Civil/Agricultural Engineer

Job Summary

This is a challenging opportunity to join the Natural Resources Conservation Service as a Civil/Agricultural Engineer. The selected candidate will be responsible for providing technical guidance in the planning, design, installation, and maintenance of soil and water conservation practices. The position is located in Colorado, and the incumbent will work closely with the engineer to ensure the successful implementation of conservation practices.

Key Responsibilities

* Coordinate and supervise the planning, design, and construction of engineering practices needing engineering guidance.
* Direct the type, scope, and intensity of field investigations and surveys needed for the practice implementation.
* Develop workload analysis, priorities, and scheduling recommendations identified by the strategic plan for the geographical location assigned.
* Direct and perform site investigations and feasibility studies, field checks, and field construction checks for conservation practice installations.
* Make periodic quality reviews of notes, drawings, designs, and installations for compliance with policies, procedures, and/or specifications.

Requirements

* You must be a US Citizen or US National.
* Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
* Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
* Successful completion of one-year probationary period, unless previously served.
* Direct Deposit - Per Public Law all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
* Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check.
* Must possess and maintain a valid state motor vehicle operator's license for the type of vehicle(s) operated to perform the duties of this position.

Qualifications

* Basic Education Requirement: 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.

Specialized Experience

* To qualify for the GS-11 level, you must possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-9 level or higher in Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through Federal service.
* Examples of specialized experience include:
* Plan and review engineering designs, plans, and recommendations.
* Conduct engineering investigations and studies.
* Assists in field checks and field construction checks for conservation practice installations.

Substitution of Education in Lieu of Specialized Experience

* 3 year(s) of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a PH.D or equivalent doctoral degree in engineering or related field of study.
* OR Combination of Education and Experience: An equivalent combination of graduate-level education and experience, as described above, may be used to qualify for this position.

Specialized Experience to Qualify for the GS-12 Level

* You must possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level or higher in Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through Federal service.
* Examples of specialized experience include:
* Interpret plans and specifications for contractors.
* Plan and review engineering designs, plans, and recommendations.
* Conduct engineering investigations and studies.
* Leads field checks and field construction checks for conservation practice installations.

Additional Information

* The salary shown in this announcement is for locations that fall within the "Rest of the United States" geographical pay area.
* Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP eligible.
* Physical Demands: The work requires some physical exertion such as long periods of standing, traversing steep slopes and rough construction sites, recurring bending and stooping, jumping across shallow ditches, walking in soft, muddy and slippery conditions, and lifting and carrying equipment and samples that weigh up to 50 pounds.
* Work Environment: Work is typically performed in an office setting. Frequent trips to field sites involve exposure to construction equipment and the environment, and extreme temperatures of hot and cold.
* PLEASE NOTE: In the interest of filling these positions as efficiently as possible, we are requiring the following:
* If called for an interview, applicants must be available to interview within 3 business days of being contacted.
* If a tentative job offer is extended, selectee will have 2 business days in which to accept or decline.
* Promotion Potential: If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management.
* This position is eligible for telework within the local commuting area of the position and other flexible work arrangements.
* Recruitment and/or relocation incentives may be authorized.
* Benefits: A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package.
* How You Will Be Evaluated: You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
* Applications will be evaluated in accordance with Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) Delegated Examining Procedures and USDA policy using category rating.
* Applicants who meet basic minimum qualifications will be placed in one of three categories: Best Qualified, Well Qualified, or Qualified.
* Category placement will be determined based on applicants' quality of experience and the extent they possess the following knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA) or competencies:
* Oral Communication
* Planning and Evaluating
* Project Management
* Quality Assurance

Required Documents

* Resume that includes: 1) personal information such as name, address, contact information; 2) education; 3) detailed work experience related to this position as described in the major duties including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; title, series, grade (if applicable); 4) other qualifications.
* If education is required or you are using education to qualify, you must submit a copy of your college transcripts.
* If claiming veteran's preference, you must submit a DD214, Certificate of Release from Active Duty, which shows dates of service and discharge under honorable conditions.
* If claiming 10-point veteran's preference you must provide the DD214 or certification requirements (see above bullet), plus the proof of entitlement of this preference as listed on the SF-15 Application for 10-point Veterans' Preference.
* Surplus or displaced employees eligible for CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP priority must provide: proof of eligibility (RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination), SF-50 documenting separation (as applicable), and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with your application per 5 CFR 330.

How to Apply

* Please read the entire announcement and all instructions before you begin.
* You must complete this application process and submit all required documents electronically by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.
* Applying online is highly encouraged.
* We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Monday - Friday).
* If applying online poses a hardship, contact the Agency Contact listed below well before the closing date for an alternate method.
* All hardship application packages must be complete and submitted no later than noon ET on the closing date of the announcement in order to be entered into the system prior to its closing.
* This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis; contact the Agency Contact to request this.
* To begin, click "Apply Online" and follow the instructions to complete the Assessment Questionnaire and attach your resume and all required documents.
* NOTE: If a document is resubmitted, it replaces the previous submission, which means the previous document is no longer available to the Human Resources Office.
* If you are adding to, rather than replacing a previous submission, you must upload both the old document and the new document.
* You must verify that uploaded documents from USAJOB's transfer into the Agency's staffing system as there is a limitation to the number of documents that can be transferred.
* However, once in the Agency's staffing system, you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents.
* Applicants may combine all like required documents (e.g. SF-50's or veteran docs) into one or more files and scan for uploading into the application.
* Each file must not exceed 3MB.
* Grouping like documents into files will simplify the application process.
* Documents must be in one of the following formats: GIF, JPEG, JPG, PDF, PNG, RTF, or Word (DOC or DOCX).
* Uploaded documents may not require a password, digital signature, or other encryption to open.

Agency Contact Information

* Olu Gbolade
* Phone:
* Email:
* Address: Natural Resources Conservation Service
* 1400 Independence Ave SW
* Washington, DC 20250 US

Next Steps

* Your application will be reviewed to verify that you meet the eligibility and qualification requirements for the position prior to issuing referral lists to the selecting official.
* If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted.
* Log in to your USAJOBS to check your application status.
* We expect to make a final job offer approximately 40 days after the deadline for applications.
* Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.

Fair & Transparent

* The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent.
* Please read the following guidance:
* Criminal history inquiries
* Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
* Financial suitability
* New employee probationary period
* Privacy Act
* Reasonable accommodation policy
* Selective Service
* Signature and false statements
* Social security number request

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