Civil Engineer (Structural) - Direct Hire

Summary

The employee serves as the Division Bridge Engineer in a Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Division office with responsibility for managing and promoting the Federal highway programs applicable to bridges and other structures within the State. The employee coordinates and evaluates the structural programs and assists coworkers within the Division office in addressing technically complex or controversial issues on project specific applications related to structures.

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Overview

• Accepting applications

• Open & closing dates

06/10/2024 to 07/01/2024

• Salary

$96,148 - $156,323 per year

• Pay scale & grade

GS 12 - 13

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Locations

1 vacancy in the following locations:

• Los Angeles, CA

• Sacramento, CA

• Remote job

No

• Telework eligible

Yes-The position is eligible for telework. This is not a full-time telework position or approved as a remote work position.

• Travel Required

Occasional travel

• Travel is required for field inspections.

• Relocation expenses reimbursed

Yes-Relocation expenses are authorized for this position.

• Appointment type

Permanent

• Work schedule

Full-time

• Full Time

• Service

Competitive

• Promotion potential

13

• Job family (Series)

0810 Civil Engineering

• Supervisory status

No

• Security clearance

Other

• Drug test

No

• Position sensitivity and risk

Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

• Trust determination process

Suitability/Fitness

• Announcement number

FHWA.FO-2024-0131

• Control number

794998400

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This job is open to

• Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)

Federal employees who meet the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee.

• The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted from any U.S. citizen. Direct Hire Authority will be used to fill this position. The 'Rule of Three', Veterans Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants does not apply to this vacancy. This position is not in the Bargaining unit.

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Duties

As a Civil Engineer (Structural), you will:

• Evaluate and promote improvements in the State's administration of Federal programs for bridges, tunnels and other structures and encourage the use of enhanced planning, design, and construction, preservation, inspection and maintenance practices for structures.

• Provide oversight of State compliance with the National Bridge Inspection Standards (NBIS) and with the National Tunnel Inspection Standards (NTIS) and recommends improvements.

• Maintain and conduct an oversight program for bridges, tunnels and other structures under design and construction and ensure that there is full coordination with responsible Division staff and State representatives.

• For projects designated as full oversight, review structural plans for suitability of structural adequacy, economy, safety, aesthetics, hydraulics, foundation, and overall concept. Perform construction reviews/inspections and evaluate and render a decision relative to the State's proposed remedial actions, making recommendations associated therewith.

The ideal candidate is a seasoned mid-career structural engineering professional with experience in bridge and tunnel design, construction inspection, and program management plus excellent communication skills.

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Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen & meet specialized experience to qualify

• Submit application and resume online by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date

• Required documents must be submitted by the closing date.

• Direct Hire Authority will be used to fill this position

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

• SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for the Selective Service.
• BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: You may be required to complete a background/security investigation and meet preliminary requirements prior to onboarding.
• PCS/RELOCATION/RECRUITMENT: Permanent Change of Station (PCS), Relocation, and Recruitment Incentive authorization varies by position/selection and a service agreement may be required.
• PROBATIONARY PERIOD: Varies by position and is determined by the hiring agency. If selected, a one-year or two-year probationary period may be required.
• GOVERNMENT TRAVEL CARD: This position involves travel. A government contractor-issued travel card will be issued and must be retained for official business only.
• TELEWORK ELIGIBILITY: This position may be eligible for occasional and/or regularly scheduled telework. The number of telework days approved will be determined by your immediate supervisor or manager following the agency's telework policy and guidance. If participating in the telework program, you will be required to sign a telework agreement detailing agency telework policy requirements, working conditions, and expectations for the position.

Qualifications

To meet the basic qualifications for this position, you must (1) meet the Mandatory Education Requirement for the series, AND (2) provide a copy of your transcripts or other applicable documentation for verification and (3) meet the specialized experience requirements for each grade you are applying to. Please review the following information before proceeding with the application process:

(1) All applicants must meet the education requirements under A or B to qualify for applying to an engineering position:

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 the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET); or (2) that included differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced that first year physics and chemistry) in five of the following seven areas of engineering science or physics: (a) statics, dynamics; (b) strength of materials; (c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (d) thermodynamics; (e) electrical fields and circuits; (f) nature and properties of materials; 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 or training: college level education, training and/or technical experience that has 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:

• Professional registration or licensure - current registration as an Engineer Intern (EI), engineer in Training (EIT), or licensure as a Professional Engineer (PE).

• Written Test

• Evidence of having successfully passed 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, and Puerto Rico.

• Specified academic courses

• Successful completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences which included the courses as specified in Paragraph A above.

• 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 had at least 1 year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance. There should be either an established plan of intensive training to develop professional engineering competence, or several years of prior professional engineering type experience. This must be clearly described in your resume.

For additional information, please refer to the OPM qualifications standard for GS-800: All Professional Engineering Positions qualifications at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0800/files/all-professional-engineering-positions-0800.pdf.

(2) Upload the appropriate document(s) to your application for verification purposes.

(3) Specialized Experience: To determine which grade(s) you may be eligible for, review the following grade specific details. You will be asked a few questions as part of your application but make sure to verify how you meet this experience in your resume.

For the GS-12: On Experience, you must have at least one year of experience, equal or equivalent to the GS-11 grade level, which includes:

• Developing and/or evaluating the quality of plans, specifications, and estimate (PS&E) packages for bridges related to transportation projects which included performing work in, or related to, one or more of the following:

• Inspecting bridges under construction.

• Inspecting in-service bridges using National Bridge Standards (NBIS).

• Assessing compliance of bridge condition inspections with National Bridge Inspection Standards (NBIS).

For the GS-13: On Experience, you must have at least one year of experience, equal or equivalent to the GS-12 grade level, which includes all of the following:

• Developing and/or evaluating the quality of plans, specifications, and estimates for bridges related to transportation projects; AND inspecting bridges under construction; AND inspecting in-service bridge conditions; AND assessing compliance of bridge condition inspections with National Bridge Inspection Standards (NBIS).

Although you must first meet the mandatory education requirement, you cannot qualify for the GS-12 grade based on education, you must meet the specialized experience, which is cited above for each grade.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas:

• Structural Engineering

• Knowledge of the concepts, principles, theories, and methods related to the design and analysis of complex structures using a variety of materials. Structures may include aerospace systems or structures, and other determinate or indeterminate systems.

• Problem Solving

• Identifies and analyzes problems; weighs relevance and accuracy of information; generates and evaluates alternative solutions; makes recommendations.

• Oral Communication

• Makes clear and convincing oral presentations. Listens effectively; clarifies information as needed.

• Written Communication

• Writes in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience.

• Teamwork

• Encourages and facilitates cooperation, pride, trust, and group identity; fosters commitment and team spirit; works with others to achieve goals.

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 directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

All applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

See the Qualifications section for Mandatory Education Requirements.

Additional information

This position is also eligible for relocation incentives for current FHWA employees and recruitment incentives for hires newly appointed to the Federal government. A relocation incentive is a bonus, of up to 25%, paid to a current Federal employee who must relocate to a different geographic area that has been deemed difficult to fill in the absence of an incentive. A recruitment incentive is a bonus, of up to 25%, paid to a newly appointed employee (or an employee has had an at least 90-day break in Federal service) based on need for their specific skills or difficulty encountered filling the position with a qualified applicant. A written service agreement must be established and signed by selectee before payment is made for all incentives.

This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if similar vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.

Qualified CTAP/ICTAP candidates receive priority and will be referred to the hiring manager.

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• Benefits

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new window

Learn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

For this announcement, all applicants will be reviewed to determine if they meet the basic qualifications for this position, specifically the educational requirements. Applications that are verified to meet the basic qualifications will be referred to the selecting official.

Applicants will not be rated or ranked. Veteran's Preference does NOT apply.

DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE: PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. All answers provided in the on-line process must be substantiated by a resume. If, upon review, it is determined that your resume and/or supporting documents do not support your answer choices, your application may be removed from consideration.

Please ensure that your work history provides enough details to support your answers.

You may preview questions for this vacancy.

• Benefits

Help

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new window

Learn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

• Required Documents

As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.

ALL Applicants must provide a resume that fully supports the required specialized experience and was created within USA Jobs Resume Builder and respond to the vacancy questions by the closing date of the vacancy.

TRANSCRIPTS

• Transcripts are REQUIRED per the mandatory education requirement for the series. The transcripts need not be official but must show that you meet the stated education requirements, including specific major or class requirements.

• If you are qualifying based on possessing a current Professional Engineer (PE) license, or passing the Engineer in Training (EIT) exam, please provide a copy of the PE license or written document showing proof of passing the EIT.

• Foreign education must be reviewed by an organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. You must show proof the education credentials have been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education program. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education and a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, see the Department of Education website.