Civil Engineer (Highway) (Technology and Engineering Coordinator) – Direct Hire

Summary This position is located in the Technical Services Branch of the Eastern Federal Lands Highway Division (EFLHD), Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in Ashburn, Virginia. The Civil Engineer (Highway) (Technology and Engineering Coordinator) is responsible for coordinating and managing the Technology Deployment (TD) program for EFLHD. Serves as a technical specialist with extensive experience and a broad background in the field of highway and bridge technology. Responsibilities As Civil Engineer (Highway) (Technology and Engineering Coordinator), you will: Serve as the Division subject matter expert on technology deployment opportunities, research, fund source identification, and allocation. Independently identify and introduce relevant and promising technology/innovations to the Disciplines/Division that are new to EFL by staying abreast of new technologies being utilized in the engineering industry. Lead EFLHD Innovation Team as outlined in the Team Charter to foster and promote an innovative culture in the Division. Track projects from scoping through completed construction for accurate innovation and technology reporting. Gather and compile data for key performance measures on innovation. Independently manage participation of EFLHD staff and disciplines in available technology program opportunities. Understand and assess each funding opportunity to determine applicability and obtain funding for technology deployment initiatives. Reach out to disciplines to solicit research ideas, providing information and assistance in proposal development. Organize EFLHD’s Annual Innovation Day. Support coordination of Pathways Summer Intern/Co-op program, including coordinating activities, conducting periodic check ins with students, and identifying work plan improvement changes. Serve as course coordinator and liaison for EFLHD hosting the George Mason University Highway Design and Construction course. The ideal candidate for this position is a self-motivated experienced engineer with extensive experience and a broad background in the field of highway and bridge technology. The candidate must possess and apply knowledge of professional engineering as it applies to the advancement and deployment of new technologies in highway design and construction for the Federal Lands Highway Program. The candidate must maintain a continuing awareness of the present state of technology development in all functional areas and keep abreast of experimental and demonstration projects, and provide guidance and assistance to division technical specialists through coordinated research and technology transfer. The candidate will possess excellent oral and written communication skills in the field of highway and bridge technology, and leadership skills for the administration and coordination of student interns and developmental assignments within Eastern Federal Lands Highway Division. The candidate must establish effective interpersonal relationships with employees, engineers of varying disciplines, contractors, managers, and partner agencies to support team leaders and supervisors for developmental program assignments. Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. citizen & meet specialized experience to qualify Submit application and resume online by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date Required documents must be submitted by the closing date. Direct Hire Authority will be used to fill this position CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT: SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for the Selective Service. GOVERNMENT TRAVEL CARD: This position involves travel. A government contractor-issued travel card will be issued and must be retained for official business only. PCS/RELOCATION/RECRUITMENT: Permanent Change of Station (PCS), Relocation, and Recruitment Incentive authorization varies by position/selection and a service agreement may be required. PROBATIONARY PERIOD: Applicants may be required to successfully complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed). TELEWORK: This position may be eligible for occasional and/or regularly scheduled telework. The number of telework days approved will be determined by your immediate supervisor or manager following the agency’s telework policy and guidance. If participating in the telework program, you will be required to sign a telework agreement detailing agency telework policy requirements, working conditions, and expectations for the position. BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: You will be required to complete a background/security investigation and meet preliminary requirements prior to onboarding. Qualifications To determine which grade(s) you may be eligible for, review the following grade specific details. You will be asked a few questions as part of your application but make sure to verify how you meet this experience in your resume, or you may be deemed ineligible. To meet the basic qualifications for this position, you must (1) meet the Mandatory Education Requirement for the series, (2) provide a copy of your transcripts or other applicable documentation for verification, AND (3) meet the specialized experience requirements for each grade you are applying to. Please review the following information before proceeding with the application process: For the GS-12: you must have at least one year of specialized experience, equal or equivalent to the GS-11 grade level, which included: Experience applying civil engineering principles, theory, and methods to coordinate the deployment of highway technology; and Experience with highway design, materials, and the construction process, including evaluating state-of-the-art technology. For the GS-13: you must have at least one year of specialized experience, equal or equivalent to the GS-12 grade level, which included: Experience providing guidance and direction to other technical specialists who are engaged in highway design and construction; and Experience evaluating and recommending the advancement of state-of-the-art technology, including but not limited to software programs, construction processes, etc.; and Experience providing advice and information on aspects of technology deployment and innovation and with respect to one highway or bridge engineering discipline area (i.e., geotechnical, pavements, hydraulics, construction, etc.). For additional information, please refer to the OPM qualifications standard for GS-800: All Professional Engineering Positions qualifications at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0800/files/all-professional-engineering-positions-0800.pdf. KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas: Civil Engineering – Knowledge of the concepts, principles, theories, and methods required to plan, design, construct, operate, and maintain facilities such as buildings, transportation systems, water and sanitary systems, and other public works systems. Engineering and Technology – Knowledge of engineering concepts, principles, and practices, and of equipment, tools, mechanical devices, and their uses to produce motion, light, power, technology, and other applications. Oral Communication – Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately. Written Communication – Writes in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience. 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). For additional information about applying to Federal positions, please click on the following link: https://www.opm.gov/frequently-asked-questions/employment-faq/federal-hiring/how-do-i-apply-for-federal-jobs/ Applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement. Education A. 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 Boards 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 bachelors 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). Additional Information The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Transportation and its Operating Administrations from requesting an applicants criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to the Department of Transportation by email at, FairChanceAct@dot.gov. To learn more, please visit our page at: The Fair Chance to Compete Act | US Department of Transportation This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if similar vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate. Qualified CTAP/ICTAP candidates receive priority and will be referred to the hiring manager.