MECHANICAL ENGINEER - ELECTRICAL ENGINEER - DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY

Experience requirements are described in the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards for General Schedule Professional Engineering Positions.

Due to the use of 120-day rosters, this period of experience may be completed within 120 days of the closing date of this announcement.

BASIC REQUIREMENT OR INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENT:

1. Candidates for these positions must possess: 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

2. 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)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 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)2 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.
   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 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.
   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 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.)

In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below:

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must have or will have within 120 days of closing this announcement, at least one year (52 weeks) of specialized experience at the next lower grade GS-11, or equivalent in other pay systems. Specialized experience includes facilitating a team of engineers/architects from a variety of disciplines and technical staff on large and complex design and construction projects. Utilizing knowledge of mechanical and/or electrical engineering and energy conservation principles and practices. Energy Management best practices and Asset Management principles to affect a reduction in energy usage in facilities through energy audits and development of energy reducing solutions.

NOTE: Due to the use of 120-day rosters, this period of experience may be completed within 120 days of the closing date of this announcement.

FEDERAL TIME-IN-GRADE (TIG) REQUIREMENT FOR GENERAL SCHEDULE (GS) POSITIONS: Merit promotion applicants must meet applicable time-in-­grade requirements to be considered eligible. One year at the GS-11 level is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-12 level. TIG applies if you are in a current GS position or held a GS position within the previous 52 weeks.

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:

1. Knowledge of a broad range of professional engineering concepts, principles, and practices relating to mechanical and/or electrical systems, design, and/or construction in order to adapt precedents or make departures from established approaches in order to provide for specialized engineering and energy management requirements.
2. Knowledge of facility systems, i.e., heating, ventilation, and air conditioning; lighting; plumbing; building envelope; and central utility systems; knowledge of energy management/conservation program development and renewable energy systems.
3. Knowledge of health, safety, and environmental requirements as outlined in applicable standards, regulations, and/or technical orders; program planning and budgeting cycles, financial control and budget systems, and management; and environmental principles, practices, procedures, laws, regulations, and current legislative issues.
4. Skill in using information systems to conduct lifecycle cost analysis, energy use modeling, and other tools to effectively accomplish assigned functions.
5. Ability to research, analyze, interpret, and apply rules, regulations, and procedures to a variety of situations and to recommend timely and economical solutions; and communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
6. Ability to plan and organize work and coordinate with other engineering disciplines and architects; and maintain good working relations.

PART-TIME OR UNPAID EXPERIENCE: Credit will be given for appropriate unpaid and or part-time work. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week.

VOLUNTEER WORK EXPERIENCE: Refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service Programs (i.e., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student and social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge and skills that can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.