Structural Engineer - Public Buildings Service

GSA; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 115,000 - 141,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Life insurance

Sick leave and vacation time

Thrift Savings Plan

Transit and child care subsidies

Flexible spending accounts

Long-term care insurance

Training and development

Job summary

GSA is seeking a Structural Engineer to guide design and construction of Federal facilities, focusing on structural, seismic, and blast engineering. You will coordinate with agency representatives, contract teams, and construction managers to resolve issues and develop consensus.

You will help define building standards against risks and stay abreast of the latest engineering developments to apply them to major projects with nationwide impact.

Qualifications

• Proven ability to apply advanced structural engineering principles.
• Experience communicating with agency leadership and project teams.
• Ability to lead technical guidance across teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead and represent best practices in structural, seismic, and blast engineering.
• Provide guidance on design and construction of Federal properties and renovations.
• Support policy development for major building projects and secure facilities.
• Define building standards to mitigate terrorist and disaster risks with testing and modeling.
• Stay current with engineering literature and apply new developments to projects.

Skills

Structural engineering principles

Communication skills

Organizational skills

Education

Engineering degree

Job description

Summary

As a Structural Engineer, you will provide direction in structural, seismic, and blast engineering for design and construction of new facilities and major renovations.

The Public Buildings Service (PBS) Office of Engineering oversees architecture, engineering, urban development, historic preservation, courthouse and border station programs, construction services, and project management.

We are currently filling one vacancy, but additional vacancies may be filled as needed.

Learn more about this agency

Duties

• Serve as a national leader representing state-of-the-art structural engineering practices, requiring exceptional communication and organizational skills. Conduct briefings, discussions, and negotiations with high-level agency representatives, GSA management, contract architects, construction firms, and external stakeholders to resolve controversies, promote innovative approaches, and develop consensus. Negotiations frequently involve major structures having unique problems or requiring unusual treatment.
• Serve as a recognized technical authority and code official in structural, seismic, and blast engineering, as assigned, to all GSA architects, engineers, and project managers as well as partner agencies, contract architects and engineers, construction managers, and construction contract teams. Provide guidance regarding design and construction of new Federal properties plus the repair, alteration, and maintenance of existing Federal properties. Review and comment on reports and other specialized studies performed related to all aspects of structural engineering.
• Consult and provide expert direction to other specialists on GSA structural design and construction policy regarding new, existing, and leased buildings. Provide leadership and expert advice to GSA Business lines, project teams, personnel, partner agencies, and contract architect-engineers regarding highly specialized structural, seismic, and blast engineering programs. Develop and guide the implementation of new approaches for buildings of major size and complexity based upon legislation and executive directives.
• Define building standards aimed at mitigating risks from terrorist attacks and natural disasters, serving as a member of the Interagency Security Committee (ISC). These standards frequently surpass those found in model building codes. Their development involves actual blast testing, advanced computer modeling, and collaboration across various agencies.
• Sustain expertise in the latest developments in the professional engineering field by reviewing technical literature and attending conferences or professional society meetings. Apply new developments in the field of expertise by adapting existing knowledge or applications to fit unique design or construction issues or situations.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

• US Citizenship or National (Residents of American Samoa and Swains Island)
• Meet all eligibility requirements within 30 days of the closing date.
• Register with Selective Service if you are a male born after 12/31/1959

If selected, you must meet the following conditions:

• Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C or NonCareer SES employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the HR Office. Failure to disclose this information could result in disciplinary action including removal from Federal Service.
• Undergo and pass a background investigation (Tier 5 investigation level). You must be granted this clearance before you can start the job.
• Have your identity and work status eligibility verified if you are not a GSA employee. We will use the Department of Homeland Security’s e-Verify system for this. Any discrepancies must be resolved as a condition of continued employment.
• Serve a one year probationary period, if required
• Any applicant tentatively selected for this position will be required to submit to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Appointment to the position will be contingent upon a negative drug test result.
• Frequently visit construction sites which will involve moderate risks, discomfort, and unpleasantness such as high level of noise and vibrations, dust and great machinery, irritant chemicals, weather extremes, etc. Specific safety precautions are required in such instances, as well as the wearing of protective head, hand and footgear.

Qualifications

To evaluate your qualifications, your resume must clearly demonstrate how you meet the specialized experience described below. Your resume must not exceed two pages. To ensure your qualifications can be fully evaluated, we recommend including the following information:

• Name, address, telephone number, email address;
• Job Title (if Federal Service, provide series and grade; if not in GS plan, provide GS equivalent grade);
• Relevant work experience—should include employer name, job title, start and end dates (month/year), the number of hours worked per week and descriptions that explain how you meet the required qualifications in the job announcement.
• Education, certifications or licensures—If the job announcement requires any education, certifications or licensures, make sure to include the required information and any required documents like transcripts.

Your resume should contain enough information to make a valid determination that you fully meet experience requirements for each grade level you are applying to. If you do not provide enough information for us to determine your qualifications, you may be rated ineligible

If you have volunteered your service through a National Service program (e.g., Peace Corps, Americorps), we encourage you to apply and include this experience on your resume.

The GS-14 salary range starts at $127,829 per year. Salary depends on the duty location and associated locality pay.

If you are a new federal employee, your starting salary will likely be set at the Step 1 of the grade for which you are selected.

To qualify, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 level or higher in the Federal service.

This position has a positive education requirement: Applicants must submit a copy of their college or university transcript(s) and certificates by the closing date of announcements to verify qualifications. If selected, an official transcript will be required prior to appointment.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR ENGINEERS: A Degree in professional engineering OR a combination of college-level education, training, and/or technical experience. For specifics on qualifying education and/or experience - use the following link: Basic Requirements for Engineer Positions.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: In addition to the Basic Requirements listed above, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as experience applying advanced structural engineering principles to the evaluation, design, and retrofit of large or complex or mission critical facilities, including, but not limited to providing technical leadership on issues related to: structural performance, seismic safety, blast resistance, progressive collapse mitigation, and/or physical security. Such experience includes interpreting and implementing engineering standards and facility security criteria, conducting structural, and seismic risk assessments, reviewing structural designs for new construction or major modernization projects, and advising project teams and/or government officials on mitigation strategies for structural, seismic and/or security-related risks.

Additional information

Candidates will not be hired based on their race, sex, color, religion, or national origin.

Applicants are encouraged to make their resume searchable in their USAJOBS.gov profile. This will allow Federal hiring specialists and hiring managers across agencies to find their resume as part of agency recruitment campaigns or staffing searches.

If you apply to this position and are selected, we will not ask about your criminal history before you receive a conditional job offer. If you believe you were asked about your criminal history improperly, contact the agency or visit GSA's webpage.

Relocation-related expenses are not approved and will be your responsibility.

On a case-by-case basis, the following incentives may be approved:

• Recruitment incentive if you are new to the federal government
• Relocation incentive if you are a current federal employee
• Credit toward vacation leave if you are new to the federal government

Additional vacancies may be filled through this announcement in this or other GSA organizations within the same commuting area as needed; through other means; or not at all.

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.

Benefits

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. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

You will have access to many benefits including:

• Health insurance (choose from a wide range of plans)
• Life insurance coverage with several options
• Sick leave and vacation time, including 11 paid holidays per year
• Thrift Savings Plan (similar to a 401(k) plan)
• Transit and child care subsidies
• Flexible spending accounts
• Long-term care insurance
• Training and development

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.