Civil Engineer (Hydraulics)

U.S. Department of the Interior; Lakewood (CO); Hybrid; USD 82,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

The U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Reclamation seeks a Civil Engineer (Hydraulics) to advance hydraulic design and performance across Western water infrastructure, improve environmental protections, and mentor a technical team.

The role requires leading analyses, coordinating with stakeholders, and developing innovative solutions for hydropower and water conveyance facilities. Based in Lakewood, Colorado, you will conduct laboratory, numerical, and field studies, present findings,

Responsibilities

• Provides expert technical analyses in hydraulics and fluid mechanics for spillways, gates, valves, turbines, canals, and measurement devices.
• Leads hydraulic studies using laboratory models, numerical models, and field investigations.
• Directs, mentors, and trains staff; leads project plans with scope, schedule, and budget.

Job description

Summary

You will serve as a Civil Engineer (Hydraulics) with Bureau of Reclamation. Reclamation is seeking a career professional looking for an opportunity to capitalize on their expertise as a Civil Engineer (Hydraulics). You can make a difference in the West by assisting in meeting increasing water demands while protecting the environment.

Major Duties

Provides expert technical analyses, review, mentoring, and advice as a technical specialist in hydraulics and fluid mechanics in areas such as performance of spillways, outlet works, gates and valves, hydraulic equipment, penstocks, turbines, canals, flow measurement devices, and fish passage and protection features. Performs analyses related to complex hydraulic engineering problems such as cavitation, transients in pipelines, air entrainment, energy dissipation, canal operation and control, and environmental hydraulics by planning, directing, and conducting laboratory studies with working scale models, numerical models, and field investigations. Serves as the research team leader, developing and promoting the development of new technologies, methods, and standards of practice to advance the state-of-the-art in hydraulic engineering and fluid mechanics, and proposing, planning, and directing hydraulic research, including laboratory, numerical, and field studies. Prepares and presents written reports, research proposals, and publications, and performs peer review of technical studies, issues, and findings. Consults and coordinates with Reclamation staff, stakeholders, and external entities to resolve technical questions related to hydraulic design and performance, presents highly technical results and analyses, and serves on technical and interagency committees. Directs, trains, and mentors less experienced staff on engineering activities in the laboratory and field required for model development and testing, such as advising on methods, data collection, and analyses. Leads technical teams and develops, monitors, and manages project plans for large hydraulic studies including outlining project scope, schedule, and budget, and coordinating and communicating with other groups or offices.

Education

This position does not allow substituting education for experience. This position has a mandatory education requirement.

Requirements

Must be a U.S. Citizen or National. Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication. Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service. Direct Deposit participation required. Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more, visit https://www.e-verify.gov/. Must have a current Professional Engineer (PE) license by any State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period to evaluate your fitness and whether your continuation of employment advances the public interest. This probationary period is an extension of the appointment process and therefore requires the agency to determine if continued employment would advance the public interest, meet the organization goals and mission of the agency, and/or otherwise promote the efficiency of the service. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, the agency will consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Under applicable law, the employment of an individual serving a probationary or trial period automatically terminates when that period ends unless the agency affirmatively certifies, in writing, that the individual's employment should continue and that their appointment should be finalized. In the absence of agency action to affirmatively certify continued employment beyond the probationary or trial period, such appointments are terminated. Upon completion of your probationary your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Evaluations

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g. resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the additional assessment(s) required for this position. To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. Your resume must not exceed 2 pages. Only the document submitted as the "Resume" under the Documents section will be used to determine your qualifications/eligibility and for rating purposes. In the event you submit more than one resume, only the latest submission will be reviewed. You will be assessed in the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): Civil Engineering Hydraulic Engineering Oral Communication Project Management Written Communication To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires successful completion of additional assessment(s), including a Subject Matte Expert (SME) structured resume review. .These assessments measure the critical competencies listed above that are required to successfully perform the job. All qualified non-competitive applicants and the best-qualified Merit Promotion applicants will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration or your score may be lowered. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in your application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position. Current or former displaced Federal employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP). To be considered under CTAP/ICTAP, you must be well-qualified, score at least 85 (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements), and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry.

Required Documents

The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) -09/29/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement: Resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, with dates in month-year format (include month/day/year format if needed for 52 weeks of experience), and indicate hours worked per week (or full-time). Your resume must clearly show how long you have held each grade/rank. Resumes must not exceed 2 single-sided pages and resumes longer than 2 pages will not be accepted. The minimum font size is 10-point for all body text. All resumes must maintain a minimum 0.5-inch margins on all sides to ensure readability and prevent excessive content compression. Including supplemental pages or attachments disguised as resume extensions are prohibited and will not be reviewed. Your 2-page resume must contain information sufficient to make a valid determination that you fully meet the specialized experience requirements. Resume Builder: https://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/documents/resume/what-to-include Complete All Required Assessment(s). Performance Appraisals and Awards: You must submit your most recent performance appraisal showing the official rating of record and signed by a supervisor dated within the past 18 months. If unavailable, a written explanation is required (including if any prior performance appraisals/evaluations were at an acceptable level). Performance awards dated within the past 5 years may also be submitted for due weight consideration. All College Transcript(s), if qualifying based on education. Eligibility Documentation: Current and former Federal employees must submit latest SF-50 (i.e. Promotion, Separation, Within Grade Increase (WGI)) showing tenure 1 or 2 in block 24, grade, and if applicable, an additional SF-50 showing the highest grade or promotion potential held. Time in grade will be determined by reviewing your resume and required SF-50s. If your SF-50 showing highest permanent grade held has an effective date within the past year, your resume must clearly show that you held that grade for one year. Do not submit award SF-50s. Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA): If you are applying under LMWFA, you must submit ALL Appointment AND Termination SF-50s for EACH appointment verifying the Position Occupied code 1-Competitive Service (block 34); AND Documentation of satisfactory performance for each period of temporary employment claimed, such as, performance evaluations, memorandum of record, whereas the supervisor(s) documented an acceptable performance level for a specified rating/employment period. Interagency Career Transition (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP): You MUST submit proof of eligibility including 1) copy of the agency notice, e.g., RIF Separation Notice, Notice of Proposed Removal, etc.; 2) SF-50s (Notifications of Personnel Action) showing career/conditional tenure competitive status, promotion potential and duty location; and 3) your most recent performance appraisal. To exercise selection priority, displaced or surplus Federal employees must be well qualified. For more information visit: USAJOBS Help Center - Career Transition Programs (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL). Failure to submit any of the above-mentioned required documents will result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted. Do not submit photographs with your application package. Do not upload Adobe portfolio documents.

Other Information

Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement. If otherwise eligible and qualified, you may be offered a recruitment or relocation incentive. The decision to offer an incentive will be made on a case-by-case basis and is neither promised nor guaranteed. For information visit: Recruitment Incentive or Relocation Incentive. A continued service agreement may be required if it is determined you are eligible for a permanent change in duty station (PCS), recruitment, or relocation incentive. All DOI employees, their spouses, and minor children may not acquire or retain any claim, permit, lease, small tract entry, or other rights granted by the Department in Federal lands, with limited exceptions. Additional ethics prohibitions can be found here, DOI Ethics Prohibitions | U.S. Department of the Interior. The duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.