Summary About the Position: Serve as a hydraulic engineer for the Rock Island District to deliver vital engineering solutions including: small and large-scale navigation improvement, small and large-scale ecosystem restoration, local and regional flood risk management, and routine water management efforts. This is a Direct Hire Authority (DHA) solicitation utilizing the DHA for Certain Personnel of DoD Workforce to recruit and appoint qualified candidates to positions in the competitive service. Responsibilities The below duties are that of the full performance grade level of GS-12: Carry out tasks, methods, procedures, and computations based on oral instructions and/or precedents, guidelines, and standards. Collect, compile, analyze, interpret and/or evaluate a variety of data pertinent to studies and evaluations. Prepare analytical data for use in designing flood control reservoir and appurtenant features. Analyze flow characteristics; design drainage structures; evaluate facility (e.g., reservoirs, canals, pipelines, pumping plants) capacities and operation. Participate in meetings and conferences to discuss project plans and provide guidance on matters relating to hydraulic engineering. Serve as point of contact with groups inside and outside the organization for the purpose of coordinating assigned studies. Provide status of progress, any potential problems, concerns, or issues, developments/changes to plans and/or methodology. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications Who May Apply: US Citizens In order to qualify, you must meet the education and/or 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 (Hydraulic) Series is listed in the "Education" Section of this job announcement. For additional information: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0800/files/all-professional-engineering-positions-0800.pdf In addition to meeting the basic education requirement, to qualify for this position applicants must ALSO meet the qualifications requirements listed below: Basic Requirement to qualify for GS-05: No specialized experience needed. You must meet the basic education/experience requirements for all engineering positions listed in the Education Section of this announcement. Minimum Qualifications for GS-07: Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes learning and assisting with hydraulic and/or hydrology engineering theories, concepts, and principles under the supervision of a lead engineer; resolving less complex problems associated with engineering projects, and assisting with various reports, spreadsheets, and graphs. 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: Civil Engineering. OR 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.; OR (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 (https://www.achsnatl.org/). 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. Minimum Qualifications for GS-09: Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes learning and assisting hydraulic and/or hydrology engineering theories, concepts, and principles with review of a lead engineer; analyzing more complex problems associated with engineering projects and determining methods of resolution, assisting with observation during field visits to pertinent study areas, and assembling data for reports, spreadsheets, memorandums, and graphs. 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. Minimum Qualifications for GS-11: Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes performing hydraulic and hydrologic investigation studies, applying engineering theories, concepts, principles, standards more independently, analyzing complex problems associated with engineering projects and determining methods of resolution, performing field visits to pertinent study area(s) to observe conditions, and assembling data for flood plain information reports, flood insurance and flood protection plans. 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: Civil 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. Minimum Qualifications for GS-12: Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes performing advanced hydraulic and hydrologic investigation studies, applying engineering theories, concepts, principles, standards independently, analyzing very complex problems associated with engineering projects and determining methods of resolution, performing field visits to pertinent study area(s) to observe conditions, developing sketches, plans, and designs to control erosion of flood control channels, and preparing applicable tabulations, graphs, and narrative reports. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-11). Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience in order to qualify. For this job, you must meet the qualification requirement using experience alone--no substitution of education for experience is permitted. Education In addition to meeting the qualification requirements listed above, you must also meet the basic education and/or experience for all Engineering positions listed below to qualify for this position: Basic Education Requirement for Civil Engineer (Hydraulic) 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 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. 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. NOTE: You must provide a copy of your transcript. 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. One year trial/probationary period may be required. 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 Field position Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement. Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement. Payment of Permanent Change of Station (PCS) costs is not authorized, based on a determination that a PCS move is not in the Government interest. Selections may be made at any grade levels. This is a developmental position that may be filled at the GS-05, 07, GS-09, GS-11, or GS-12. If selected at the GS-05, GS-07, GS-09, or GS-11 level, the target grade for this position is a GS-12. Non-Competitive promotion to the GS-12 may be effected provided you are sufficiently experienced, meet all requirements, and are performing the full scope of major duties, and have obtained a Professional Engineering (PE) License.
