Direct Hire Authority (DHA) Announcement
For Certain Personnel of the DoD Workforce Under Section 9905
Permanent Full-Time
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla District, Operations Division, Lower Granite Project
LinkedIn Job Posting # NWW005
Position Title: Mechanical Engineer, GS-11/12
Vacancies: Two
Promotion potential: GS-12
Salary: $97,297 - $124,061 per year
Open Continuous Announcement: effective 16 May 2024 until filled.
Duty Station: Pomeroy, WA
PCS/Recruitment/Relocation Incentive: Payment of Permanent Change of Station (PCS) costs and/or a Recruitment/Relocation incentive may be authorized in accordance with agency policy.
Who May Apply: U.S. Citizens
Tenure: This position is full-time permanent
How to Apply: Anyone wishing consideration for this opportunity must submit a resume specifically documenting experience relevant to this position along with your college transcripts. Professional Engineer (PE) license is highly desirable. If you have a current PE, please notate on your resume.
The application package may be submitted online at: https://usace.yellogov.com/app/collect/event/cPlspoAg5Yq2po3rYT3-Jw . Be sure to include LinkedIn Job Posting # NWW005.
For questions regarding this recruitment, you may inquire via email to WWCorpsCareers@usace.army.mil.
Duties:
- Guides efforts to ensure reliability and maintainability of equipment, processes, utilities, facilities, and safety and security systems.
- Provides professional mechanical engineering expertise on operations and maintenance of mechanical equipment for multipurpose hydroelectric power facility.
- Serves as project crane operation specialist with competence in the structure, mechanical design, safety features, safety standards and maintenance for a wide variety of cranes.
- Interfaces with private sector contractors/vendors regarding equipment purchases, services, and supplies.
Conditions of Employment:
- Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
- Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
- One year trial/probationary period may be required.
- You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship.
- Situational Telework may be available.
- This position is covered under the INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION of PROFESSIONAL and TECHNICAL ENGINEERS (IFPTE) Bargaining Unit.
Qualifications:
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 Mechanical Engineer:
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.
In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below:
For the GS-11 Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes experience applying theories, principles, concepts, and methodologies of engineering to include providing mechanical engineering experience in the maintenance and repair of mechanical equipment at a multi-disciplinary technical organization. (NOTE: This experience MUST be well documented on your resume.). 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: Mechanical 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 which includes experience with professional mechanical engineering activities supporting a manufacturing or industrial facility. Must include experience analyzing policies, procedures, and governing regulations in a lead role or leading a team of engineers with minimum supervision. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-11).
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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/
Benefits
Benefits are a large part of an employee’s compensation.
Leave: 13 days’ vacation, 13 days sick leave, 11 paid holidays. Vacation leave increases to 20 days after 3 years of service.
Federal Employees Retirement System
Basic Benefit Plan (Pension) – A hard to find benefit that pays up to 40% of your average highest 3 years’ salary based on meeting retirement criteria. Thrift Savings Plan (401k style savings plan) – retirement savings plan that includes up to a 5% salary match.
Federal Employees Group Life Insurance – subsidized by your employer Federal Employees Health Benefits (Insurance) – subsidized by your employer Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance – supplemental dental/vision insurance to add to your healthcare plan.
Flexible Spending Account – Pre-tax accounts for out-of-pocket health and dependent care expenses.
Fair & Transparent
The Federal hiring process is setup to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
Equal Employment Opportunity Policy
The United States Government does not discriminate in employment based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor.
Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) office at OPM:
https://www.opm.gov/about-us/our-people-organization/support-functions/equal-employment-opportunity/
Office of Equal Opportunity:
https://www.eeoc.gov/office-civil-rights-diversity-and-inclusion
Reasonable Accommodation Policy
Federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a Case-by-Case basis.
A reasonable accommodation is any change in the workplace, or the way things are customarily done that provides an equal employment opportunity to an individual with a disability. Under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) must provide reasonable accommodations:
- When an applicant with a disability needs an accommodation to have an equal opportunity to compete for a job;
- When an employee with a disability needs an accommodation to perform the essential functions of the job or to gain access to the workplace; And
- When an employee with a disability needs an accommodation to enjoy equal access to benefits and privileges of employment (e.g., details, trainings, office-sponsored events).