Civil Engineer - Phoenix, United States - Federal Highway Administration

Description

Summary The Area Engineer provides stewardship and oversight of the Federal-aid Highway Program in the state of Arizona. The Grants Engineer provides stewardship and oversight of Discretionary Grant projects in Arizona. The incumbent may have other duties associated with the delivery of the Federal Aid Highway Program as well.

Both positions participate in the development of overall Division Office policy procedures and in the revision or establishment of national policy on behalf of the Division.

Responsibilities As a Civil Engineer (Highway), you will:

Serve as a key technical advisor in meetings, telephone contacts, public hearings, field reviews, and visits with State DOT officials and other Federal, State, and local agencies regarding assigned program areas and in assisting in the implementation of leadership initiatives.

Communicate and apply Federal laws, regulations, and FHWA policies applicable to Federal aid projects within the State DOT project development process.

Monitor highway and other infrastructure improvements to determine if they are constructed to a desired quality and whether Federal aid construction funds are being expended in a manner consistent with applicable Federal laws and regulations.

Participate in assessments of State programs, in particular those related to pavements and highway materials, for effectiveness and compliance. Provide to partners recommendations for performance and operational improvements and guidance on corrective actions. Provide review of projects in accordance with the Division's risk-based stewardship and oversight plan.

This may include review of plans, specifications and estimates (PS&E) for appropriate application of design standards and criteria, conformance with policy and regulations, eligibility for Federal participation, traffic safety features, reasonableness of estimated unit prices, fulfillment of requirements from the transportation planning and NEPA process, and proper standard and special specifications and contract provisions.

Participate in and contribute to Division program management activity including development of stewardship and oversight plans, conducting risk assessments, development of strategic operations and business plans, promotion of the implementation of a performance-based planning and programming process to partner agencies, and identification and tracking of performance measures and the associated reporting process.

The ideal candidate for this position is a mid-career engineer with experience leading design and construction program stewardship and oversight activities, specifically conducting process reviews, design and construction reviews, and experience with pavement design, construction, and highway materials; advises on problems and deficiencies, prepares reports and analysis, coordinates corrective actions, reviews and evaluates practices, and shares innovative practices, procedures and technologies.

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 will be required to complete a background/security investigation and meet preliminary requirements prior to onboarding


GOVERNMENT TRAVEL CARD:
This position involves travel. A government contractor-issued travel card will be issued and must be retained for official business only.


PCS/RELOCATION/RECRUITMENT:
Permanent Change of Station (PCS), Relocation, and Recruitment Incentive authorization varies by position/selection and a service agreement may be required


PROBATIONARY PERIOD:
Applicants may be required to successfully complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed)


PHYSICAL CONDITIONS:
Varying conditions at project sites may expose the incumbent to traffic, construction, or other hazardous activities


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 for the grade.

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: (2)

Upload the appropriate document(s) to your application for verification purposes. (3) Specialized Experience:
To determine if you are eligible, review the following grade specific details.

You will be asked a few questions as part of your application, and you will need to verify how you meet this experience in your resume.

To qualify for the GS-11 on Experience, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-09 it must include: Experience in planning, design, or construction of highway or transportation project features (such as roads, bridges, or appurtenant structures) in accordance with engineering design and construction standards, principles and methods.

To qualify for the GS-11 on Education alone, 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 qualify based on a combination of higher level graduate education and experience. This must be fully supported by your resume and transcripts, provided with your application.

To qualify for the GS-12 on Experience, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-11 it must include: Experience in planning, design, or construction of highway or transportation project features (such as roads, bridges, or appurtenant structures) in accordance with engineering design and construction standards, principles and methods; AND Experience consulting with others, developing alternatives and helping to resolve engineering issues or conflicts that arise with processes or outcomes.

You cannot qualify on education at the GS-12 level; you must have experience.

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: 1.

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.

2. Project Management

• 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.

3. Transportation Engineering

• Knowledge of the concepts, principles, theories, and methods applicable to planning, designing, and constructing of transportation systems including traffic analysis, signal analysis, highway capacity, pavement design, bridge construction, planning of transportation projects, environmental analysis of transportation facilities, and transportation network analysis.

4. 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 presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately.

For all types of consideration, 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 For additional information about applying to Federal positions, please click on the following link:
Students enrolled in a qualifying degree program can apply if the anticipated graduation date is within six months of closing date of the announcement. Graduation transcript must be received before start date. Other applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement. Education Additional Information The agency has the option of extending a term appointment up to the 4-year limit. 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.