Clarification from the agency

Open to current and former Federal employees with permanent status or reinstatement eligibility. Individuals who are eligible for a special appointing authority may apply; such as applicants with a disability, former Peace Corps volunteers, certain military spouses, veterans seeking a VRA/VEOA appointment, or veterans who have been separated from armed forces under honorable conditions after 3 years or more of continuous active service.

The incumbent serves as a principal advisor on all aspects of facilities engineering, architecture, design excellence, accessibility and the stewardship of Smithsonian facilities. Advises senior leadership on broad policy, design standards, code application, program and human resource matters affecting facilities engineering and design of SI programs and operations. Advises senior leadership on architectural and engineering approaches that balance functionality, life-cycle performance, sustainability, preservation requirements, visitor experience, and SI mission needs.  Oversees strategic and business planning, goal setting, quality implementation, organizational performance measurement, and reinvention efforts to ensure alignment with the vision, values, and goals of the Secretary, and Director for Office of Planning, Design and Construction (OPDC).

Leads the architectural and engineering design program to ensure projects achieve excellence in design quality, functionality, durability, sustainability, accessibility and compatibility with historic and cultural resources.  Successful adoption of these best practices and standards is essential to maximize the Institution's buying power and to help reduce the more than $1.5 billion backlog in revitalization projects. In addition, the incumbent will continue to oversee existing priorities, including facilities safety and security, energy efficiency, historical preservation, and public access in facility projects and construction criteria.

Manages the completion of an aggressively changing project that includes responsibilities that may evolve in its complexity. During the next ten years the Institution will invest to revitalize aging facilities and construct new facilities to support additional exhibits and programs.  The project workload will require the incumbent to establish policies, processes and procedures, and to develop a training program that will ensure appropriate performance standards are achieved throughout the division.

Oversees the established control systems to monitor and ensure adherence to the budgetary commitments allotted to the engineering and design initiatives and services.  Responsible for assessing the effectiveness of these control systems to ensure the engineering and design division remains within budget.  Adheres to financial management policies and procedures contained in the Institution's Office Memorandums.

Serves as SI’s expert in the development of policy, standards, and procedures to ensure operation of an effective and efficient engineering and design program for all SI facilities. Develops, implements, and assesses processes and systems involved in capital improvement initiatives, new construction, and repair and revitalization projects and contracts. Leads studies on current and innovative approaches to providing quality driven engineering and design functions and customer services.  Provides expert technical advice and guidance to SI leadership on various contracts (i.e., internal engineering and design services, supervision and inspection) and facilities planning and programs.

Ensures the Quality Control and Quality Assurance of engineering and design work products, whether internally or externally developed, reflect the commitment to excellence and outstanding service that establishes the division’s credibility, authority and efficient operations.

Oversees engineering and design services and program functions and resolves issues that are outside the purview of engineering and design branch staff. Oversees the fulfillment of the division staff Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative (COTR) responsibilities to meet division's contract administration and inspection functions.

Keeps abreast of the latest private and public sector developments and innovations related to architecture, engineering and design; maintains liaison with counterparts in other federal agencies and external stakeholders such as universities and the cultural community; evaluates the applicability of those developments for SI engineering and design services and incorporates into SI programs as appropriate.

Oversees architectural planning and design activities for new construction, major revitalization, preservation, and adaptive reuse projects.  Ensures compliance with applicable design standards, historic preservation requirements, accessibility guidelines, and SI engineering and design criteria.  Reviews and evaluates conceptual, schematic, and architectural designs to ensure alignment with SI objectives and long-term facility goals.  Ensures appropriate consideration of cultural landscapes and architecturally significant facilities while balancing operational, programmatic, life-safety and sustainability requirements.

Through subordinate supervisors the incumbent: plans, organizes, and directs the personnel and activities of OPDC's, Engineering and Design Division.

Conditions of employment

• Pass Pre-Employment Background Investigation
• May need to complete a Probationary Period
• Maintain a Bank Account for Direct Deposit/Electronic Transfer
• Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered with selective Service

Meet the basic qualifications and specialized experience as listed below:

Qualifications

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:
Applicants must clearly demonstrate the necessary level of managerial and leadership skills and competence to perform successfully in this position. This includes:

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)1, 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:
In addition, applicants must have one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-15 level.  Specialized experience is defined as the demonstrated experience in leading, directing and integrating the architectural, engineering, and design functions for a large organization.

The applications that meet the basic qualifications will be evaluated further against the following criteria:

1. Experience overseeing Architect and Engineering services, contracts and design development, including oversight of building code compliance.
2. Leadership experience at the managerial level that includes visioning, strategic planning, goal setting and metric development for construction projects.
3. Ability to apply latest technology and/or industry best practices to manage an engineering and design program for large facilities.
4. Experience managing a capital budget, including developing budget forecasts, monitoring expenditures, prioritizing capital investments and ensuring compliance with financial policies.
5. Skill in leading, supervising, and managing a multi-disciplined and talented workforce, including fostering teamwork and high morale as well as developing, attracting, retaining, and motivating employees.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

The qualifications listed in this document will be used along with your resume and your responses to the questions posed in the electronic application process to determine the candidates who will move forward in the evaluation process.  When crafting your responses to the questions, please provide concise, detailed information on your background and experience.

Important Note:
Your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses to the occupational questionnaire or other assessment tool for consistency.  If a determination is made that you have rated yourself higher than supported by your resume, you will be assigned a rating commensurate to your described experience. Your resume should provide sufficient information regarding how your education and experience relate to the major duties and qualifications criteria listed for this position.

PART-TIME OR UNPAID EXPERIENCE: 
Credit will be given for appropriate unpaid work on the same basis as for paid experience. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. To receive credit for such experience you must indicate clearly the nature of the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the average number of hours per week spent in such employment.