Duties

Summary

This vacancy is for a Computer Engineer (Data Systems) , position in the Chief Technology Office located at the U.S. Census Bureau Headquarters in Suitland, Maryland. The Census Bureau is accessible from the Metro Rail Green Line - Suitland Station.

This Job Opportunity Announcement may be used to fill other Computer Engineer (Data Systems), GG-0854-15, (FPL GG-15) positions within the Census Bureau in the same geographical location with the same qualifications and specialized experience.

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

• Executes the system engineering process during all system/product life cycle phases for Census Bureau subsystems, systems or systems of systems.
• Develops system engineering plans, policies and procedures in accordance with departmental and agency best practices.
• Manages all system engineering tasks that effectively implement discipline system engineering processes and procedures throughout the system engineering life cycle.
• Serves as a senior advisor to system component engineers and reviews and approves system engineering artifacts in accordance with defined standards.
• Establishes strong partnering relationships with contractors to accomplish major engineering programmatic goals, and effectively tasks and monitors contractor assigned tasks to ensure timeliness and quality.

Travel Required

Not required

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
15

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• U.S. citizen.
• Suitable for Federal employment.
• Registered for Selective Service if applicable. (www.sss.gov)
• You may be required to complete a financial disclosure (OGE-450).

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

This vacancy is advertised under 2 different announcements. Please read the 'Who May Apply' section carefully to determine your eligibility. If you are not eligible under this announcement, please see CTO-2019-0010, Computer Engineer (Data Systems), GG-0854-15, CENSUS-MP-BC .

This is a Temporary Appointment, initial appointment is not to exceed (NTE) 09/30/2020. This appointment may be extended an additional year at management's discretion.

A trial period may be required.

This position is ELIGIBLE for telework; additional criteria will be required (e.g., supervisory approval).

This is a NON-BARGAINING unit position.

Relocation expenses may be paid.

Qualifications

Minimum Education Requirement:

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:

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.

Written Test -- Evidence of having successfully passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE)2 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 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.

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.)

AND

Specialized Experience: For the GG-15, you must have one year of experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-14 in the Federal service. Experience for this position includes: developing and ensuring compliance with system engineering plans, policies and processes; applying systems engineering management tools and techniques on information technology projects; applying the Systems Engineering Life Cycle approach and developing best practices for design, development, and testing of systems; transforming requirements into logical decomposition models then to logical and physical designs; working with organizational stakeholders to obtain and convey technical information; and developing enterprise or solution architecture to meet business 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.

Education

Additional information

The following links provide information on various hiring authorities that may enable you to apply through merit assignment procedures, or be eligible for a non-competitive appointment.

• 30% or more disabled veteran
• Person with Disability
• CTAP
• ICTAP

The Department of Commerce provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the Human Resources Office. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be on a case-by-case basis. TTY users can contact the Human Resources Office via the Federal Relay Service, 1-800-877-8339.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

Your resume, optional cover letter and supporting documentation will be reviewed to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications for the position. If you meet the minimum qualifications stated in the job opportunity announcement, we will compare your resume, optional cover letter and supporting documentation to your responses on the scored occupational questionnaire (True/False, Yes/No, Multiple Choice questions) and place you in one of three pre-defined categories. These categories are "gold," "silver," and "bronze." Your resume and/or optional cover letter must support your responses to the scored occupational questionnaire, or your score may be lowered. Candidates placed in the "gold" category will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be invited for an interview.

How you will be evaluated for preference eligibility: Within each category, those entitled to veterans' preference will be listed at the top of the pre-defined category for which they are placed.

The scored occupational questionnaire will evaluate you on the following competencies; please do not provide a separate written response:

• Knowledge of systems engineering principles, processes, standards and all phases of the Enterprise/Mission Engineering Life Cycle from concept definition through operations, maintenance and disposition.
• Skill in the development, communication and execution of engineering strategies in order to implement enterprise or program perspectives characterized by comprehensive viewpoints, innovative approaches, and customer-focused, scalable solutions.
• Knowledge of industry standards and best practices and how to effectively apply them across all of the system engineering disciplines.
• Skill in directing and governing application of the Systems Engineering Life Cycle approach to requirements engineering, architecture systems design and development, and system integration.
• Skill in negotiating, leading, coordinating, and guiding multiple sets of Solution or Technical Providers to deliver a well-integrated and performing solution.

For more information on category rating, please go to: http://www.hr.commerce.gov/s/groups/public/@doc/@cfoasa/@ohrm/documents/content/prod01_009474.pdf .

We recommend that you preview the online questions for this announcement before you start the application process.

To preview questions please click here .

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Other

Drug test required
No

Required Documents

A complete application consists of the following:

• Resume showing relevant experience; cover letter optional. Your resume should list your educational and work experience including the dates (mm/dd/yy) of each employment along with the number of hours worked per week. Your resume may be used to validate your responses to the scored occupational questionnaire. Your resume should also indicate your citizenship and if you are registered with the Selective Service System if you are a male born after 12/31/59.
• Veterans' Preference Documentation: Please indicate on your resume the type of veterans' preference you are claiming and provide the appropriate supporting documentation (DD-214 stating disposition of discharge or character of service, VA letter, SF-15, etc.) to validate your claim. For more information regarding eligibility requirements, please go to: http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx .
• Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) documentation, if applicable (see other information).
• Education Documentation: If this position requires proof of higher education, or you are substituting education for experience, you must submit an unofficial transcript or a list of courses that includes the following information: name of accredited institution, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned. This also applies to Census Bureau employees. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. Please refer to http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/policy/ApplicationOfStds-04.asp for more information.

You are not required to submit official documents at this time; copies are sufficient.

Special Instructions for Foreign Education: Qualifying education from colleges and universities in foreign countries must be evaluated in terms of equivalency to that acquired in U.S. colleges and universities. Applicants educated in whole or in part in foreign countries must submit sufficient evidence, including transcripts, to an accredited private organization for an equivalency evaluation of course work and degree. A listing of these accredited organizations can be found on the Department of Education's website - http://www.ed.gov/international/usnei/us/workrecog.doc You must provide a copy of the letter containing the results of the equivalency evaluation with a course by course listing along with your application. Failure to provide such documentation when requested will result in lost consideration.

CTAP and ICTAP Eligibles

CTAP and ICTAP candidates will be eligible for selection priority if it is determined that they have exceeded the minimum qualifications for the position by attaining at least a rating of 85 out of 100. Information about CTAP and ICTAP eligibility is on the Office of Personnel Management's Career Transition Resources website at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/ctap_guideline.pdf .

CTAP applicants MUST submit the following documents:

A copy of your RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a directed geographic relocation outside of the local commuting area; a Certificate of Expected Separation (CES); or certification that you are in a surplus organization or occupation (this could be a position abolishment letter, a notice of eligibility for discontinued service retirement, or similar notice);

A copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action", noting current position, grade/band level, and duty location;

A copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and

Any documentation from your bureau/operating unit that shows your current promotion potential.

ICTAP applicants MUST submit the following documents:

A copy of your RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a directed geographic relocation outside of the local commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination, certification from your former agency that it cannot place you after your recovery from a work-related compensable injury; or certification from the National Guard Bureau or Military Department that you are eligible for disability retirement.

A copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action", documenting your RIF separation, noting your position, grade/band level, and duty location, and/or Agency certification of inability to place you through RPL, etc.;

A copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and

Any documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential.

NOTE: You will not be considered if you fail to provide all required documents.

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.