Petroleum Engineer

Clarification from the agency

All U.S. Citizens

Duties

This position is located within the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), Pacific Region, Office of Strategic Operations (OSO), Facilities and Pipelines Section (FPS) in Camarillo, CA.

At the full performance level (GS-14) the major duties of this position include but are not limited to the following:

1. Perform technical reviews of project plans, reviews and approvals of pipeline and operations permits, strict inspection protocols for operations, facilities and pipelines, investigation of accidents and review of incidents for civil/criminal penalty actions. Inspection protocols ensure compliance with approved plans and assure adherence to laws, regulations, and other directives.

2. Performs technical and regulatory reviews of applications from lessees and operators for the design, maintenance, inspection, repair, abandonment or decommissioning of Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) platforms and pipelines for technical adequacy to ensure consistency with established policies, processes, and Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), regulations and to ensure appropriate human safety and pollution prevention safeguards. Coordinates the review of applications within BSEE.

3. Serves as technical expert in petroleum transportation systems and policies. Develops recommendations to the Chief, Office of Strategic Operations (OSO), concerning the technical and economic feasibility of transportation systems and tankering scenarios, equipment and their use to enhance safety. Remains attentive to possible technical and economical constraints that may preclude the use of certain modes of oil transportation and informs the Chief, OSO if such constraints exist. Serves as a consultant within BSEE regarding oil transportation modes previously and currently in use within the Pacific OCS Region (POCSR) and anticipated future developments.

4. Provides expert advice and recommendations and participates in matters related to production systems containing acid gases, effective means of monitoring and controlling corrosion caused by acid gas in oil and gas processing systems, and industry-recommended practices for monitoring corrosion in acid gas systems.

5. Serves as a team lead in the engineering review for internal and external pipeline inspections including surveys, pipeline remediation and testing.

6. Acts as a subject matter expert for the POCSR's TIMS Web platform. Ensures appropriate engineering review and submittal of reports as well as the availability of information regarding Pipeline Permits and Reports, Decommissioning Support Requests and Reports and Civil Penalties.

7. Coordinate implementation of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Civil/Criminal Penalty Program in the POCSR. Office of Strategic Operations (OSO), reviews recommendations from the Office of Field Operations (OFO), on initiation of penalty proceedings and provides analysis to the Regional Supervisor, Regional Director, Solicitors Office, and Safety Enforcement Division in Headquarters.

8. Conduct and/or participate in investigation of pipeline or structure accidents, fires, blowouts, and pollution incidents, and prepares public reports. Office of Strategic Operations (OSO) monitors and analyzes the Region's accident/event/spill data reporting procedures and makes appropriate recommendations for improvements.

Salary Range Information:
GS-14: $142,094 (Step 1) - 184,725 (Step 10) per annum.
First time hires to the federal government typically start at the beginning salary in the range for their respective grade level.

The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.

Work Environment:
Work is typically performed in an office setting. Occasional travel to onshore and offshore sites for accident investigations and pipeline or structure-related inspections involve exposure to outdoor and marine environments, travel by helicopter over water, and occasional work boat trips.

NOTE : A recruitment incentive may be authorized at the discretion of the bureau.

This vacancy may be used to fill additional positions as vacancies become available.

This vacancy is also announced as BSEE-EEPP-24-JB-193(MP) for those applicants who wish to apply and be considered under Merit Promotion procedures.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

You must be a U.S. Citizen. You will be subject to a background/suitability investigation/determination. You will be required to have federal payments made by Direct Deposit. You must submit ALL required documents and a completed questionnaire.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualification Requirements:
To qualify for this position you must meet the (1) Basic Educational Requirements AND (2) Specialized Experience for the grade to which you are applying.

(1) Basic Educational Requirements:
In addition to the specialized experience requirements for this position, applicants must meet the Education Requirements described below:

A. Degree: Professional engineering. To be acceptable, the curriculum must: (1) be in a school of engineering with at least one curriculum accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) as a professional engineering curriculum; 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-

B. 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 professional 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 Written Test Specified academic courses Related curriculum For further information on the adequacy of such background demonstrated by one of the above listed, are found in the link below:

NOTE: This position requires a positive education requirement. Applications must provide transcripts (unofficial are acceptable) in order to verify that the educational requirement has been met. This information must be received by the closing date of the announcement. Failure to provide this information will result in your receiving an "INELIGIBLE" rating.

-AND-

(2) Specialized Experience:
To qualify for the GS-14 , you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-13 grade level in the Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through Federal service. Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience:
1) Assessing compliance with or derived from established standards or guidelines.
2) Providing petroleum engineering analysis in evaluation and approval of operator applications such as design, installation, maintenance, inspection and repair of Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) pipelines and facilities; AND
3) Conducting monitoring to assess compliance with all pipeline safety, and regulatory requirements and conditions of approval for individual projects and activities.
Must Meet All.

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