Skip to main content
U.S. flag
 

Structural Engineer

General Services Administration
Public Buildings Service

Summary

As a Structural Engineer, you will provide direction in structural, seismic, and blast engineering for design and construction of new facilities and major renovations.

The Public Buildings Service (PBS) Office of Engineering oversees architecture, engineering, urban development, historic preservation, courthouse and border station programs, construction services, and project management.

We are currently filling one vacancy, but additional vacancies may be filled as needed.

Overview

Help
Location
1 vacancy in the following locations:
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—This position is full-time in the office. In rare instances, situational telework may be approved on a case-by-case basis.
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$127,829 - $197,200 per year

If you are a new federal employee, your starting salary will likely be set at the Step 1 of the grade for which you are selected.

Pay scale & grade
GS 14
Promotion potential
14
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Some occasional travel may be 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
No
Drug test
Yes
Security clearance
Top Secret
Position sensitivity and risk
Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Financial disclosure required
No
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
PA-2026-0005
Control number
888764900

This job is open to

Help

Clarification from the agency

This public notice is issued under Direct Hire Authority (DHA) to recruit talent to occupations for which there is a severe shortage of candidates or a critical hiring need. This means that we can hire any qualified candidate from this notice or any other source. About this DHA notice: -Current civil service employees will receive new appointments if selected under this DHA. -For information on DHA, please visit https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-information/direct-hire-authority/

Duties

Help

  • Serve as a national leader representing state-of-the-art structural engineering practices, requiring exceptional communication and organizational skills. Conduct briefings, discussions, and negotiations with high-level agency representatives, GSA management, contract architects, construction firms, and external stakeholders to resolve controversies, promote innovative approaches, and develop consensus. Negotiations frequently involve major structures having unique problems or requiring unusual treatment.
  • Serve as a recognized technical authority and code official in structural, seismic, and blast engineering, as assigned, to all GSA architects, engineers, and project managers as well as partner agencies, contract architects and engineers, construction managers, and construction contract teams. Provide guidance regarding design and construction of new Federal properties plus the repair, alteration, and maintenance of existing Federal properties. Review and comment on reports and other specialized studies performed related to all aspects of structural engineering.
  • Consult and provide expert direction to other specialists on GSA structural design and construction policy regarding new, existing, and leased buildings. Provide leadership and expert advice to GSA Business lines, project teams, personnel, partner agencies, and contract architect-engineers regarding highly specialized structural, seismic, and blast engineering programs. Develop and guide the implementation of new approaches for buildings of major size and complexity based upon legislation and executive directives.
  • Define building standards aimed at mitigating risks from terrorist attacks and natural disasters, serving as a member of the Interagency Security Committee (ISC). These standards frequently surpass those found in model building codes. Their development involves actual blast testing, advanced computer modeling, and collaboration across various agencies.
  • Sustain expertise in the latest developments in the professional engineering field by reviewing technical literature and attending conferences or professional society meetings. Apply new developments in the field of expertise by adapting existing knowledge or applications to fit unique design or construction issues or situations.

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

  • US Citizenship or National (Residents of American Samoa and Swains Island)
  • Meet all eligibility requirements within 30 days of the closing date.
  • Register with Selective Service if you are a male born after 12/31/1959

If selected, you must meet the following conditions:

  • Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C or Non­Career SES employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the HR Office. Failure to disclose this information could result in disciplinary action including removal from Federal Service.
  • Undergo and pass a background investigation (Tier 5 investigation level).  You must be granted this clearance before you can start the job.
  • Have your identity and work status eligibility verified if you are not a GSA employee.  We will use the Department of Homeland Security’s e-Verify system for this. Any discrepancies must be resolved as a condition of continued employment.
  • Serve a one year probationary period, if required
  • Any applicant tentatively selected for this position will be required to submit to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Appointment to the position will be contingent upon a negative drug test result.
  • Frequently visit construction sites which will involve moderate risks, discomfort, and unpleasantness such as high level of noise and vibrations, dust and great machinery, irritant chemicals, weather extremes, etc. Specific safety precautions are required in such instances, as well as the wearing of protective head, hand and footgear.

Qualifications

To evaluate your qualifications, your resume must clearly demonstrate how you meet the specialized experience described below. Your resume must not exceed two pages. To ensure your qualifications can be fully evaluated, we recommend including the following information: 

  • Name, address, telephone number, email address;

  • Job Title (if Federal Service, provide series and grade; if not in GS plan, provide GS equivalent grade);

  • Relevant work experience—should include employer name, job title, start and end dates (month/year), the number of hours worked per week and descriptions that explain how you meet the required qualifications in the job announcement.

  • Education, certifications or licensures—If the job announcement requires any education, certifications or licensures, make sure to include the required information and any required documents like transcripts.

Your resume should contain enough information to make a valid determination that you fully meet experience requirements for each grade level you are applying to. If you do not provide enough information for us to determine your qualifications, you may be rated ineligible

If you have volunteered your service through a National Service program (e.g., Peace Corps, Americorps), we encourage you to apply and include this experience on your resume.

The GS-14 salary range starts at $127,829 per year. Salary depends on the duty location and associated locality pay.

If you are a new federal employee, your starting salary will likely be set at the Step 1 of the grade for which you are selected.  

To qualify, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 level or higher in the Federal service.

This position has a positive education requirement: Applicants must submit a copy of their college or university transcript(s) and certificates by the closing date of announcements to verify qualifications. If selected, an official transcript will be required prior to appointment.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR ENGINEERS: A Degree in professional engineering OR a combination of college-level education, training, and/or technical experience. For specifics on qualifying education and/or experience - use the following link: Basic Requirements for Engineer Positions.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: In addition to the Basic Requirements listed above, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 in the Federal service.

Specialized experience is defined as experience applying advanced structural engineering principles to the evaluation, design, and retrofit of large or complex or mission critical facilities, including, but not limited to providing technical leadership on issues related to: structural performance, seismic safety, blast resistance, progressive collapse mitigation, and/or physical security. Such experience includes interpreting and implementing engineering standards and facility security criteria, conducting structural, and seismic risk assessments, reviewing structural designs for new construction or major modernization projects, and advising project teams and/or government officials on mitigation strategies for structural, seismic and/or security-related risks.

Education

Note: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit:  https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/ 

Additional information

Candidates will not be hired based on their race, sex, color, religion, or national origin.

Applicants are encouraged to make their resume searchable in their USAJOBS.gov profile. This will allow Federal hiring specialists and hiring managers across agencies to find their resume as part of agency recruitment campaigns or staffing searches.

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 or visit GSA's webpage.

Relocation-related expenses are not approved and will be your responsibility.  

On a case-by-case basis, the following incentives may be approved:

·       Recruitment incentive if you are new to the federal government

·       Relocation incentive if you are a current federal employee

·       Credit toward vacation leave if you are new to the federal government

Additional vacancies may be filled through this announcement in this or other GSA organizations within the same commuting area as needed; through other means; or not at all.

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 qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), and responses you provide on the application questionnaire. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. You will not be considered for the position if you fail to complete the assessment. You will be assessed on the following competencies:

Oral Communication, Writing, Interpersonal Skills, Problem Solving, Teamwork, Technology Orientation, Customer Service, Attention to Detail, Self-Management.

If you are eligible under Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan or GSA’s Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP/CTAP), you must receive a score of 85 or higher to receive priority.


You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Public Buildings Service

Agency contact information

Sarah Holder
Phone
000-000-0000
Fax
000-000-0000
Email
crcevacancyinquiries@gsa.gov
Address
GSA, Public Buildings Service
Servicing HR Office: TAC Branch E
GSA, Office of Human Resources Management (OHRM)
1800 F Street, NW
Washington, District of Columbia 20405
United States

Visit our careers page

Learn more about what it's like to work at Public Buildings Service, what the agency does, and about the types of careers this agency offers.

https://www.gsa.gov/about-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.