Civil Engineer (Geotechnical), GS-11/12 (60982)

US Army Corps of Engineers; Wilmington (NC); On-site; USD 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

The US Army Corps of Engineers Wilmington District is seeking a qualified Civil Engineer to serve as a geotechnical specialist. The role involves analyzing slope stability, foundation design, soil mechanics, and materials engineering for civil works and military projects across North Carolina.

You may be hired at GS-11 or GS-12, with potential promotion to GS-12. Responsibilities include geotechnical analyses, preparing drawings and specifications, performing dam and levee instrumentation work,

Qualifications

• ABET-accredited program or equivalent with calculus and core engineering science courses.
• Professional registration or licensure as Engineer Intern (EI), Engineer in Training (EIT), or PE.
• FE exam or equivalent licensure path acceptable for engineering licensure.

Responsibilities

• Performs stability, seepage, filter, settlement, and other geotechnical analyses for earthwork projects.
• Prepares drawings, earthwork specifications, and design documents for geotechnical components.
• Performs routine dam and levee instrumentation reporting and inspections.
• Provides scoping and support for subsurface drilling and geotechnical lab services.
• Offers consulting services to other District elements as geotechnical expert.

Skills

Geotechnical analysis

Slope stability

Foundation analysis

Soil mechanics

Materials engineering

Education

ABET-accredited engineering program

Professional Engineer (PE) licensure

FE exam

Engineering fundamentals knowledge

Job description

USACE Organization

South Atlantic Division (SAD) - Wilmington District

Announcement Type

Direct-Hire Authority (DHA)

Position Type

Permanent

Location

Wilmington, NC

Position Overview / Duties

This is a Direct Hire Authority (DHA) solicitation utilizing the DHA for Certain Personnel of the DoD, Sec tion 9905 to recruit and appoint qualified candidates to positions in the competitive service.

We are currently searching for someone that wants to contribute to the future of the Wilmington District Geotechnical and Dam Safety Program across the state of North Carolina.

You may be hired at either the GS 11 with promotion potential to the GS 12 or at the GS 12 full performance level. GS-11 Assignments are less complex and intended to lead to the full performance of GS 12.

Duties

The incumbent in this position utilizes a highly developed professional knowledge of civil engineering theory, practices, technology, and methodology, to serve as a technical specialist in the analysis and technical designs for slope stability analysis, foundation analysis, soil mechanics, material engineering, and foundation studies and designs for civil works and military construction projects. Applies advanced knowledge of practices, guides, precedents, methods and techniques in solving some of the more complex foundation, embankment and soils mechanics problems encountered in the planning, design and operation of projects.

• Performs stability, seepage, filter, settlement, and other geotechnical analysis for earthwork projects.
• Prepares drawings, earthwork specifications, and other design documents for geotechnical components of assigned projects.
• Performs routine dam and levee instrumentation reporting and inspections.
• Provides scoping and support Architect/Engineering contracts for subsurface drilling and geotechnical lab services.
• Provides consulting services to other District elements, including Project Management, as an expert in the field of geotechnical engineering, contributes to the solution of unusual and difficult soil problems.

This position is a Permanent Full-Time position.

Minimum Education Requirements

All Professional Engineering Positions, 0810

• Degree: Engineering. To be acceptable, the program must: (1) lead to a bachelor’s degree in a school of engineering with at least one program accredited by 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:
• Professional registration or licensure – Current registration as an Engineer Intern (EI), Engineer in Training (EIT)1, 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.
• Written Test – Evidence of having successfully passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE)2 examination or any other written test required for professional registration by an engineering licensure board in the various States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico.
• 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 the basic requirements under paragraph A. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program as described in paragraph A.
• 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 bachelor’s 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. (The above examples of related curricula are not all-inclusive.)

Note: An applicant who meets the basic requirements as specified in A or B above, except as noted under B.1., may qualify for positions in any branch of engineering unless selective factors indicate otherwise.

Additional information can be found here: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0800/general-engineering-series-0801/

Minimum Experience Requirements

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

GS-11: One year of specialized experience at the GS-09 level which includes : Assisting senior level geotechnical engineers in the preparation of analysis and design; performing lab data evaluation; leading and performing dam and levee safety inspections and instrumentation evaluations; and overseeing Architect-Engineering (AE) subsurface investigation and Geotechnical lab contracts.

GS-12: One year of specialized experience at the GS-11 level which includes : Leading and overseeing Geotechnical analysis and design; performing lab data evaluation; leading and performing dam and levee safety inspections and instrumentation evaluations; and overseeing Architect-Engineering (AE) subsurface investigation and Geotechnical lab contracts.

More Information About Wilmington, North Carolina

The Wilmington District, is located in Wilmington, North Carolina. Surrounded by beautiful beach towns, Wilmington is a historic city on the Cape Fear River. https://www.wilmingtonandbeaches.com/

Named the number one "Best City on the Rise" by Southern Living in 2023 and 2024 and a top-10 best small city to visit by Condé Nast Traveler in 2022 . Wilmington is frequently ranked high for its historic district, riverfront, and coastal life.

Other Conditions And Requirements

Applications must be submitted after 12:01 AM (EST) of the posted Job Posting Open Date and before 11:59 PM (EST) of the posted Job Posting Close Date to receive consideration.

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.

Direct deposit of pay is required.

Incumbent may be required to travel approximately 20% of the time.

Hiring incentives such as a recruitment/relocation bonus, service credit for leave, and student loan repayment may be authorized (subject to available budget).

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.

Must be able to obtain and maintain a valid state driver's license within 30 days of entrance duty date.

Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.

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).

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‑by‑case basis.