Mechanical Engineer, GS-0830-12 (75064)

US Army Corps of Engineers; Apple Valley (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

US Army Corps of Engineers in Los Angeles District is seeking a senior mechanical engineering specialist in design and construction for civil works, federal facilities, and military facilities. The role covers gates, pumps, HVAC, piping, seismic, and renewable energy systems across complex projects.

You will perform studies, provide independent technical reviews, guide field personnel, prepare plans, specifications, and reports, and ensure design integrity through construction phases, while

Qualifications

• ABET-accredited engineering degree or equivalent with calculus courses.
• Combination of education/experience per DoD standards.
• Professional registration (EI/EIT) or PE by a state, FE exam, or equivalent.

Responsibilities

• Perform design and calculations for mechanical systems in new projects and major alterations.
• Provide guidance to field personnel to prevent contract delays; review shop drawings and submittals.
• Review A/E or in-house designs for mechanical issues with BCOE considerations.
• Conduct site investigations and monitor construction to ensure compliance with design intent.

Education

ABET-accredited engineering degree

Job description

Announcement Type

Direct-Hire Authority (DHA)

Position Type

Permanent

USACE Organization

South Pacific Division (SPD) - Los Angeles District

Locations (City, State)

Apple Valley, California

Position Overview/Duties

Serves as a senior mechanical engineering specialist in design and construction in the mechanical field for civil works, federal facilities, and military facilities. The equipment, systems, and features include gates, pumps, material/personnel conveying, seismic, water supply, sewerage, heating, ventilating, air conditioning, plumbing, and fire protection systems as well as unusual and complex features found on hydraulic structures, administrative facilities, operation and maintenance facilities, research and development facilities, and special use facilities including mechanical renewable energy systems facilities utilizing steam, gas, water and wind turbines, and hydro-mechanical (hydropower) systems.

• Accomplishes studies and design for mechanical equipment and systems for new projects and major alterations, rehabilitation and additions to existing systems during design and construction phases. Evaluates design objectives, performs complex technical calculations, identifies economical and efficient procedures for design and resolves applicability of criteria. Prepares required plans on CADD. Prepares layouts for development of drawings by technicians and reviews completed work for technical adequacy and completeness. Prepares technical specifications, material estimates, correspondence, technical reports, and portions of design memoranda.
• Provides guidance for solutions to mechanical construction issues to construction field personnel in a timely and independent method to preclude contract delays. Coordinates reviews and recommends approval action of shop drawings, submittals, and O&M manuals submitted on construction projects. Coordinates with manufacturer representative's as related to construction materials, equipment, and testing/commissioning procedures to facilitate approval of contract requirements in a timely manner. Provides recommended changes to construction field personnel in regard to contracts in areas of materials, equipment, and testing/commissioning when critical to acceptance.
• Provides independent technical review of A/E or in-house designs, specifications, and reports as related to mechanical issues. Provides independent biddability, constructability, operability, and environmental (BCOE) reviews on design packages relating to mechanical issues and their coordination with other disciplines. Provides comments to all reviews in clear and concise written format to allow resolution.
• Performs site investigations to secure necessary data for studies and designs. Performs monitoring of on-going construction projects to insure contract compliance with design intent as well as resolution of design or construction deficiencies. Enforces safety provisions of construction contract during all phases of work. Participates in the periodic inspection of completed hydraulic structures. Provides written reports of results of investigations and inspections.
• Prepares scope of work and technical appendices for A/E contracts and construction change orders, participates in negotiations as the mechanical specialist.
• Maintains a liaison with District, Area Customer elements as required to coordinate provide a quality product.
• Serves as a technical advisor over lower technicians on mechanical issues relating to construction processes. Serves as technical mechanical aspects are the primary item.

Other Conditions And Requirements

This is a Direct Hire Authority (DHA) solicitation utilizing the DHA for Certain Personnel of the DoD, Section 9905 to recruit and appoint qualified candidates to positions in the competitive service. Veterans' preference does not apply to this announcement.

WHO MAY APPLY

US Citizens.

Minimum Education Requirement

Basic Requirements:

• 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) 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.)

Minimum Experience Requirement

Professional knowledge of mechanical engineering concepts, principles, and practices applicable to the full range of engineering duties concerned with the design and layout of plumbing, heating, ventilating air conditioning and other systems, for use in multi‑story office buildings, steam plants, hospitals and similar structures. Ability to design large and complex mechanical systems such as could be acquired through a bachelor's degree program in mechanical engineering, supplemented by a considerable amount of design experience. Familiarity with related engineering fields, such as electrical and structural.

Other Requirements, Conditions Of Employment And Information

• 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.
• Direct deposit of pay is required.
• A trial or probationary period may be required.
• This position has a Temporary Duty (TDY) or business travel requirement of 20% of the time.
• This position requires that the incumbent possess or obtain and maintain a valid state Driver's License in one of the 50 U.S. states or possessions to operate vehicles. Incumbent may be required to drive to project sites, contractor's office, training or to meetings using a government vehicle.
• Responsible for observing all safety rules, regulations, and directives applicable to this work assignment.
• Work outside the office involves exposure to varying weather conditions, walking over rough, uneven surfaces, climbing, stooping, bending, and entering confined spaces, requiring use of hard hats and appropriate safety gear.

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).

Qualifications - Candidates will be evaluated in accordance with OPM General Schedule (GS) Qualification Standards or Federal Wage System (FWS) Qualifications and Job Elements

GS Standards: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/

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.