Duties

As a Civil Engineer (Highway), you will:

• Complete the highway design engineering on simple to moderately complex projects and perform work activities on more complex projects with appropriate oversight and guidance.
• Generate and evaluate geometric design alternatives and develop sound design concepts.
• Develop Plans, Specifications, and Estimates (PS&E) packages that clearly define the work, are biddable, and emphasize context sensitivity, safety, and constructability.
• Interpret and apply the laws, regulations, policies, and guidance related to standard aspects of highway design.
• Identify, recommend, and/or use appropriate technologies for gathering data during PS&E development.
• Attend meetings with supervisor/designated employee on project highway design matters that involve a wide range of external contacts, including technical representatives of client agencies. Prepare written field review and meeting reports and other technical reports.

The ideal candidate is an engineer with experience developing, monitoring, and adhering to the design, budget, and schedule for roadway construction projects and providing technical assistance from initial scoping through construction support.

RECRUITMENT INCENTIVE MAY BE OFFERED TO SELECTEE(S) OF THIS POSITION.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen and eligible for consideration.
• Applicable documents are required for the Mandatory Education requirements.
• And, you must also meet specialized experience and/or education to qualify.
• Submit application and resume online by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

• SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for the Selective Service.
• BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: You will be required to complete a background/security investigation and meet preliminary requirements prior to onboarding.
• PROBATIONARY PERIOD: You must complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed).
• TIME-IN-GRADE: Federal applicants must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade to satisfy time-in-grade restrictions contained in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F.
• DEU REQUIREMENTS: Applicants selected under delegated examining procedures may be required to successfully complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed).
• GOVERNMENT TRAVEL CARD: This position involves travel. A government contractor-issued travel card will be issued and must be retained for official business only.
• If recruitment incentive is offered, selectee will be required to sign a service agreement.

Qualifications

To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must (1) meet the Mandatory Education Requirement for the series, (2) provide a copy of your transcripts or other applicable documentation for verification, AND (3) meet the specialized experience and/or education requirements for each grade. 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. Successful completion of a degree in engineering that: (1) has 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.

• Foreign education must be reviewed by an organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Provide proof the education credentials meet U.S. education program requirements.
• Students enrolled in a qualifying degree program can apply if the anticipated graduation date is within three months of the closing date of this announcement. If selected, the final transcript must be received before your start date. Other applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

(3) Qualifications:

To determine which grade(s) you are eligible for, review the following grade specific details. You will be asked questions as part of your application but make sure to verify how you meet this experience in your resume or you may be deemed ineligible.

For the GS-07:

On Experience, you must have at least one year of experience, equal or equivalent to the GS-05 grade level, which included:

• Experience assisting design engineers performing simple projects or portions of projects, such as developing Plans Specifications, and Estimates (PS&E) packages or performing quantity computations; AND
• Experience applying mathematical, physical science, and engineering practices.

Or on Education, you must have at least 1 year of graduate-level education OR a Bachelor's degree with Superior Academic Achievement*.

You can also have a combination of graduate education and experience. This must be fully supported by your resume and transcripts, provided with your application.

For the GS-09:

On Experience, you must have at least one year of experience, equal or equivalent to the GS-07 grade level, which included:

• Experience as a design engineer performing a variety of highway design activities such as, developing portions of Plans, Specifications, and Estimates (PS&E) packages, identifying appropriate bid items, performing quantity computations, developing summary tables for project plans and price estimates, selecting and assembling special contract requirements (SCRs), or developing critical path diagrams for determination of construction contract time.

Or on Education, you must have at least 2 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or have been awarded a master's or equivalent graduate degree.

You can also have a combination of graduate education and experience. This must be fully supported by your resume and transcripts, provided with your application.

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:

Civil Engineering - Knowledge of the concepts, principles, theories, and methods required to plan, design, construct, operate, and maintain facilities such as buildings, transportation systems, water and sanitary systems, and other public works systems.

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.

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.

Education

See the Qualifications section for Mandatory Education Requirements.

*Superior Academic Achievement (applicable for the grade 07) is based on (1) class standing, (2) grade-point average, or (3) honor society membership. (In order to be creditable under this provision, superior academic achievement must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled.)

• 1. Class standing -- Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses.
• 2. Grade-point average (G.P.A.) -- Applicants must have a grade-point average of: 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on their official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum.

Additional information

This announcement will be opened continuously for 4 months. Given our continuing need for professionals in this field, we will routinely review applications and refer candidates for potential interviews multiple times during the open period of the announcement. Following these dates, we will contact qualified applicants to schedule interviews. We will give equal consideration to all applications we receive.

Note: This is nota Bargaining unit position.

COVID VACCINATION: If selected, you will be required to provide information regarding your COVID-19 vaccination status for the purposes of implementing workplace safety protocols, such as protocols related to masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine.

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