General Engineer.

National Cemetery Administration; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

National Cemetery Administration seeks a General Engineer/Project Program Manager to lead planning, design, and construction of major national cemetery projects and infrastructure programs. You will oversee multi‑project delivery, provide engineering guidance on cemetery development, and coordinate with architect‑engineer firms, contractors, and agency stakeholders.

The role requires experience in project management, contracting, and compliance with federal regulations, with the full performance

Qualifications

• Degree in engineering or equivalent combination of education/experience.
• Professional registration (PE/EI/EIT) or ability to obtain.
• Familiarity with federal contracting and engineering standards.

Responsibilities

• Lead planning, design, and execution of complex cemetery construction and expansion projects.
• Manage multiple projects to meet scope, schedule, and budget.
• Provide expert guidance on cemetery development, land use, and environmental compliance.
• Review engineering reports, designs, and cost proposals for compliance.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary teams including architects, engineers, contractors, and stakeholders.
• Oversee design and construction contracts per federal regulations.

Skills

Project Management

Technical Competence

Planning & Evaluating

Communication

Negotiation/Influencing

Education

Engineering degree

Job description

Duties

As a General Engineer/Project Program Manager, you will lead the planning, design, and construction of major national cemetery projects that support the National Cemetery Administration's mission and long-term infrastructure goals.

Duties Include

• Lead the planning, design, and execution of complex national cemetery construction and expansion projects.
• Manage multiple projects simultaneously, ensuring successful delivery within scope, schedule, and budget requirements.
• Provide expert engineering guidance on cemetery development, facility improvements, land use, environmental compliance, and historic preservation matters.
• Review and evaluate engineering reports, designs, specifications, cost estimates, and technical proposals for compliance with federal and Department of Veterans Affairs requirements.
• Lead and coordinate multidisciplinary teams, including architect‑engineer firms, contractors, and agency stakeholders.
• Administer and oversee design and construction contracts in accordance with federal acquisition regulations and agency policies.
• Represent the agency in meetings, negotiations, and presentations involving major construction and capital improvement initiatives.
• Advise senior leadership on engineering, project management, and construction program issues impacting agency operations and strategic objectives.
• Conduct site visits and travel as required to support project oversight and program delivery.

Work schedule

May be required to work Monday through Friday 7:30 am to 4:00 pm or after‑hours when necessary to meet the needs of the agency. Compressed/Flexible Schedule: May be Available.

Position Description Title/PD#

General Engineer/PD490350 GS-None. The full performance level of this position is GS-14.

Relocation Expenses

Not Authorized.

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives

Not Authorized.

Financial Disclosure Report

Not Required.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job
• Subject to a background/suitability investigation
• Designated and/or random drug testing may be required
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• A complete application package; including Resume, Transcripts, etc. is required
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre‑employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents).
• Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state‑issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.

Required

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1‑year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, 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

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 11/16/2026. You may qualify based on your experience, as described below:

• Basic requirement for all Professional Engineering Positions:
• 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.

In addition to the basic requirements listed above, applicants must also meet specialized experience for the GS 14.

Your background must demonstrate work involved in landscaping, grounds keeping, or other related trades experience that includes the use of hand tools and/or power tools, and the safe operation of related machinery and equipment used in cemetery caretaking practices, as described in the duties section of the announcement.

EXPERIENCE

You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-13 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but as not limited to: experience on land development projects and related cemetery planning, design, and construction concepts; reviewing preliminary engineering reports and related design documents (drawings and specifications); experience negotiating with Architects and Engineers in the preparation of design documents; and developing and revising agency engineering standards; experience with the contracting process to include writing specifications for projects, performing quality assurance reviews; experience with engineering practices involving construction, planning, cost factoring, energy applications and standard trade practices; ability to assess and advise.

SCREEN-OUT ELEMENT

Your qualifications will first be evaluated against the prescribed screen out element, which usually appears as question 1 in the on‑line questionnaire. Those applicants who appear to possess at least the minimal acceptable qualification requirement are considered for further rating; those who do not are rated ineligible and are eliminated. The potential eligibles are then rated against the remainder of the Job Elements.

• Ability to do the job without more than normal supervision.
• Must possess and maintain a valid state driver's license.

Job Elements

• General Engineering
• Technical Competence
• Project Management
• Architecture
• Communication
• Planning and Evaluating
• Influencing/Negotiating

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; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Physical Requirements

Work is generally performed in an office environment. However, Field work will require physical exertion such as extended periods of standing, walking over rough, uneven, or rocky surfaces; recurring bending, crouching, stooping, stretching, climbing ladders, reaching, or similar activities.

Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.

Education

There is no educational substitution for the GS-14 level. A transcript must be submitted with your application to verify the Engineering Degree requirement.

PLEASE NOTE

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications (particularly positions with a positive education requirement). Therefore, applicants must report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website:

Additional information

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members

Any content about veterans and transitioning service members would be placed here if available.

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.

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.

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent.