Duties

Summary

This position is located in the Civil Rights Division's (Division), Disability Rights Section, Department of Justice. As an Architect, you will utilize your knowledge of advanced architectural concepts, principles, and practices in order to serve as the design and technical expert evaluating and reporting on a variety of projects by other architects, engineers, and design professionals - from the planning stage through design, construction, and occupancy.
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Responsibilities

The purpose of this position is to serve a senior Architect in the DRS, providing technical expertise and consultation to Department staff and, as required, to other federal agencies, state and local governments, and other stakeholders regarding requirements for accessible and barrier free buildings, facilities, and sites for people with disabilities under the ADA and Section 504. As a senior Architect, you will:

• Provide expert technical and professional advice and technical assistance to courts, attorneys, architects, paralegals, and other professionals in support of the Department's nationwide lead role in enforcement, regulation, and technical assistance under the ADA and Section 504 regarding architecture and physical accessibility, and, as required, to other federal agencies, state and local governments, and other stakeholders. This advice and technical assistance must be highly reliable and accurate and able to withstand blistering challenges. Apply the highest degree of innovation, creativity, imagination, resourcefulness, and technical judgment nationally concerning architecture, physical accessibility, barrier removal, and design and construction issues, having a mastery of the subject matter across the country that can be subjected often to multiple challenges and keeps current with accessibility developments by reviewing technical and design publications, evaluating new materials and design and construction processes and techniques, and attending professional conferences and meetings.
• Manage and prepare reports in writing and orally on evaluations of buildings, facilities, and sites including by documenting conditions with numerous reliable and highly accurate photographs and drawings including measurements and tools needed for evaluation, citations to accessibility standards, laws, regulations, and proposing complex and/or simple compliant remediation that can be relied upon nationwide by courts, architects, contractors, engineers, and other professionals.
• Evaluate and resolve complex architectural design issues on physical accessibility of all types-large and small buildings, facilities, and sites for people with disabilities used by public and private entities, including commercial facilities such as stadiums and places of public accommodation such as hospitals, multiple facility sites and restaurants, across the country, to determine compliance by designers, including, at times, highly accomplished architects and engineers, constructors, owners, and/or operators with the ADA and relevant accessibility standards, including the ADA Standards for Accessible Design. The evaluations and determinations may be highly contested and challenged on each detail.
• Review architectural designs and standard criteria of plans, blueprints, construction drawings, specifications, change orders, and as-built drawings of other architects, engineers, and other professionals expertly for compliance with the ADA and relevant accessibility standards, including the ADA Standards for Accessible Design in support of the Department's nationwide role in enforcement, regulation, and technical assistance under the ADA. The critiques of plans may be highly contested and challenged on each detail.
• Develop criteria/instructions for nationally technical assistance and training on architecture and physical accessibility issues arising under the ADA, ADA Standards for Accessible Design, and Section 504, that may set the national standard for physical accessibility to be used and followed by all architects, engineers, design professionals, cities, states, , constructors, owners, and/or operators across the country.

Travel Required

50% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
14

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see https://www.sss.gov/Home/Registration)
• DOJ 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, by visiting www.e-verify.gov/.
• You may be required to complete a pre-employment security screening to initiate your background investigation, which includes a drug screening. Continued employment is contingent upon successful completion and adjudication of your investigation.
• May be required to successfully complete a one-year probationary period
• Only experience and education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered.

Qualifications

All qualifications and education requirements (if applicable), must be met by the closing date of this announcement and clearly documented in your resume.

Basic Requirement for Architect:

A. Degree: Bachelor's degree (or higher degree) in architecture or in a related field that included 60 semester hours of course work in architecture or related disciplines of which at least (1) 30 semester hours were in architectural design, and (2) 6 semester hours were in each of the following: structural technology, properties of materials and methods of construction, and environmental control systems.

OR

B. Combination of Education and Experience: College-level education, training, and/or technical experience that furnished (1) a thorough knowledge of the arts and sciences underlying professional architecture, and (2) a good understanding, both theoretical and practical, of the architectural principles, methods, and techniques and their applications to the design and construction or improvement of buildings. The adequacy of such background must be demonstrated by at least one of the following: (1) Related Curriculum - Degree in architectural engineering provided the completed course work in architectural engineering provided knowledge, skills, and abilities substantially equivalent to those provided in the courses specified in statement A above. The curriculum for a degree in either architecture or architectural engineering covers function, esthetics, site, structure, economics, mechanical-electrical, and other engineering problems related to the design and construction of buildings primarily (but not exclusively) intended to house human activities. The courses required for a degree in architecture generally place emphasis upon planning, esthetics, and materials and methods of construction, while the courses for an architectural engineering degree place equal or greater weight on the technical engineering aspects such as structural systems, mechanical systems, and the properties of materials. Because of this difference in emphasis, persons with degrees in architecture may have a preference for work assignments that offer greater opportunities for them to express their artistic and creative abilities. As a result, they may be more concerned with planning and design aspects of architecture, and persons with degrees in architectural engineering may be more engaged in aspects emphasizing technical engineering considerations. or (2) Experience : 1 year of experience in an architect's office or in architectural work for each year short of graduation from a program of study in architecture. In the absence of any college courses, 5 years of such experience is required. This experience must have demonstrated that you have acquired a thorough knowledge of the fundamental principles and theories of professional architecture.In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below:

Specialized Experience Requirements

In order to be rated as qualified for this position, we must be able to determine that you meet the specialized experience requirement - please be sure to include this information in your resume. To be creditable, this experience must have been equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the next lower grade of the position to be filled.

To qualify at the GS-13 grade level, candidates must have one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service or other pay system. You must possess the following specialized experience in order to qualify for this position:
(1) applying the latest developments in building and site design in construction, physical accessibility, and barrier removal;
(2) utilizing knowledge of ADA, Section 504, the Fair Housing Act, the Architectural Barriers Act, and other federal laws addressing physical accessibility and their interrelationships; and
(3) reviewing plans and drawings for compliance with the ADA standards for accessible design in order to assist in evaluating existing, newly constructed, or altered buildings, facilities, and sites designed and constructed by other architects, engineers, and other design professionals.

To qualify at the GS-14 grade level, candidates must have one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-13 grade level in the Federal service or other pay system. You must possess the following specialized experience in order to qualify for this position:
(1) applying the latest and most advanced developments in building, facility, and site design in construction, physical accessibility, and barrier removal;(2) utilizing knowledge of ADA, Section 504, the Fair Housing Act, the Architectural Barriers Act, and other federal laws addressing physical accessibility and their interrelationships; and
(3) evaluating plans and drawings for compliance with the ADA standards for accessible design in order to evaluate existing, newly constructed, or altered buildings, facilities, and sites designed and constructed by other architects, engineers, and other design professionals.

Specialized experience is defined as experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled.

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

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html .

Additional information

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP/ICTAP):The Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) provides eligible surplus and displaced competitive service employees in DOJ with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies.ICTAP provides eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If you have received written notification of your eligibility for consideration under CTAP/ICTAP, you may receive special priority consideration for this position, if this vacancy is within your CTAP/ICTAP eligibility and you are well-qualified for the position. To be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements and score 85 or better on established ranking criteria (for scored examining) OR rate equivalent to the Highly Qualified or better category using established category rating criteria. For more information visit: http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp .

Schedule A: The Civil Rights Division welcomes and encourages applications from persons with disabilities and is firmly committed to satisfying its affirmative obligations under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to ensure that persons with disabilities have every opportunity to be hired and advanced on the basis of merit within the Department. The Civil Rights Division also encourages eligible Schedule A applicants to submit their resumes directly to Diane Turner by email to Diane.M.Turner@usdoj.gov.

DOJ EEO Statement/Policy: https://www.justice.gov/jmd/page/file/1394116/download

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

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

Applicants will only be considered for the Eligibilities for which they claim in the job questionnaire AND must provide the supporting documentation. Applicants will not be considered for Eligibilities for which they did not claim, regardless of the documentation submitted with the application.

Once the announcement has closed, your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine if you meet the qualifications listed on this announcement. If you are minimally qualified, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses on the assessment questionnaire to determine your level of experience.

Your application will then be placed in one of three categories: 1) Best Qualified - Candidates in this category possess exceptional skills and experience to exceed well above the minimum requirements for the announced position; 2) Highly Qualified - Candidates in this category possess solid skills and experience above the minimum requirements for the announced position; 3) Qualified - Candidates in this category meet the minimum experience requirements for the announced position. Within these categories, applicants eligible for Veterans' Preference will receive selection priority over non-veteran preference eligibles. Qualified preference eligible candidates with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more (CPS) and those with a compensable service-connected disability of more than 10% but less than 30% (CP) will be listed above non-preference eligible candidates in the best qualified category (except in the case of scientific or professional positions at the GS-09 level or higher).

If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your application materials, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies:

Accessibility Law, Architecture, Creative Thinking, Decision Making, Design, Oral Communication, and Problem Solving

Please Note: Additional selections may be made from this announcement for up to 90 days should additional similar openings occur in this, or any other office within DOJ.

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Not Required

Drug test required
No

Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

Trust determination process
Credentialing

Required Documents

You must provide a complete Application Package, which includes:

• Required: Resume, which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, with dates specified in month and year format, and indicate hours worked per week. (Cover letter optional). Do not include the following types of information in your profile or resume:
  • Classified or government sensitive information
  • Social Security Number (SSN)
  • Photos of yourself
  • Personal information, such as age, gender, religious affiliation, etc., or
  • Encrypted and digitally signed documents.
• Required: A complete Occupational Questionnaire
• Required, Career Transition Assistance Program/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program documentation, if applicable: Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal; SF-50 that documents the RIF separation action; and most recent performance appraisal.
  • Worker's Compensation Separation: Agency certification of inability to place employee AND Notification of Separation OR Separation SF-50.
  • Disability Annuity Termination: Notification from OPM of disability annuity termination AND Separation SF-50 of the last position held.
  • Military Reserve or National Guard Technician Special Disability Retirement Annuity under 5 U.S.C. 8337(h) or 8456: Certification of special disability retirement annuity from a military department or National Guard Bureau AND Separation SF-50 of the last position held.
• Required, if claiming Veterans Preference:
  • If you are a Discharged, Non-Disabled Veteran, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 showing character of discharge (Member 4 copy), or other Documentation of Service and Separation under Honorable Conditions, as listed on the SF-15 . If you don't have your DD-214, you may request it after discharge from the National Archives.
  • If you are a veteran within 120 days of discharge, you must submit signed documentation from the Armed Forces certifying: 1) your expected release/retirement from active duty, 2) under honorable conditions, 3) your pay grade/rank/rate at time of discharge, 4) dates of active duty service, 5) any campaign or expeditionary medals received, & 6) dated within 120 days of your separation.
  • If you are a Disabled Veteran, Purple Heart Recipient, or Mother or Spouse of a Disabled or Deceased Veteran, you must submit all additional proof required by the SF-15, and if applicable, a completed SF-15 . You may request a copy of your Department of Veterans Affairs letter from www.ebenefits.va.gov or call 1-800-827-1000 to establish proof of disability.

It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date. Failure to provide the applicable required documents could possibly result in losing consideration for this vacancy. If uploading documentation, do not identify/save your documents utilizing a special character such as %, #, @, etc. Documentation should be identified/saved as VA Letter, DD214, or Transcripts.

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.