Supervisory Civil Engineer (Hydraulics)

U.S. Department of the Interior; Lakewood (CO); On-site; USD 130,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation in Denver, Lakewood, Colorado seeks a Supervisory Civil Engineer (Hydraulics) to lead hydraulic engineering projects and staff in Sedimentation & River Hydraulics. You will oversee technical reviews, manage resources, and ensure quality, safety, and compliance across multiple projects.

The role requires a PE license, U.S. citizenship, and ability to pass background checks; fieldwork and telework possible with supervisor approval.

Qualifications

• Must possess and maintain a current Professional Engineer license.
• U.S. Citizenship or National status is required.
• Background investigation and suitability required.

Responsibilities

• Oversee technical peer reviews to ensure hydraulic work meets professional standards.
• Lead continuous improvement of group processes to ensure quality deliverables.
• Mentor staff and manage performance to build capability and high performance.
• Plan, organize, and allocate resources to execute projects and workloads.
• Monitor project execution for quality, cost control, and schedule adherence.
• Lead decision-making, change management, and stakeholder communication for mission success.

Skills

Hydraulic engineering

Leadership

Project management

Stakeholder communication

Change management

Education

Professional Engineering license

Job description

Summary

You will serve as a Supervisory Civil Engineer (Hydraulics) with Bureau of Reclamation. This position is located within the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, Sedimentation & River Hydraulics, LAKEWOOD, COLORADO.

Major Duties

Bureau-Wide (Bureau of Reclamation) - This is a Merit Promotion announcement for career and career conditional Bureau employees, Career Transition eligibles (CTAP), Current or former time-limited employees eligible under Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA) and those who are eligible under the hiring paths listed above. Refer to Required Documents section for more information. Some of the major duties you will perform include but are not limited to the following: Oversees and conducts technical peer reviews to ensure hydraulic engineering work products meet professional standards; leads continuous improvement of group processes to maintain technically sound deliverables; fosters a resilient, cross-trained team to prevent single-point failures; and applies advanced hydraulic engineering and sedimentation concepts, principles, theories, and methods to guide and validate project work. Coach, mentor, develop, and evaluate staff to build capability and ensure high performance. Includes establishing expectations; conducting performance management; providing feedback; supporting skill development; and recognizing and rewarding achievements. Foster a productive, respectful, and comprehensive team environment and resolve conflicts constructively. Includes facilitating collaboration, motivating teams, promoting open communication, addressing team conflicts, and creating a positive environment that supports retention. Lead decision-making, change management, and stakeholder communication to ensure mission success. Includes identifying and addressing emerging issues; adjusting scope, resources, or schedules; communicating progress to leadership; and modeling integrity, honesty, and adaptability. Plan, organize, and allocate resources to execute projects and group workload effectively. Covers developing schedules, assigning work, coordinating staffing, and ensuring sufficient technical expertise across multiple concurrent projects. Monitor, evaluate, and oversee project execution to ensure technical quality, cost control, schedule adherence, and compliance with standards. Includes reviewing operations, tracking progress, integrating project activities, inspecting costs and performance, and ensuring deliverables meet organizational expectations. Lead project decision-making, issue resolution, and continuous improvement to support mission success. Covers identifying alternatives, resolving problems, leading change management, recommending process improvements, and providing guidance to project managers and cross-disciplinary teams.

Education

This position has a mandatory education requirement. You must submit a copy of your transcript(s) to support claimed education if substituting education for experience. Transcripts must include your name, school name, grades, credit hours earned, major(s), grade point average or class ranking, and date the degree was conferred, if applicable. A typed list of courses, grades, semester/quarter hours, GPA, etc. will not be accepted. Non-submission may result in being rated not qualified for the position. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work. Foreign Education: To receive credit for education completed outside the United States, you must show proof that the education has been submitted to a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education has been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education programs. For more information on how foreign education is evaluated, visit: https://www.ed.gov/about/initiatives/international-affairs/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications

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 possess and maintain a valid driver's license throughout employment. Current Professional Engineering license is required by law and/or Reclamation Policy. This is a supervisory position that may require completion of a supervisory probationary period. *Additional Requirements located under qualifications*

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): Hydraulic Engineering Leadership Project Management 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 structured resume review. These assessments measure the critical competencies listed above that are required to successfully perform the job. The assessment includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment. 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 their 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) -10/27/2026-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. Current Professional Engineering license is required by law and/or Reclamation Policy. 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. Veterans Preference Documentation: Veterans eligible under VRA (GS-11 & below only), VEOA, 30% or more Disabled, or Disabled Veterans Enrolled in a VA Training Program must submit the most recent Documentation of Service and Separation under Honorable Conditions (e.g. DD-214) as listed on the SF15. If you are a Parent or Spouse of a Disabled or Deceased Veteran, you must submit all documentation as listed on the SF15. You may request a copy of the VA letter from https://www.va.gov/records. If you are a veteran within 120 days of discharge, you must submit signed documentation from the Armed Forces certifying: 1) your expected release/retirement from active duty, 2) under honorable conditions, 3) your pay grade/rank/rate at time of discharge, 4) dates of active-duty service, 5) any campaign or expeditionary medals received, & 6) dated within 120 days of your separation. Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA): you must submit ALL Appointment AND Termination SF-50s for EACH Competitive time-limited appointment (block 34, code 1); AND Documentation of satisfactory performance for each period of 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. 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. Physical Demands/Work Environment: The work is primarily performed in an office setting that is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. However, the position also includes scheduled, recurring field assignments at rivers, reservoirs, and related project sites. Fieldwork may involve exposure to moderate outdoor conditions such as heat, cold, precipitation, uneven or slippery terrain, and proximity to water. The incumbent may work from boats, shorelines, or within operational facilities and may handle field equipment as part of routine data collection tasks. Standard safety procedures apply, and appropriate personal protective equipment is used as required. Although these environments present moderate, predictable risks, they are typical of hydraulic and sediment data-collection activities and are mitigated through established safety practices. The duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.