Civil Engineer (Highway) (Materials/Pavement Engineer) - DIRECT HIRE - Federal Highway Administration

Summary This position is located in the Technical Services Branch of the Western Federal Lands Highway Division (WFLHD). The employee is responsible for assisting in the development, planning, implementation and administration of the WFLHD materials program in the use of new materials concepts in the construction of highways and bridges and assists the Senior Materials Engineer in the areas of technology development, construction techniques, and quality assurance. Responsibilities As a Civil Engineer (Highway) (Materials/Pavement Engineer), you will: Develop technical reports and/or memos with project specific structural pavement & materials recommendations. Participate on cross functional teams as the Materials representative to develop contract specific requirements, review PS&E packages, ensure adherence to the latest material requirements, techniques, and policies. Provide support and highway material recommendations to Construction and Project Delivery for highway materials related issues. Gather appropriate data, provide analysis and develop solutions, as appropriate, in support of the division highway materials team. Maintain contact with state highway agencies, industry, and other federal government agencies to network and provide information to assist in project delivery activities. The ideal candidate for this position is a mid-level Civil Engineer who has knowledge and experience in highway materials specifications, evaluation, and highway construction practices. The candidate will have experience in concepts, principles, and practices of materials engineering and be able to provide advice on the use and acceptance of various highway construction materials. The candidate will have knowledge and application of American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards that directly relate to the properties of materials used in highway construction and provide analysis of related test results. The candidate will have experience in the review of plans, specifications and estimates to ensure accuracy, constructability, and adherence to material requirements. RECRUITMENT INCENTIVE MAY BE OFFERED TO SELECTEE OF THIS POSITION Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. citizen & meet specialized experience to qualify Submit application and resume online by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date Required documents must be submitted by the closing date. Direct Hire Authority will be used to fill this position CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT: SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for the Selective Service. BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: You may be required to complete a background/security investigation and meet preliminary requirements prior to onboarding. RECRUITMENT INCENTIVE: If a recruitment incentive is offered, selectee will be required to sign a service agreement. PROBATIONARY PERIOD: Varies by position and is determined by the hiring agency. If selected, a one-year or two-year probationary period may be required. PCS/RELOCATION/RECRUITMENT: Permanent Change of Station (PCS), Relocation, and Recruitment Incentive authorization varies by position/selection. GOVERNMENT TRAVEL CARD: This position involves travel. A government contractor-issued travel card will be issued and must be retained for official business only. PHYSICAL AND WORK CONDITIONS: Field work may take place in remote, mountainous areas where extreme weather conditions exist. This work may require close proximity to vehicle traffic and highway construction equipment, and/or steep slopes. Some strenuous walking, climbing, or bending will be involved and work activities include lifting and carrying heavy loads (up to 50 pounds) on occasion. TELEWORK ELIGIBILITY: This position may be eligible for occasional and/or regularly scheduled telework. The number of telework days approved will be determined by your immediate supervisor or manager following the agency's telework policy and guidance. If participating in the telework program, you will be required to sign a telework agreement detailing agency telework policy requirements, working conditions, and expectations for the position. Qualifications To meet the basic 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 requirements, or education if applicable, for each grade you are applying to. 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. 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 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. (3) Specialized Experience: To determine which grade(s) you may be eligible for, review the following grade specific details. You will be asked a few questions as part of your application but make sure to verify how you meet this experience in your resume, and/or verify education if applicable. For the GS-11: On Experience, you must have at least one year of specialized experience, equal or equivalent to the GS-09 grade level, which include: Experience providing technical assistance on active construction projects for use and acceptance of various highway materials; AND Experience developing contract requirements to include providing construction, testing, evaluation and acceptance require ments. Or on Education, 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 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-12: On Experience, you must have at least one year of specialized experience, equal or equivalent to the GS-11 grade level, which included: Experience providing technical assistance and advice on active construction projects for use and acceptance of various highway materials and recommendations for deployment of innovative materials and/or technologies; AND Experience developing contract requirements to include providing construction, testing, evaluation and acceptance requirements; AND Experience in material engineering properties of pavement such as evaluation of pavement performance, distress identification, and structural design. Although you must first meet the mandatory education requirement, you cannot qualify for the GS-12 grade based on education, you must meet the specialized experience, which is cited above. 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: Road Work and Pavement - Knowledge of materials, methods, and appropriate tools to construct, maintain, or repair road surfaces, including sidewalks, parking lots, runways, etc. Materials Engineering - Knowledge of the concepts, principles, theories, and methods related to the composition, structures, and properties of materials, their use, behavior and performance under environmental influences, and the identification, processing, and manufacture of optimal materials for various applications. 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. Technical Competence - Uses knowledge that is acquired through formal training or extensive on-the-job experience to perform one's job; works with, understands, and evaluates technical information related to the job; advises others on technical issues. Oral Communication - Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately. 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). Education See the Qualifications section for the Mandatory Education Requirements. Students enrolled in a qualifying degree program can apply to the GS-11 grade based on education if the anticipated graduation date is within six 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. Additional Information The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Transportation and its Operating Administrations from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to the Department of Transportation by email at, FairChanceAct@dot.gov. To learn more, please visit our page at: The Fair Chance to Compete Act | US Department of Transportation This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if similar vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate. Qualified CTAP/ICTAP candidates receive priority and will be referred to the hiring manager.