General Engineer

Summary

This position is located at the NCA North Atlantic District Office in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Learn more about this agency

Duties

Help

Position is within the North Atlantic District (NAD) of the National Cemetery Administration located in Philadelphia, PA under the general administrative direction of the NAD Executive Director. The NAD provides support to 54 cemeteries in the North Atlantic Region. The incumbent is responsible for the

districts Non-Recurring Maintenance (NRM) and Maintenance and Repair (M&R) construction programs; and designated major/minor construction projects; as well as all aspects of the NAD Environmental Management Program.

The incumbent works with Project Engineers, Resident Engineers, National Cemetery Administration Central office Project Managers, Medical Center Directors, Cemetery Directors and NAD office staff. The assigned Engineer will provide needed professional engineering expertise in other areas. This includes, for example, special studies, cost comparisons, landscape plans, and General Operating Expense, NRM/M&R program. In accomplishing the above, the incumbent must be constantly alert to various local, county, state, and Federal, building, safety, fire and environmental codes throughout the NAD. Beyond the engineer duties associated directly with NAD construction projects, the duties of the incumbent are also to provide guidance and support to appropriate program officials in the Department of Veterans Affairs Central Office (VACO) and all of the Districts for national cemetery design and construction.

Serves as a General Project Engineer who is responsible for the engineering analysis, development, design and the preparation of complete plans and specifications for new engineering projects within the NAD. In this capacity he/she is responsible for assisting the Senior Engineering in the oversight of all NAD construction projects. Assignments include all engineering design phases of complex construction, extension, alteration, maintenance, and repair projects. He/she is independently responsible and held accountable for determining necessary action in the development and completion of design projects, coordination of project staff that may include non-VA architects, engineers, and technicians. The incumbent must possess extensive knowledge of environmental/general engineering and how to appropriately apply that knowledge to special problems encountered in national cemeteries with specific knowledge of geographic concerns revenant to the NAD. Reviews discrepancy reports, investigation reports, inspection reports, and letters of inquiry of complaint regarding cemetery environmental issues, determines whether a source is in compliance or noncompliance and whether action taken or contemplated by state regulatory agency is technically adequate. Coordinates correction of discrepancies or insufficiencies with state regulatory agency. Conducts environmental assessments of cemetery sites, or coordinates assessment by contract, as needed to comply with applicable laws and regulations.

Performs public outreach as needed.

Work schedule : Required to work Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm. May include occasional weekends. Due to the mission of the National Cemetery, the cemetery cannot be closed for more than 2 consecutive days at any given time. Additionally, when a Federal holiday falls on a Monday or Friday, staff may be required to work on that holiday or a Saturday. All staff is required to work Memorial Day and Veteran's Day each year. Staff will be required to work overtime, weekends and holidays when necessary to meet the needs of the cemetery. Occasionally staff may be called back to the facility to perform emergency overtime work.

Compressed/Flexible Schedule: Not Available

Telework: Not Available

Remote/Virtual: This is not a virtual or remote position.

Position Description Title/PD# :General Engineer / PD1590630

The full performance level of this position is GS- 13.

Relocation Expenses : Not Authorized

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required

If interested in applying for this position you may preview the online application:

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

• Subject to a background/security investigation.
• Designated and/or random drug testing may be required.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.
• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/30/2026.

You may qualify based on your experience, as described below

• GS-13 grade level: One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the federal service); experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience includes: knowledge of the concept, principles, theories, and methods required to plan, design, construct, operate, and maintain facilities such as buildings, transportation systems, water and sanitary systems, knowledge of the principles, methods, or tools for developing, scheduling, coordinating, and managing projects and resources, including monitoring and inspecting costs, work, and contractor performance. Knowledge of the concepts, theories, practices used in the planning, design, construction, and maintenance of buildings or other structures.

Basic requirement for all Professional Engineering Positions:

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) statistics, 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

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 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.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

• Civil Engineering
• Analysis and Problem Solving
• Project Management
• Architecture
• Communication

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; religions; 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.

Note : A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

Physical Requirements: Position is primarily sedentary and performed in an office environment.

Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Education

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

Additional information

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal/VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified (have a final rating of 85 or more) for this vacancy. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members : Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

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.