Civil Engineer

Summary

About the Position: Responsible for soil design problems, subsurface investigations, soil testing, and interpretation for levee and earth dam projects.

This is a Direct Hire Authority (DHA) solicitation utilizing the DHA to recruit and appoint qualified candidates to positions in the competitive service.

Learn more about this agency

Duties

Help

• Duties are listed at full performance grade level, GS-12:
• Perform engineering analysis and design relative to soils selection, slope stability and under seepage impacts on earth and masonry structures.
• Select engineering characteristics of soils for design of earth structure and foundations.
• Review results of previous tests on similar soils for comparison. Study performance of structures constructed with or on same type of soil.
• Review publications to locate new applications.
• Conduct design analysis to determine stability of slopes.
• Select areas to be studied considering height and composition of embankment or cut and/or depth and characteristics of foundation.
• Use complex mathematical analysis method to determine hydraulic forces affecting earth and masonry structures.
• Apply engineering judgment and an established method of analysis to recommend location and size of berms or pressure-relief wells.
• Develop extent of soils data required for project under consideration.
• Perform technical assistance work in support of plans and specifications preparation and field construction operations involving soils, concrete, or other materials
• Make field inspection of soil conditions during construction of projects.

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

• Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
• One year trial/probationary period may be required
• This position requires a valid state Driver's License in one of the 50 U.S. states or possessions to operate vehicles or incumbent must be able to obtain and maintain a valid state Driver's License.

Qualifications

Who May Apply: US Citizens

In order to qualify, you must meet the education and experience requirements described below. 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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document.

Basic Requirement for Civil Engineer (0810 Series):

A. Degree: Bachelor's degree (or higher degree) in engineering. To be acceptable, the program must: (1) lead to a bachelor's degree (or higher degree) in a school of engineering with at least one program accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (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:

1. Professional registration or licensure - Current registration as an Engineer Intern (EI), Engineer in Training (EIT), 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.

2. 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, or Puerto Rico.

3. 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 A above. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program.

4. 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 degree in engineering, provided that 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.

Qualifications at the GS 05 Level: No specialized experience needed. You must meet the basic education/experience requirements for all engineering positions listed in the Education Section of this announcement.

In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below:

Specialized Experience GS-07: One year of specialized experience which includes learning engineering analysis and design related to soils selection, slope stability, and/or under-seepage impacts on earth and masonry structures. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-05).

OR

Education : One full year of graduate level education in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position, such as: engineering technology, physics, chemistry, architecture, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, or geology, may be accepted in lieu of a degree in engineering

OR

Superior Academic Achievement : Successful completion of all the requirements for a bachelor's degree with Superior Academic Achievement. 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, such as that identified in Education above Superior Academic Achievement is based on:

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;OR
2. Grade-Point Average (G.P.A.) - Applicants must have a grade-point average of either (a) 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on your 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 (b) 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.;
3. (3) Honor Society Membership - Applicants may be considered eligible based on membership in one of the approved national scholastic honor societies listed by the Association of College Honor Societies (

OR

Combination of Education and Experience : A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) by 18. Add the two percentages.

*QUALIFICATIONS CONTINUED UNDER EDUCATION.

Education

Specialized Experience GS-09: One year of specialized experience which includes learning and assisting with scoping subsurface site investigations, performing engineering analysis and design related to soils selection, slope stability, and/or under-seepage impacts on earth and masonry structures.

This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-07).

Or

Education : Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in a field which demonstrates that knowledge , skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position, such as : Engineering technology, physics, chemistry, architecture, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, or geology, may be accepted in lieu of a degree in engineering

OR

Combination of Education and Experience : A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the first year (total graduate semester hours minus 18) by 18. Add the two percentages.

Specialized Experience GS-11: One year of specialized experience which includes scoping subsurface site investigations, performing engineering analysis and design related to soils selection, slope stability, and under-seepage impacts on earth and masonry structures, including the selection of engineering characteristics of soils for the design of earth structures and foundations, as well as writing specifications to establish materials, methods, and quality control thresholds. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-09).

OR

Education: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position, such as: engineering technology, physics, chemistry, architecture, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, or geology, may be accepted in lieu of a degree in engineering.

OR

Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the second year (total graduate semester hours minus 36) by 18. Add the two percentages.

Specialized Experience GS-12: One year of specialized experience which includes independently scoping subsurface site investigations, performing engineering analysis and design related to soils selection, slope stability, and under-seepage impacts on earth and masonry structures, including the selection of engineering characteristics of soils for the design of earth structures and foundations, as well as writing specifications to establish materials, methods, and quality control thresholds. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-11).

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:

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here:

Additional information

• Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
• You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship.
• This position requires a 1 year probationary period during which the agency evaluates your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In making this determination, the agency may consider your performance and conduct; agency needs and interests; whether your continued employment supports organizational or Government goals; and whether it promotes the efficiency of the Federal service. Continued employment requires written certification that it advances the public interest.
• Direct Deposit of Pay is required.
• Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees.
• If you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant, see the information in the Reemployed Annuitant information sheet.
• This is a(n) Engineers and Scientists Career Program position aligned under the Construction, Analysis, Science, Infrastructure & Engineers (CASIE) Career Management Directorate.
• Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
• Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement.
• When you perform a Civilian Permanent Change of Station (PCS) with the government, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) considers the majority of your entitlements to be taxable. Visit for more information.
• Permanent Change of Station (PCS) allowances may be authorized, subject to the provisions of the Joint Travel Regulations and an agency determination that a PCS move is in the Government Interest.
• If you are a current federal employee duty located 50 miles or more outside of the area for this recruitment, you "may" be considered for a relocation incentive. This incentive option is not applicable to new to federal government employees.
• If you are a current federal employee who has received (and can provide a copy) of a job offer outside of federal service and plan to separate from federal service, you "may" be considered for a retention incentive. This incentive option is not applicable to new to federal government employees.
• If you are new to federal service and meet the criteria, you "may" be considered for a recruitment incentive. This incentive option is not applicable to current federal

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Help

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.