should leave out of your resume at USAJOBS.
  • Pay for first time hires to the Federal Government will typically be set at step 1 salary range for their respective grade level.

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 application process is complete, a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made to determine if you are qualified for this job.

Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating.

All qualified candidates will be evaluated on the following competencies:

  • Engineering and Technology
  • Project Management
  • Technical Competence
  • Writing


You can preview the Assessment Questionnaire here:https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12961272

Direct Hire Authority: These positions will be filled through the Office of Personnel Management's Direct Hire Authority or Department of War's Direct Hire Authority which is updated in the NDAA each budget cycle. Category rating and veterans' preference will not be considered in evaluating applicants. For more information on Direct Hire Authority, please see: OPM Direct Hire Fact Sheet or check out the Department of War's Direct Hire Authority here.

Criminal History Inquiries- 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 @ dfas.indianapolis-in.zh.mbx.ssc-cc@mail.mil

Office of Inspector General

Engaged Oversight Professionals Dedicated to Improving the Department of War

Come join us for a meaningful career with an agency that truly values its employees. We detect and deter fraud, waste, and abuse in DoW programs and operations, promote the economy, efficiency, and effectiveness of the DoW; and help ensure ethical conduct throughout the DoW. For more information about who we are and what we're about, please visit www.dodig.mil.

Agency contact information

Erik Szpilka
Phone
380-383-3147
Email
erik.r.szpilka.civ@dodig.mil
Address
DoD OIG - EVALUATIONS
4800 Mark Center Drive
Alexandria, VA 22350
US

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http://www.dodig.mil

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