at Federal Highway Administration in Springfield, Illinois, United States
Job Description
Summary The employee serves as the Division Bridge Engineer in a Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Division office with responsibility for managing and promoting the Federal highway programs applicable to bridges and other structures within the State. The employee coordinates and evaluates the structural programs and assists coworkers within the Division office in addressing technically complex or controversial issues on project specific applications related to structures. Responsibilities As a Civil Engineer (Structural), you will: Evaluate and promote improvements in the State’s administration of Federal programs for bridges and structures and encourage the use of enhanced planning, design, and construction, preservation, inspection and maintenance practices for structures. Administer FHWA structural inspection program(s) (e.g., National Bridge Inspection Program (NBIP) and National Tunnel Inspection Program (NTIP)). Provide oversight of State compliance with the National Bridge Inspection Standards (NBIS) and National Tunnel Inspection Standards (NTIS) and recommends improvements. Maintain and conduct an oversight program for bridges and structures under design and construction and ensure that there is full coordination with responsible Division staff and State representatives. Review structural plans, for projects designated as full oversight, for suitability of structural adequacy, economy, safety, aesthetics, hydraulics, foundation, and overall concept. Perform construction reviews/inspections and evaluate and render a decision relative to the State’s proposed remedial actions, making recommendations associated therewith. The ideal candidate for this position is a seasoned mid-career structural engineering professional with project management experience in bridge design, bridge construction inspection, and bridge program management. 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). 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; © 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 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. For the GS-13: On Experience, you must have at least one year of experience, equal or equivalent to the GS-12 grade level, which included: Experience developing and/or evaluating the quality of plans, specifications, and estimates for bridges related to transportation projects; AND Experience inspecting bridges under construction; AND Experience inspecting in-service bridge conditions to include compliance of bridge condition inspections with National Bridge Inspection Standards (NBIS). Although you must meet the mandatory education requirement, you cannot qualify for GS-12 and above grades based solely on education. You must meet the specialized experience, which is cited above for this grade. KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will also be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas: Bridge Design and Construction Inspection Bridge Program Manag