Chief Design Manager Section (Supervisory Interdisciplinary), GS-08XX-13 (87659)

US Army Corps of Engineers; Honolulu (HI); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

US Army Corps of Engineers in Hawaii seeks a senior Engineering Manager to lead the Design Manager Section and serve as Deputy of the Engineering Support Branch within the Engineering and Construction Division. You will plan and execute the engineering program, interpret policies, and coordinate with internal and external partners to keep the branch informed of progress and potential issues.

The role involves supervising senior architects and engineers, guiding multi-disciplinary projects,

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in architecture with 60 semester hours in architecture or related coursework including 30 hours in architectural design and 6 hours in each: structural technology, materials, and environmental controls.
• Bachelor's degree in engineering with ABET accreditation or equivalent; must include calculus and core engineering science coursework.

Responsibilities

• Plans and coordinates the work of technical staff engaged in advisory design reviews and QA.
• Schedules section activities and ensures policy compliance and priorities are met.
• Advises staff on policy or procedural matters and assists in forming recommendations or actions.
• Provides supervision and leadership, assigns workloads, and evaluates performance.
• Oversees engineering programs across architectural, civil, environmental, electrical, hydraulic, mechanical, structural, and water supply projects.
• Coordinates with district staff, other Corps of Engineers organizations, and stakeholders to resolve technical issues and support major projects.
• Evaluates practices and identifies opportunities to improve standards and project execution.

Education

Bachelor's degree in architecture

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Job description

Announcement Type

Direct-Hire Authority (DHA)

Position Type

Permanent

USACE Organization

Pacific Ocean Division (POD) - Honolulu District

Locations (City, State)

Fort Shafter, Hawaii

Position Overview/Duties

This is a Direct Hire Authority (DHA) solicitation utilizing the DHA for Certain Personnel of the DoD Workforce to recruit and appoint qualified candidates to positions in the competitive service.

About The Position

Serves Chief, Design Manager Section, and as Deputy of Engineering Support Branch within Engineering and Construction Division. Assists the Chief of Engineering Support Branch in planning and executing the engineering program, interpreting policies, and coordinating the work with others as required, resolving problems that arise and keeping the Branch Chief abreast of potential controversial matters. The incumbent has considerable latitude for independent action and decision-making in both technical and administrative matters pertaining to the program segments managed. Routinely apprises supervisor of the status and progress of program activities. Discusses with supervisor all proposed actions of an unusually controversial nature or which may have significant local impact. Work is evaluated in terms of the incumbent's overall effectiveness in managing the program and in the program's success in meeting the district's needs, as determined by customer satisfaction, and its assigned objectives.

Major Duties

• Plans and coordinates the work of the technical engineering staff engaged in the technical advisory function and in reviewing and approving concept or preliminary design documents, specifications, contract plans, design analysis, and construction quality assurance (QA) program.
• Schedules and coordinates the activities of the section and reviews completed work to assure that the recommendations and actions of engineers are in accordance with established policies, that sound and economic design is being carried out, that suspense dates and priorities are met, etc.
• Confers with and advises staff on policy or procedural matters, on controversial technical matters or to assist in the formulation of appropriate recommendations or actions.
• Provides administrative supervision and leadership through subordinate senior architects and engineers; assigns and balances workload and project responsibilities, establishes priorities, evaluates employee performance, and ensures effective utilization of technical expertise and available resources.
• Provides technical oversight and guidance on engineering and construction programs, including architectural, civil, environmental, electrical, hydraulic, mechanical, structural, and water supply projects, and ensures technical reviews and recommendations are consistent with applicable engineering standards, policies, and criteria.
• Reviews and analyzes complex technical and construction issues and provides authoritative recommendations on design criteria, construction practices, contract requirements, and project-specific problems; coordinates resolution of issues requiring interpretation or modification of established policies, criteria, or procedures.
• Coordinates technical support and collaboration with district engineering and construction staffs, other Corps of Engineers organizations, federal and state agencies, military representatives, and other stakeholders to resolve technical issues and support major projects, program planning, and execution requirements.
• Evaluates engineering and construction practices, procedures, and program requirements and identifies opportunities for improved processes, technical standards, and project execution; analyzes technical reports and research and development initiatives and provides recommendations to senior leadership on engineering and construction matters.

Other Conditions and Requirements

This is a Direct Hire Authority (DHA) solicitation utilizing the DHA for Certain Personnel of the DoD, Section 9905 to recruit and appoint qualified candidates to positions in the competitive service. Veterans' preference does not apply to this announcement.

WHO MAY APPLY:

US Citizens.

Conditions of Employment

• Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a complete background investigation.
• All positions require the applicant to be a citizen of the United States.
• Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, are required to register for Selective Service prior to appointment.
• A trial or probationary period may be required.
• A supervisory probationary period may be required.
• The incumbent is required to file an OGE Form 450, Financial Disclosure Report upon entering on duty in this position and annually thereafter.
• This position requires DAWIA Contracting Professional acquisition certification.
• Direct deposit of pay is required.
• This position has a Temporary Duty (TDY) or business travel requirement of 10% of the time.
• Professional Engineer or Registered Architect: The duties of this position require the incumbent to possess and maintain license/registration as a Professional Engineer or Registered Architect. This license/registration must be in good standing and issued by any one of the 50 states or its territories.

Additional Information

• Relocation (PCS) expenses may be authorized (subject to available budget) if the selecting official determines the relocation is in the best interests of the government.
• In addition to the salary, a cost of living allowance (COLA) of 8.64% is currently authorized for this location; subject to change.
• Hiring incentives such as a recruitment/relocation, service credit for leave, superior qualifications/advanced in-hire rate, and student loan repayment bonus may be authorized (subject to available budget).
• This position is eligible for situational telework only, including emergency and OPM prescribed “unscheduled telework”.

Minimum Experience Requirements

Basic Requirement - 0808:

• Degree: Bachelor's degree (or higher degree) in architecture or in a related field that included 60 semester hours of course work in architecture or related disciplines of which at least (1) 30 semester hours were in architectural design, and (2) 6 semester hours were in each of the following: structural technology, properties of materials and methods of construction, and environmental control systems. OR
• Combination of Education and Experience: College-level education, training, and/or technical experience that furnished (1) a thorough knowledge of the arts and sciences underlying professional architecture, and (2) a good understanding, both theoretical and practical, of the architectural principles, methods, and techniques and their applications to the design and construction or improvement of buildings. The adequacy of such background must be demonstrated by at least one of the following: (1) Related Curriculum - Degree in architectural engineering provided the completed course work in architectural engineering provided knowledge, skills, and abilities substantially equivalent to those provided in the courses specified in statement A above, or (2) Experience: 1 year of experience in an architect's office or in architectural work for each year short of graduation from a program of study in architecture. In the absence of any college courses, 5 years of such experience is required. This experience must have demonstrated that you have acquired a thorough knowledge of the fundamental principles and theories of professional architecture.

Basic Requirement – 0801/0804/0810/0830/0850

• 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
• 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 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.

Specialized Experience

In addition to meeting the basic requirements above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below:

One year of specialized experience which includes providing technical advice and assistance in planning, design, and construction of engineering projects; reviewing technical documents, designs, specifications, and/or construction activities; and coordinating technical requirements to resolve engineering and construction issues. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-12).

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy:

The United States government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of 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

To learn more, please visit the Office of Equal Opportunity (https://www.eeoc.gov/federal-sector/federal-employees-job-applicants).

Qualifications - Candidates will be evaluated in accordance with OPM General Schedule (GS) Qualification Standards or Federal Wage System (FWS) Qualifications and Job Elements

GS Standards: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/

Reasonable Accommodation

Reasonable accommodation is available to qualified employees with disabilities. You can request a reasonable accommodation at any time during the application process, hiring process or while on the job. Requests are evaluated on a case‑based basis.