Civil Engineer – USDA Rural Development

National Rural Water Association; Oklahoma; On-site; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

The National Rural Water Association is seeking engineers to advise on civil engineering aspects of projects financed by Rural Development programs. The role includes reviewing planning documents, PERs, and cost estimates, and providing advisory services to staff, applicants, and consultants.

Responsibilities include ensuring technical merit of funding applications, reviewing agreements and designs, and developing procedures for program activities at the state level.

Qualifications

• Requires engineering knowledge applicable to civil/environmental projects.
• Experience providing advisory/technical services during planning and funding processes.
• Background in reviewing planning docs, PERs, and cost estimates for funding applications.

Responsibilities

• Advise private groups, public bodies, and agencies on civil engineering aspects of Rural Development funded projects.
• Provide technical guidance for project eligibility and priority; review reports and analyses for funding.
• Review and concur with engineering services agreements, preliminary plans, designs, specs, and cost estimates.
• Assist staff on technical/ construction matters and evaluate PERs for funding eligibility.
• Prepare State Office procedures for staff use in engineering/program activities.

Skills

Civil engineering

Technical guidance

Documentation review

Education

Engineering degree

ABET-accredited program

Job description

Duties

• Advises and consults with private groups, public bodies and state and/or Federal agencies on the civil engineering aspects of projects financed by Rural Development loan and grant programs.
• Provides technical guidance for project eligibility and priority. Reviews planning documents/Preliminary Engineering Reports (PER) and completed analyses and recommendations regarding the technical merit of applications for funding.
• Reviews and concurs with Agreements for Engineering Services, construction project preliminary plans, drawings, designs, specifications and cost estimates.
• Assists staff in any technical or construction-related matters. Works with staff, applicant and consultants on the suitability of proposed PERs and other documents for application for funding/projects approved.
• Prepares State Office procedures for use by staff to carry out engineering and related program activities.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

• • You must be a US Citizen or US National.
  • Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
  • Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
  • Direct Deposit - Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
  • Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit https://www.e-verify.gov/.
  • As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period unless previous federal service is creditable. During this time your employment will be evaluated, and we may 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. Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including specialized experience and/or education, as defined below.

In addition to meeting the basic requirement listed below in Education, qualified applicants must possess:

For GS-11 level: Applicants must possess one year of specialized experience to at least the GS-09 or its non-Federal equivalent that demonstrates: experience assisting in the review of construction project preliminary plans, drawings, designs, specifications and cost estimates; advising/consulting with private groups, public bodies and other agencies on civil or environmental engineering and architectural aspects of projects; assisting in providing advisory and technical services in the engineering, planning and design process for projects that may include single or multi-family housing, wastewater facilities, businesses, community facilities; OR 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree OR Ph.D. OR equivalent doctoral degree. Equivalent combination of education and experience are qualifying at this grade level.

For the GS-12 level: Applicants must have one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 or its non-federal equivalent that demonstrates experience reviewing planning documents, Preliminary Engineering Reports (PER), completed analysis, and recommendations regarding the technical merit of applications for funding. Experience reviewing projects for modesty in size, cost, design, and compliance of the facility with federal, state, local laws, regulations, departmental funding policies, and cost-effective requirements. Oversee the establishment and maintenance of necessary engineering records, references, and working materials, as well as electronic project management and/or underwriting tools.

There is no education substitution for the GS-12 grade level.

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). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Education

Basic Requirements:

A. Degree: Engineering. To be acceptable, the program must: (1) lead to a 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

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)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.

2. 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.

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 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.

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, maybe 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. (The above examples of related curricula are not all inclusive.)

Additional information

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section. When assessed through a score-based category rating method, CTAP/ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: 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.

If selected, you will be required to submit Form OGE-450 within 30 days of your initial appointment date, and annually thereafter. Selectee is subject to financial Disclosure Requirements in accordance with 5 CFR, Part 2635, Sub part E regarding business or personal transactions with applicants, borrowers, or business contacts who have or who are seeking business with this Agency. Selectee must be able to obtain and maintain a security clearance. If selected you will be subject to a National Agency Check and Inquiry (NACI) and a credit report.

If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan, and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is neither implied nor guaranteed

This position may also be eligible for flexible work arrangements as determined by agency policy and any applicable collective bargaining agreements.