General Engineer - DIRECT HIRE

The position is in the Office of Capital Project Management, under the Associate Administrator for Program Management (TPM). The Office provides engineering and project management support, business advice and technical guidance to senior leadership and regional personnel in the implementation of major transit capital projects funded by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA).

Major duties

The General Engineer: Works with contractors and FTA regional staff to provide project management oversight of transit projects, including providing technical direction for products to be delivered by contractors and providing recommendations to senior management for grantees' readiness for next phase of project development. Supports and sometimes leads workgroups in developing tools, policies, processes and procedures to support FTA's project management oversight program. Prepares comprehensive reports, detailed evaluations, summaries of project results/outcomes, technical findings, program activity descriptions, budgetary support documentation, and procedural options. Serves as a resource in providing guidance to stakeholders on the application of processes and procedures to support project management oversight. The ideal candidate has technical knowledge with experience in developing solutions to engineering problems and is capable of applying such experience to oversight that will help with successful delivery of capital projects. The ideal candidate will have excellent communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively and productively with individuals of diverse backgrounds towards the accomplishment of a common goal. The position is perfect for a recent engineering graduate who is new to the workforce and is looking for an excellent opportunity to advance their career with the Federal Transit Administration, work with transportation officials and meet the challenges of advancing transit systems.

Qualifications

To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must (1) meet the Education Requirement for the series, (2) provide a copy of transcripts for verification, AND (3) meet either the education or specialized experience requirements for the grade at which you are requesting consideration.

To qualify for the GS-11 on Experience, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-09 it must include:

• Knowledge and/or experience with engineering design and construction theories, concepts, and principles sufficient to provide oversight of capital projects.
• Experience interpreting, analyzing and evaluating project design and engineering problems.
• Experience preparing engineering evaluations and project summary results/reports and presenting the findings to other colleagues and/or mid-level management officials.

To qualify for the GS-11 on Education alone, you must have: 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree. You can also qualify based on a combination of higher level graduate education and experience. This must be fully supported by your resume and transcripts, provided with your application.

To qualify for the GS-12 on Experience, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-11 it must include:

• Experience in applying engineering design and construction theories, concepts, and principles to the oversight of capital projects.
• Experience in developing a range of solutions for the oversight of design and construction of capital projects.
• Experience communicating technical ideas in writing, preparing technical reports and presenting the contents to other mid and senior level management.

You cannot qualify on education at the GS-12 level; you must have experience.

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:

Project Management - Knowledge of the principles, methods, or tools for developing, scheduling, coordinating, and managing projects and resources, including monitoring and inspecting costs, work, and contractor performance.

Stakeholder Management - Knowledge of the concepts, practices, and techniques used to identify, engage, influence, and monitor relationships with individuals and groups connected to a work effort; including those actively involved, those who exert influence over the process and its results, and those who have a vested interest in the outcome (positive or negative).

For all types of consideration, 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

For additional information about applying to Federal positions, please click on the following link: https://www.opm.gov/frequently-asked-questions/employment-faq/federal-hiring/how-do-i-apply-for-federal-jobs/

Students enrolled in a qualifying degree program can apply if the anticipated graduation date is within six months of closing date of the announcement. Graduation transcript must be received before start date. Other applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

MANDATORY EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS:

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.

1. 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.

1. 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.

1. 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).

All applicants must meet the education requirements under A or B to qualify for applying to an engineering position. Transcripts are required for this position.

Requirements

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT: As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance the organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for the Selective Service.

GOVERNMENT TRAVEL CARD: This position involves travel. A government contractor-issued travel card will be issued and must be retained for official business only.

BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: A background security investigation is required for all selected individuals. Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of the security investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to meet these requirements will be grounds for termination.

PROBATIONARY PERIOD: Applicants may be required to successfully complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed).