Fire Protection Engineer

Summary This position is in the Architect of the Capitol, Senate Office Buildings, Facilities Support Division. As a Senior Fire Protection Engineer, the selectee will assist the Supervisory Fire Protection Engineer, with fire protection systems, fire alarm systems and utilities in the Senate Office Buildings. The selectee will also operate as an expert Fire Protection Engineer, which includes planning, designing, construction, modification, operation, and maintenance of fire protection systems.  Learn more about this agency Duties Tour of Duty: Mon-Fri, work hours may vary This is an Essential-Employee Position. The employee will be required to report to work during emergencies AND inclement weather situations. Work schedule will include mandatory overtime on holidays AND weekends on a regular and recurring basis. The individual selected for this position will: Program Development and Coordination Formulates and designs jurisdiction-wide programs, plans, procedures, and methodologies for programs to improve fire protection and life safety compliance along with advocating for the use of innovative improvement techniques that are appropriate to the agency mission and culture. Coordinate with jurisdiction and Safety and Code Compliance counterparts to oversee the Senate Office Buildings (SOB) fire protection program and to ensure SOB meets their organizational vision, mission, and goals. Engage with internal and external jurisdiction stakeholders to ensure Fire Protection and Life Safety policies are implemented, interpreted and consistently applied to program/projects for compliance and/or coherently. Develop, write, revise, implement, and interpret Standard Operation Procedures (SOPs), regulations, policies and procedures for the SOB’s Fire Protection Program as well as emergency readiness management documents to manage emergency exercises.   Develop comprehensive technical and administrative reports on the aspects of the fire protection program for higher level management.  Analyzes and provides solutions to create long-range fire protection programs plans, goals, objectives, and milestones for evaluating and measuring the effectiveness of the programs. Develops and provides preliminary courses of action to be taken to address changes in programs, technological developments, policies and processes.  Prepare decisions that produce high-quality results by applying professional and technical knowledge to analyze problems and calculating risk.  Project Management Functions as the technical expert for broad programs involving the design, installation, maintenance, and operation of fire protection systems, assemblies, structures, and operations. Manages significant elements or phases of fire prevention/protection projects. Plans, guides, coordinates, and the work of contractors engaged in accomplishing the missions and functions of the organization.  Develop operational procedures and directs in the interpretation and application of the National Fire Codes of the National Fire Protection Association as the authority having jurisdiction within the context of the various fire and building codes under the delegated authority of Policy 11-6. Participates in preliminary and critical fire protection design reviews and determines, develops, and defends requirements.  Contract Management Performs contractor oversight duties as a Contracting Officer Representative (COR), developing, modifying or rejecting task plans and other deliverables for fire protection systems.  Evaluates overall effectiveness and assesses technical design submissions for compliance with national codes.  Responsible for design and configuration of fire protection systems and final acceptance or rejection of fire protection system installations and modifications. Evaluates and approves all fire protection system requirements and operational procedures, preventive maintenance tasks, inspection plans, repairs, corrections, tests and priorities. Requirements Conditions of employment You must be able to pass a drug test You must meet education requirements for Engineers. You must meet the definition of specialized experience. Your resume and question responses must demonstrate the job-related KSAs. To be employed by the Architect of the Capitol in a paid position, an individual must meet one of the categories below: A citizen of the United States; A person who is lawfully admitted for permanent residence and is seeking citizenship as outlined in 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)(B); A person who is admitted as a refugee under 8 U.S.C. 1157 or is granted asylum under 8 U.S.C. 1158 and has filed a declaration of intention to become a lawful permanent resident and then a citizen when eligible; A person who owes allegiance to the United States (nationals of American Samoa, Swains Island, and the Northern Mariana Islands, and nationals who meet other requirements described in 8 U.S.C. 1408); or A person who is currently an officer or employee of the Government of the United States. Qualifications You must meet the United States Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) qualification requirements (including specialized experience and/or educational requirements) for the advertised position. You must meet all eligibility and qualifications requirements by the closing date of the job announcement. Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualifications Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions. It is available for your review on the OPM web site at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0800/files/all-professional-engineering-positions-0800.pdf ***A copy of your transcript(s) will be required upon selection*** Basic Requirements for Engineers: The Ideal candidate has a Fire Protection Engineering degree.  1. Bachelor's degree in professional engineering: To be creditable, 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: -- statics, dynamics; -- strength of materials (stress-strain relationships); -- fluid mechanics, hydraulics; -- thermodynamics; -- electrical fields and circuits; -- nature and properties of materials (relating particle and aggregate structure to properties); and -- 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 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: 1. Professional registration or licensure - Current registration as an Engineer Intern (EI), Engineer in Training (EIT), 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 Board's eminence provision as a manufacturing engineer typically would be rated eligible only for manufacturing engineering positions. 2. 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, or Puerto Rico. 3. 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 A above. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program. 4. Related curriculum - Successful completion of a curriculum leading to a bachelor's 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 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. In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below:  Specialized experience: is experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level.   Candidates for the GS-14 grade level must have at least 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower GS-13 grade level in the Federal service.   Specialized experience is defined as having experience in 7 out of the 8: Experience reviewing the quality of all Fire Protection engineering design and construction features; developing Fire Protection designs, reports, plans, specifications, and other engineering products for construction services. Serving as a subject matter expert for providing technical advice and guidance in the field of fire protection engineering to upper levels of management, engineers, and other personnel.  Managing in the incorporation of fire protection engineering practices in all phases of design and construction documentation and the implementation for code adherence. Applying numerous fire protection codes, standards, and building codes to various types of facilities. (i.e., business, childcare, industrial, assembly and historic). Ensuring the incorporation of adequate fire protection and life safety requirements are in all aspects of facility and construction management. Conduct fire safety surveys and testing for various types of buildings. (i.e., business, childcare, industrial, assembly and historic). Develop risk assessments in accordance with the Federal Fire Safety Act. Review drawings and specifications for building construction and renovation to ensure compliance with current standards for fire protection and life safety. Education Special Instructions for Foreign Education:  Education completed outside of the United States must be deemed equivalent to that gained in conventional/accredited U.S. education programs to be acceptable for Federal employment.Qualifying education from colleges and universities in foreign countries must be evaluated in terms of equivalency to that acquired in U.S. colleges and universities. Applicants educated in whole or in part of foreign countries must submit sufficient evidence, including transcripts, to an accredited private organization for an equivalency evaluation of course work and degree.You must provide a copy of the letter containing the results of the equivalency evaluation with a course by course listing if selected. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/ Additional information Welcome Veterans. The Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) gives veterans' preference rights in the legislative branch to certain veterans as applied by the Congressional Accountability Act. Veterans' preference is applied on this vacancy announcement. If you are a veteran and have been separated under honorable conditions, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 or other proof of eligibility; SF-15, if applicable; and Department of Veterans Affairs documentation of disability, if applicable. For more information, please visit http://www.opm.gov/veterans/html/vetguide.asp#6. If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System. If you are exempt from registration under Selective Service Law, you must provide appropriate proof of exemption. Please visit the Selective Service System website for more information. DRUG TESTING: The Architect of the Capitol (AOC) is a Drug Free Workplace. As part of the AOC’s suitability assessment, a candidate tentatively selected for a position who is not currently an AOC employee is required to submit to screening for illegal drug use. Satisfactory completion of a drug test is a condition of employment with the Agency. A candidate must test negative prior to being eligible for appointment into a position. We will schedule, provide and cover the cost for the drug test. The selectee(s) under the vacancy announcement for this position is subject to a criminal record check by the U.S. Capitol Police and satisfactory adjudication to be eligible for employment at the Architect of the Capitol. The Architect of the Capitol is an E-VERIFY Participant. E-VERIFY is an Internet-based system that compares information from an employee's Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to data from U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Social Security Administration records to confirm employment authorization in the United States. If you are selected for this position, the documentation that you present for purposes of completing the DHS Form I-9 will be verified through the DHS "E-VERIFY" electronic system. For more information on E-Verify, please visit http://www.dhs.gov/files/programs/gc_1185221678150.shtm The Architect of the Capitol is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information and/or disability. This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. Moving expenses are not authorized.Relocation expenses are not authorized.Probationary Period - A newly appointed selectee is subject to the completion of a one-year trial/probationary period, regardless of whether or not a trial/probationary period has been completed previously with the Architect of the Capitol or another Federal agency.This vacancy announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies in any of the jurisdictions of the Architect of the Capitol.All application materials become the property of the Architect of the Capitol. Expand Hide  additional information 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. A variety of health insurance plans; retirement system with investment options; paid holidays; paid sick and annual (vacation) leave; life insurance; incentive systems; subsidized transportation; training and development opportunities, etc. The Architect of the Capitol offers eligible employees opportunity to participate in the Student Loan Repayment Program. Selected applicant(s) may be eligible to earn a higher annual leave accrual rate credit towards annual leave accrual based on prior non-Federal or uniformed service work experience. The amount of service credit will be based on specialized experience or qualifying experience that is provided on the applicant profile submitted. As such, if you are a new employee to the Federal Government or a rehire, it is important that you provide a work history that lists all directly related positions held, and it must include the dates of employment (month/day/year). 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.