Skip to main content
U.S. flag
 

Civil Engineer (Hydraulics & Hydrologic)

Department of the Army
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Summary

About the Position: Responsible for the application of appropriate procedures and development of detailed hydrologic/hydraulic studies and analyses for use in the preparation of various studies, memoranda, preliminary and final detailed designs for projects related to navigation, flood control, multi-purpose dams; flood-control channels, local protection projects (levees and floodwalls), and other Flood Risk Management projects; or wetland/stream restoration and streambank protection projects.

Overview

Help
Accepting applications
Posted today · Apply by 07/30/26
Due by 11:59 p.m. ET on July 30, 2026
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—Eligible for situational telework only, including emergency and OPM prescribed "unscheduled telework."
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$99,954 - $127,443 per year

See Additional Information section for link to salary tables. Position may be subject to a Special Salary Rate (SSR) under the applicable pay table.

Pay scale & grade
GS 11 - 12
Promotion potential
12 - Applicants may be selected at either the GS-11 or GS-12 grade level. The target grade of this position is GS-12.
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position up to 25% of the time.
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Represented by a union
No
Drug test
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Financial disclosure required
No
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
CEDB-26-13013663-MP
Control number
877257300

Videos

Duties

Help
  • Perform hydraulic and hydrologic analysis in conjunction with design reports, dam safety studies, and plans and specifications.
  • Determine riprap requirements for flood control channels, exit channels below stilling basins, downstream of dams, riverbanks, and other locations.
  • Design economical remedial repairs to existing flood control projects that belong to federal and non-federal agencies that have been damaged due to floods or other high-water events.
  • Design and evaluate hydraulic control structures to include but not limited to spillways, weirs, culverts, energy dissipation structures, and channels.
  • Work with and on quality and technical review teams to evaluate hydraulic designs and calculations, cost estimates, design reports, and special studies.

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

  • Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.

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.

  • Current Department of Army Civilian Employees
  • Domestic Defense Industrial Base/Major Range and Test Facilities Base Civilian Personnel Workforce
  • Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan
  • Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act
  • Military Spouses, under Executive Order (E.O.) 13473
  • Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Reserve (MR) and National Guard (NG) Technician Eligible
  • Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Spouse Preference (MSP) Eligible
  • Priority Placement Program, DoD MR and NG Preference Eligible Tech Receiving Disability Retirement
  • Priority Placement Program, DoD Retained Grade Preference Eligible
  • Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) of 1998


In order to qualify, you must meet the education and/or experience 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.

Individual Occupational Requirement for Civil Engineer (0810) series:

A. Degree: A 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. (Note: You must submit copies of all relevant transcripts with your application package.)

OR

B. Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and 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 licensed 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. (Note: You must submit copies of all relevant transcripts AND proof of registration as an Engineer Intern (EI) or Engineer in Training (EIT) or copy of your Professional Engineer (PE) license with your application package.)
  2. Written Test: Successful completion of 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. (Note: You must submit copies of all relevant transcripts AND proof of passing the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) examination or other written test required for professional registration with your application package.)
  3. Specified Academic Courses: Successful completion of at least 60 semester hours or 90 quarter hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences that included the courses specified in A above. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program. (Note: You must submit copies of all relevant transcripts with your application package.)
  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, and have 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.) (Note: You must submit copies of all relevant transcripts with your application package.)

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

GS-12 Specialized Experience:
One year of specialized experience which includes experience serving as a Geologist engaged in the independent performance of investigations and evaluations of geological aspects of civil works project design, construction, operation and maintenance which includes analyzing and interpreting soil and rock data from laboratory and field tests, instrumentation, logs of borings and data secured by reconnaissance of project area; assisting lower-grade engineers and geologists in the development of foundation reports, design memorandum, design analysis, survey reports and embankment reports; independently planning and implementing geologic investigations for projects; and preparing intensively detailed investigation reports, design documents, construction drawings, and technical specifications for projects. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-11).

GS-11 Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes performing studies related to water resources or other hydraulic/hydrologic engineering concepts; evaluating, preparing, or reviewing engineering plans and designs; using software to develop hydraulic or hydrologic computer models for engineering studies, investigations, or designs. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-09);
In lieu of the required specialized experience at the GS-11 grade level, you may also qualify based on education. Please see Education section below for additional information.

Time in Grade Requirement: Applicants who have held a General Schedule (GS) position within the last 52 weeks must have 52 weeks of Federal service at the next lower grade or equivalent (52 weeks at the GS-09 grade level for GS-11; 52 weeks at GS-11 grade level for GS-12).

Education

To qualify at the GS-11 grade level in lieu of the required specialized experience, you must submit documentation of having:

Degree:
Successfully completed a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the work of the position, such as Engineering, Hydrologic and/or Hydraulic studies. (Note: You must submit copies of all relevant transcripts with your application package.)

OR

Combination of Education and Experience: Have the specialized experience as described above, but less than one year; and have at least two years of graduate education as described above, but less than the required three years. I have computed the percentage of the requirements that I meet, and the total is at least 100% (To compute the percentage, divide your total months of qualifying experience by 12. Then, divide your semester hours of graduate education beyond the second year (total graduate semester hours minus 36) by 18. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify). (Note: You must submit copies of all relevant transcripts with your application package.)

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 an Engineers and Scientists (Resources and Construction) Career Field (18) position.
  • Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
  • Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement.
  • Payment of Permanent Change of Station (PCS) costs is not authorized, based on a determination that a PCS move is not in the Government interest.
  • Relocation, Recruitment or Retention Incentives are not authorized.
  • Pay will be set based on duty location and grade level. Please visit https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/2025/general-schedule/ for the current GS Locality Pay Tables.
  • Position may be subject to a Special Salary Rate (SSR) under the applicable pay table.

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://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire

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.

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the online assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

  • Arithmetic/Mathematical Reasoning
  • Attention to Detail
  • Customer Service
  • Flexibility
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork

The USA Hire Assessments includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

You may claim Military Spouse preference.

Military Spouse Preference (MSP) applicants will receive preference consideration and will be placed (if selected) at the highest grade for which they have applied and are determined best qualified, up to and including the full performance level.

You may claim Priority Placement Program (PPP) preference.

DoD Priority Placement Program (PPP) Applicants will receive preference consideration at the full-performance grade level only.

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP). If you are a Federal employee in the competitive service and your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority for this position. To receive selection priority, you must: (1) meet ICTAP eligibility criteria (2) be rated well-qualified for the position and; (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your ICTAP eligibility. To be considered well-qualified and receive selection priority applicants must satisfy all qualification requirements for the position and receive a score of 90 or above. Additional information about the program is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

At the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), we do not just construct infrastructure; we engineer the future of our Nation. From securing vital water resource infrastructure and restoring fragile ecosystems to designing world-class facilities for our armed forces and responding to natural disasters, our work touches lives every day.

By joining USACE, you will have the opportunity to contribute to high-impact, meaningful projects, collaborate with a diverse network of dedicated professionals, and advance your career. Here, your skills do not just build structures; they build national resilience, protect local communities, and support a safer, stronger tomorrow.

Build Strong With Us - explore our opportunities and engineer your legacy today.

Agency contact information

Army Applicant Help Desk
Website
https://portal.chra.army.mil/hr_public?id=app_inq
Address
RE-W2SM03 US ARMY ENGINEER DISTRICT-NASHVILLE
DO NOT MAIL
Nashville, TN 37203
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.