Skip to main content
U.S. flag
 

Engineering Technician

Department of Health and Human Services
National Institutes of Health
Office of Research Facilities

Summary

Do you have experience performing field engineering, contract administration, and troubleshooting of utility systems? If so, consider joining our amazing team with the NIH, Office of Research Facilities (ORF), Division of Technical Resources!

Overview

Help
Location
Few vacancies in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
No
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$70,623 - $111,087 per year

GS-09 salary range: $70,623-$91,815; GS-10 salary range: $77,771-$101,097; GS-11 salary range: $85,447-$111,087

Pay scale & grade
GS 9 - 11
Promotion potential
11
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
Not required
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Represented by a union
Yes
Drug test
No
Security clearance
Other
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
NIH-ORF-MP-26-13005013
Control number
881908700

Duties

Help

As an Engineering Technician you will:

  • Prepare designs and specifications and develop innovative approaches for various projects of a complex or unconventional nature that entail design problems requiring considerable adaptation of precedents or design of features for which precedents are not directly applicable.
  • Perform or direct surveys and field investigations to determine existing condition and layout information, obtains equipment data and dimensions, and makes design checks.
  • Design and develop technical drawings and specifications for projects characterized by a variety of conditions. Prepare original designs and preliminary and final layouts.
  • Perform necessary calculations, develop possible alternatives. Perform technical review of contractor-prepared designs and specifications of systems.
  • Perform or direct the survey and investigations at project sites to gather design information for plan specifications, alterations, and databases. Conduct preliminary site investigations to obtain field data on proposed structures, drainage areas, topography, and feasible layout of facilities in relation to terrain.
  • Review new construction plans and project directives to ensure that the proposed design includes features required for the economical and effective maintenance and repair of building air-conditioning and heating systems and associated equipment.

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship requirement or proof of being a U.S. National must be met by closing date.
  • Employment is subject to the successful completion of a background investigation, verification of qualifications, completion of onboarding forms, submission of required documents, and any other job-related requirement before or after appointment.
  • Applicants must meet all qualifications requirements within thirty (30) calendar days of the closing date of this announcement, including time in grade.
  • Males born after December 31, 1959 must be registered with the Selective Service.
  • The National Institutes of Health participates in the USCIS Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify). E-Verify helps employers determine employment eligibility of new hires and the validity of their Social Security numbers.
  • The NIH maintains a tobacco free work environment and campus.
  • Must be able to perform the essential duties of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation.
  • Based on your appointment, a one or two-year trial/probationary period may be required. A decision regarding your continued employment with NIH will be made as you near the end of this period.
  • This position is designated as an Emergency Essential position.
  • This position has on-call or call-back requirements.
  • This position requires weekend hours, night shifts, regular or rotational shifts, holiday hours.

Qualifications

To qualify for an Engineering Technician position at the GS-09 level, you must:
A. have 2 full years of graduate education or a master's degree directly related to the work of the position;
OR
B. have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-08 level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector, performing the following types of tasks: Installing and troubleshooting the operation of electronic controls, equipment, and systems; investigating project sites to determine the condition of a facility or property; recording observations and technical information; making in-progress inspections; drafting technical graphs and plots to visually explain compiled inspection data.
OR
C. have a combination of post­-baccalaureate education in a related field, and experience that meets 100% of the qualification requirements for this position.

To qualify for an Engineering Technician position at the GS-10 level, you must: have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-09 level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector, performing the following types of tasks: assisting in evaluating designs and preparing technical drawings in support of an engineering or construction project; investigating project sites to determine the condition of a facility or property and recording observations and technical information; making in-progress inspections; and drafting technical graphs and plots to visually explain compiled inspection data.

To qualify for an Engineering Technician position at the GS-11 level, you must: have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-10 level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector, performing the following types of tasks: designing and developing technical drawings in support of an engineering project; preparing project plans including overall project scheduling and engineering requirements; investigating project sites to determine the condition of a facility or property and evaluating and recording observations and technical information; preparing project cost and manpower estimates; and developing and presenting briefings on project plans and designs.

You will receive credit for all experience material to the position, including experience gained in religious, civic, welfare, service, and organizational activities, regardless of whether you received pay.

Do not copy and paste the duties or specialized experience from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.

We may verify or assess your qualifications at any time. Inflated or unsupported qualifications may affect your rating. Any misrepresentation or material omission of facts may be sufficient cause to end further consideration of your candidacy. Persons listed as knowing your past accomplishments or experience in your application may be contacted for verification purposes at any time. Verification may, but need not, begin before receiving an offer.

Preview application questionnaire before you apply: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13005013

Education

If you qualify based on education in lieu of specialized experience, you are strongly encouraged to submit a copy of your transcripts or a list of your courses including titles, credit hours completed and grades. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted in the application packages. Official transcripts will be required from all selectees prior to receiving an official offer. Click here for information on Foreign Education.

Additional information

  • This position is designated as an "emergency essential" position and the selected candidate will be considered an "emergency essential" employee and will be required to be available, ready, willing, and able to report for duty under all circumstances (e.g., inclement weather, government closings and holidays, lapses in appropriations, non-emergency and emergency situations) for operation 24 hours a day and 365 days per year coverage.
  • Must be able to perform the essential duties of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation.
  • This position has on-call or call-back requirements.
  • This position requires weekend hours, night shifts, regular or holiday hours.
  • Visit Help Applying for helpful information on the application process.
  • Military Spouses selected from this announcement will remain in their current duty location (i.e., the official duty station of the military service member.
  • 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: Reasonable Accommodation Information.
  • Veterans' Preference only applies to Schedule A (disability appointment), HHS Reemployment Priority List (RPL) Eligibles, HHS Priority Reemployment List (PRL) Eligibles, and Veterans Recruitment Appointments (if applicable).

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), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies:

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


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

Additional selections may be made for similar positions across the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) within the local commuting area(s) of the location identified in this announcement. By applying, you agree to have your application shared with interested selecting official(s) at HHS. Clearance of CTAP/ICTAP will be applied for similar positions across HHS.

To be considered well qualified for the purposes of the Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP)and the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP), you must be able to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry and substantively exceed the basic qualifications by scoring at least 80 points on the assessment(s) and meet all eligibility, physical, medical, suitability, and all other requirements.

National Institutes of Health

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the largest biomedical research funding organization in the world. NIH is made up of 27 Institutes and Centers, each with a specific research agenda, often focusing on particular diseases or body systems. NIH employs approximately 18,000 employees in varied occupations, all supporting research efforts that improve health and save lives. For more information on NIH's mission and goals, and its 27 Institutes and Centers, visit the NIH website.

Virtually explore the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) Bethesda campus, learn about scientific research, and get to know NIH community members who are working to help people live longer, healthier lives: https://www.nih.gov/virtual-tour/.

These positions are located in the Office of the Director (OD), Office of Research Facilities (ORF), Division of Technical Resources (DTR), Utilities Generation Branch.

DTR manages and operates the Bethesda Campus Central Utility Plant (CUP), the Cogeneration Plant and the NIH Utility Distribution System in accordance with the State of Maryland environmental standards.

For more information, please visit the ORF website.

Agency contact information

NIH HR Service Desk Branch C
Email
OHRCSDBRANCHCSRVDSK@od.nih.gov
Address
National Institutes of Health
6701 Rockledge Drive
Bethesda, MD 20892
US

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.