Summary About the Position:. This is a Mechanical Engineer (Hydropower) position with the USACE Little Rock District's Operations Division. This position is with the Hydropower Engineering Section and may be filled at either located Little Rock, AR OR Mountain Home, AR. This is a developmental position which can be filled at the GS-07, GS-09, GS-11 or the full performance GS-12. Promotion is at discretion of management. Responsibilities Perform major mechanical repair and design, exercising delegation of the Section Chief's authority for coordination and technical direction of mechanical repair activities at field power plants. Review mechanical portions of contractor and manufacturer shop drawings Coordinate as necessary with other technical elements, other agencies, and higher authority Develop preliminary design parameters and design solutions Provide technical advice during major breakdowns and make recommendations for solutions Prepare costs estimates for project funding and recommend project priority scheduling Conduct feasibility studies and on-site investigations of problem areas Make determinations regarding the compliance of contractor's proposals with the intent of contract plans and specifications. 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 Engineers: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0800/files/all-professional-engineering-positions-0800 In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below: GS-07 Specialized Experience: one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service performing both of the following duties:1) assisting in the design of mechanical engineering equipment or systems using established criteria or specifications; AND 2) monitoring the testing of mechanical engineering systems to ensure proper functionality. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service or equivalent (GS-05). GS-09 Specialized Experience: one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service performing both of the following duties:1) identifying problems and recommending corrective action for mechanical engineering systems; AND 2) assisting higher graded engineers with preparing designs (plans and specifications) for residential, commercial or industrial settings. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service or equivalent (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 the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position, such as 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. GS-11 Specialized experience: one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service performing both of the following duties: 1) develop mechanical engineering specifications for major maintenance projects; AND 2) inspect equipment related to mechanical engineering systems. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service or equivalent (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 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. GS-12 Specialized Experience: one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level in the Federal service which includes 2 out of 3 following: 1) developing engineering designs/plans for mechanical systems for power plant production projects; OR 2) monitoring mechanical design/construction activities for operations and maintenance projects; OR 3) performing quality control reviews and inspections of manufacturing mechanical components of major projects. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service or equivalent (GS-11). For the GS-12 level, you must meet the qualification requirement using experience alone -- no substitution of education for experience is permitted. Education 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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html 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 Career Program (CP) -18 Mechanical Engineer 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 authorized, subject to the provisions of the Joint Travel Regulations.
