Civil Engineer

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (DOA); New Orleans (LA); On-site; USD 99,000 - 129,000; Full time

Job summary

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (DOA) in New Orleans, LA seeks a Team Leader and Senior Engineer to oversee daily activities, coordinate projects, and develop engineering specifications for civil works assigned to the district.

You will lead a small engineering team, ensure quality of design and construction, and review contract packages while supporting project delivery across hydraulic structures and flood control initiatives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering from an ABET-accredited program.
• Progressing professional registration or PE preferred.
• Specialized experience in preparing engineering specifications for hydraulic structures.

Responsibilities

• Prepares detailed engineering specifications for major hydraulic structures.
• Resolves complex construction engineering problems using advanced technical solutions.
• Performs daily quality reviews of specifications and contract packages.
• Analyzes contractor modification proposals and supports negotiations.
• Compiles technical evidence and coordinates actions to resolve contractor claims.
• Provides administrative and technical leadership to team members.
• Performs quality reviews of the team's work to detect and rectify problems.

Skills

Civil engineering

Project coordination

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering (ABET-accredited program)

Job description

Summary

Serves as a Team Leader and Senior Engineer with responsibility for overseeing daily activities, coordinating, preparing, and developing engineering specifications for civil works projects assigned to the district.

Overview

Location: New Orleans, LA

Number of vacancies: 1

Salary

$99,402 – $129,225 per year

Pay scale & grade

GS 12

Promotion potential

None

Work schedule

Full-time

Travel Required

1. Occasional travel – You may be expected to travel up to 10% of your duty time for this position.

Appointment type

Permanent

Occupations and job series

• 0810 Civil Engineering

Supervisory status

No

Federal service type

This job is in the Competitive Service

Represented by a union

No

Drug test

No

Security clearance

Not Required

Position sensitivity and risk

• Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
• Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.

Background check type

• Suitability/Fitness

Financial disclosure required

Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.

Announcement number

CEDC-27-13099349-MP

Control number

890241500

Who May Apply

Only applicants who meet one of the employment authority categories below are eligible to apply for this job. You will be asked to identify which category or categories you meet, and to provide documents which prove you meet the category or categories you selected. See Proof of Eligibility for an extensive list of document requirements for all employment authorities.

• Current Department of Army Civilian Employees
• Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan
• Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act
• Military Spouses, under Executive Order (E.O.) 13473
• Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Reserve (MR) and National Guard (NG) Technician Eligible
• Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Spouse Preference (MSP) Eligible
• Priority Placement Program, DoD MR and NG Preference Eligible Tech Receiving Disability Retirement
• Priority Placement Program, DoD Retained Grade Preference Eligible
• Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) of 1998

Qualifications

Basic Requirement for Civil 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.
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.

In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the specialized experience listed below:

One year of specialized experience which includes 1) preparing detailed engineering specifications for the construction and/or maintenance of major hydraulic structures such as navigation locks, floodgates, dams, control structures, pumping stations, buildings, floodwalls, and other navigation and flood control projects; and 2) Conducting engineering reviews of design and construction products to ensure quality assurance; AND/OR 3) Completing construction contract administration tasks such as reviewing contracts and plans, participating in negotiations, and compiling findings or data; AND/OR 4) Recommending changes to design engineers to comply with established design specifications products, processes, and policies. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS‑11).

Time in Grade Requirement: Applicants who have held a General Schedule (GS) position within the last 52 weeks must have 52 weeks of Federal service at the next lower grade or equivalent (GS‑11).

Duties

• Prepares detailed engineering specifications for the construction and/or maintenance of major hydraulic structures
• Resolves complex construction engineering problems (e.g., foundation or material failures) using advanced technical engineering solutions.
• Performs daily quality reviews of specifications and contract packages for compliance in support of Contracting Officer.
• Analyzes contractor modification proposals, drafting findings of fact to support negotiations.
• Compiles technical evidence and coordinates administrative actions to resolve contractor claims and contract disputes.
• Provides both administrative and technical leadership to team members.
• Performs quality reviews of the team’s work to detect and rectify any problems.

Conditions of employment

• Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
• Relocation/PCS NOT authorized
• Recruitment/Relocation/Retention NOT authorized
• See other requirements below.

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.
• This position requires a 1 year probationary period during which the agency evaluates your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In making this determination, the agency may consider your performance and conduct; agency needs and interests; whether your continued employment supports organizational or Government goals; and whether it promotes the efficiency of the Federal service. Continued employment requires written certification that it advances the public interest.
• 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 (Resources and Construction) Career Program position aligned under the Construction, Analysis, Science, Infrastructure & Engineers (CASIE) Career Management Directorate.
• 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.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests

1. If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case‑by‑case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire

Candidate Commitment

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Learn more about federal benefits.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

• Arithmetic/Mathematical Reasoning
• Attention to Detail
• Customer Service
• Flexibility
• Integrity/Honesty
• Interpersonal Skills
• LearningReading Comprehension
• Self-Management
• Stress Tolerance
• Teamwork

The USA Hire Assessments includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

You may claim Military Spouse preference.

You may claim Priority Placement Program (PPP) preference.

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP). If you are a Federal employee in the competitive service and your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority for this position. To receive selection priority, you must: (1) meet ICTAP eligibility criteria (2) be rated well‑qualified for the position and; (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your ICTAP eligibility. To be considered well‑qualified and receive selection priority applicants must satisfy all qualification requirements for the position and receive a score of 90 or above. Additional information about the program is on OPM’s Career Transition Resources website.

Fair and transparent

• Criminal history inquiries Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
• Financial suitability New employee probationary period
• Privacy Act Reasonable accommodation policy
• Selectively Service Signature and false statements
• Social security number request

Required documents

Required Documents

1. Your resume: two pages or less and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration.
2. For each relevant work experience, make sure you include the employer’s name, job title, start and end dates (include month and year), for qualifications purposes, the number of hours worked per week, and a brief description that show you can perform the tasks at the required level listed in the job announcement. If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as incomplete, and you may not be considered for this position.
3. Use plain language. Avoid using acronyms and terms that are not easily understood. The hiring agency will not make assumptions about what’s in your resume.
4. If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations, and you may not be considered for this vacancy.
5. For additional information, to include formatting tips, see: What to include in your resume.

• Cover Letter, optional
• Most recent Performance Appraisal, if applicable
• Proof of Eligibility to Apply: Your application must include the documents which prove you are eligible to apply for the vacancy. The Proof of Eligibility document describes authorities commonly used in merit promotion recruitment and what document(s) are required to prove you meet the requirements of the authority. You must meet the requirements of at least one of the authorities listed in the Who May Apply section above to receive further consideration.
• Time-in-grade documentation: If you are applying for a higher grade and your SF‑50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you meet the one year time‑in‑grade requirement so you will need to provide an SF‑50 which clearly demonstrates you meet the time‑in‑grade requirements (examples of appropriate SF‑50s include Promotions, Within‑grade Grade/Range Increases, and SF‑50s with an effective date more than one year old).
• This position has an individual occupational requirement and/or allows for substitution of education for experience. If you meet this requirement based on education you MUST submit a copy of your transcript with your application package or you will be rated ineligible. See: Transcripts and Licenses

NOTE: Documents submitted as part of the application package, to include supplemental documents, may be shared beyond the Human Resources Office. Some supplemental documents such as military orders and marriage certificates may contain personal information for someone other than you. You may sanitize these documents to remove another person’s personal information before you submit your application. You may be asked to provide an un-sanitized version of the documents if you are selected to confirm your eligibility.