Duties

Summary

This position is located in the Department of Homeland Security, United States Coast Guard, Surface Forces Logistics Center, Engineering Services Division, Baltimore, MD.

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

This position is that of a Mechanical Engineer. The incumbent is to serve as a subject matter expert for technical authority issues for shipboard auxiliary machinery equipment and systems and for mechanical engineering issues. The incumbent is responsible for ensuring all tasks assigned are completed and delivered on time. Auxiliary machinery equipment and systems encompass all the equipment and piping needed for fluid systems, weight handling and deck machinery systems, heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration systems, water making systems, and other auxiliary machinery installed on-board Coast Guard cutters and boats.

Being a Coast Guard civilian makes you a valuable member of the Coast Guard team. Typical work assignments include:

- Reviewing plans, specifications, and cost estimates for technical adequacy.

- Reporting progress and/or problems. Directing necessary changes, resolving controversial problems, ensuring conformance to plans and specifications, and furnishing other assistance as required where deficiencies are noted.

- Guiding and evaluating contractor efforts and assessing technical progress in relation to the established schedule and resources allotted.

- Managing contracts for highly complex projects involving multiple disciplines.

- Coordinating the review of the contractor's proposal and assisting in negotiations with contractors.

- Serving as the point of contact for resolution and final technical decision on complex technical problems identified by the contractor but outside the scope of the contract.

- Consulting with management and planning personnel in preparing requirements and criteria for complex or high value projects for construction or modification of facilities, systems, equipment, or hardware.

- Providing guidance and technical advice to lower-grade employees and specialists within the organization in the performance of related assignments and is available to those employees for consultation on assigned projects.

- Resolving technical difficulties that can be overcome by changes in approach, criteria, or requirements.

Travel Required

Occasional travel - 1 - 5 days per month.

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
13

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.

You MUST provide college transcripts in order to receive consideration.

Qualifications

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS: To qualify for this position, applicants must show that they possess a professional knowledge of engineering principles and practices through the following: Completion of a bachelor's or higher degree in engineering that was from an ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology) accredited school or that included courses in differential and integral calculus and courses (beyond 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 Registration as a professional engineer by a State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico. OR Successfully passing the Engineering-in-Training (EIT) examination, or the written test required for professional registration that is administered by the Boards of Engineering Examiners in the various states, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico, and completed all the requirements for either (a) bachelor's degree in engineering technology (BET) from an accredited college or university that included at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences, or (b) a BET from an ABET-accredited program. OR A combination of at least 4 years of college-level education, training, and/or technical experience that included successful completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences, including the courses listed in paragraph A above. (NOTE: The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of a professional engineering curriculum.) OR Successful completion of a curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree in engineering technology or in an appropriate professional field (e.g., physics, chemistry, architecture, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, or geology) AND at least 1 year of professional engineering experience under the guidance and supervision of a professional engineer. IN ADDITION to meeting the basic education requirements (above) applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-12 for the GS-13) Examples of specialized experience include: FOR THE GS-13 Applicants must have at least 1 full year of professional engineering experience (equivalent to the GS-12 level in the federal service) in developing new criteria or policies for resolving highly complex and unusual problems associated with the analysis, procurement, maintenance, modification, and repair of marine equipment and machinery; determining mechanical engineering requirements/specifications for propulsion machinery or related systems; solving engineering problems involving different types of mechanical, structural and electrical equipment including but not limited to marine propulsion systems, weight handling systems, controllable pitch propeller systems, and multi-generator power distribution systems; provides contract and procurement administrators with the technical information necessary to assure contract compliance; and develops cost estimates and life cycle costing information for engineering projects, etc. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the particular ability, skill, and knowledge to successfully perform the duties of this position and is typically in or related to this line of work. Applicants may also qualify based on a combination of education and experience.

National Service Experience (i.e., volunteer experience): 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.

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, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.

Education

This position does have a positive education requirement. You MUST provide college transcripts in order to receive consideration. If you are including education on your resume, report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. See Required Documents section for detail.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet Federal qualification requirements if you can show that your foreign education is comparable to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence with your application. See Recognition of Foreign Qualifications click here

Additional information

Applicants will be required to complete questions contained on the Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) at the time a tentative job offer is made. Certain responses on the form could pose a problem with suitability for employment determinations. If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete/make updates to the OF-306 and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application, prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, or imprisonment.

DHS uses e-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about e-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities at click here

Recruitment incentives may be authorized.

All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit.

For Veterans' preference eligibility, visit Veterans' Employment Resources . Veterans , Peace Corps / VISTA volunteers , and persons with disabilities possess a wealth of unique talents, experiences, and competencies that can be invaluable to the DHS mission. See the required documents section of the announcement.

More than 1 selection may be made from this announcement if additional identical vacancies in the same title, series, grade, and unit occur within 45 days from the date the certificate was issued.

If you need a reasonable accommodation for the application and hiring process, please contact 410-636-3504. Decisions on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. Visit Reasonable Accommodation

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

We will review your résumé and supporting documentation to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. If you meet the minimum qualifications, you will be referred for consideration. The following competencies or knowledge, skills, and abilities are needed to perform this job:

1. Knowledge of advanced concepts, principles, and practices of mechanical engineering.
2. Ability to apply new mechanical engineering developments and experienced judgment to solve novel or obscure problems.
3. Ability to extend and modify existing mechanical engineering techniques.
4. Ability to develop new approaches for use of other engineering specialists in solving a variety of engineering problems.

To preview questions please click here .

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Q Access Authorization

Drug test required
No

Required Documents

1. Your resume
2. Your responses to the online questionnaire
3. If qualifying based on education, submit a legible copy of your unofficial college transcript from an accredited college/university. The transcript copy must reflect the college/university name and/or logo. Applicants are highly encouraged to proactively order a copy of their official transcripts to be delivered to their home address so transcripts will be readily available if selected. If selected, you will be required to provide official transcripts prior to establishing your start date. Foreign education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet federal qualification requirements if you can show that your foreign education is comparable to education received in accredited institutions in the U.S. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence with your application. See Recognition of Foreign Qualifications click here.
4. If you are claiming special priority selection rights under the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP), submit a copy of your agency notice, most recent performance rating and most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, noting your current position, grade level and duty location. If you have never worked for the federal government, you are not ICTAP eligible. To be considered eligible, you must be placed in the well-qualified category for this position. Please see ICTAP eligibility.
5. If you are a current active duty military member who does not have a DD214 and is claiming preference under the Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) Act, you must submit certification from the Armed Forces indicating that you will be discharged or released under honorable conditions from active duty within 120 days from the date on the certification. Certifications must be on letterhead from the appropriate military branch and include the following information: military dates of service and expected discharge or release date, character of service, military rank, type of discharge and date when terminal leave will begin. Certifications must be signed by, or by direction of military members' military personnel offices, unit commanders or higher headquarters.
6. OPM must authorize employment offers for former or current Political Appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C or Non-Career SES employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information. Submit proof of your former or current status, such as your SF-50. Please see here.

All documentation as outlined above must be received by the closing date of the announcement. If you are unable to submit your documents electronically, you may fax or mail the documents. A fax cover sheet will be provided to you from the system, with fax number and instructions to transmit the requested documents. The required documents will also be accepted by mail and must be received by the closing date of the announcement. The mailing address is Northeast Branch, ATTN OFFICE OF CIVILIAN HUMAN RESOURCES (JOBS), US COAST GUARD, 2401 Hawkins Point Road, Building 1, Mailstop 4, Baltimore, MD 21226.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education .

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.