Duties
- The responsibilities listed below are at the full performance GS-09 level.
- Plan and conduct civil engineering projects according to specific objectives.
- Conduct location surveys for roads, bridges and trails after route and control point selection by a senior engineer.
- Conduct field surveys, topographic maps and specific locations for items such as water distribution systems, wastewater treatment systems, parking area, campsites, and other minor structures.
- Prepare design criteria for smaller or less complex portions of conventional roads, facilities, utility systems, or structures.
- Conduct inspections to evaluate the conditions of facilities and structures.
- Participate in field surveys/investigations of existing facilities and utility systems to ensure that maintenance and repair schedules and procedures conform to safety, health and regulatory requirements.
- Interpret agency policy and contracts for contractor in order to resolve problems relating to plans, specifications, and materials.
- Perform all associated duties involved in the contract administration duties for an entire project of limited size or complexity or a minor part of a large project.
- Interpret safety regulations, promote overall safe working conditions and assure that safe practices are followed during projects
Basic Requirement:
GS-0810: You must have an Engineering Degree. 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
You must have a 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, and 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 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.
(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 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.)
In addition to meeting the basic requirement, you must also possess experience and/or directly related education in the amounts listed below.
Specialized Experience Requirement:
For the GS-07: You must have one year specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as one or more of the following: assisting with the completion of engineering surveys for civil engineering projects; completing reviews for adequacy and soundness of plans and specifications; assisting with the inspections of contract construction for roads or bridges, or buildings or other civil engineering projects to ensure compliance with plans or specification or other contract terms; assisting with the inspection of the condition of infrastructure assets to determine maintenance and repair needs; and/or assisting with engineering project tasks.
OR:
Have Superior Academic Achievement (click the link to determine if you are eligible: http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/policy/ApplicationOfStds-04.asp);
OR:
Completed one full year of graduate level education (coursework directly related to Engineering).
OR:
Completed a 5-year program of study of at least 160 semester hours leading to a bachelor’s degree in engineering.
OR:
A combination of graduate level education and specialized experience. Professional engineering experience is defined as nonroutine engineering work that required and was characterized by (1) professional knowledge of engineering; (2) professional ability to apply such knowledge to engineering problems; and (3) positive and continuing development of professional knowledge and ability.
For the GS-09: You must have one year specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as one or more of the following: assisting in the design and development of construction drawings and specifications for civil engineering projects; assisting with construction inspection oversight; and/or performing assigned engineering project tasks under the supervision of a senior engineer.
OR:
Completed 2 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master’s degree or master’s or equivalent graduate degree (coursework directly related to Engineering).
OR:
Completed a 5-year program of study of at least 160 semester hours leading to a bachelor’s degree in engineering and 1 year of appropriate professional experience.
OR:
Have a combination of superior academic achievement and 1 year of appropriate professional experience.
OR:
Have a combination of specialized experience and education (only graduate education in excess of 18 semester hours may be used to qualify applicants for this grade level). Professional engineering experience is defined as nonroutine engineering work that required and was characterized by (1) professional knowledge of engineering; (2) professional ability to apply such knowledge to engineering problems; and (3) positive and continuing development of professional knowledge and ability.
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
See Qualification Section for the education requirements.