Civil Engineer

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers • Norfolk, VA

12d • Onsite

About The Position

Works under the general supervision of a Section Chief within Operations Branch in support of the District's Navigation Mission. This is a developmental position being filled at the GS-09/11/12 level with non-competitive promotion potential up to the GS-12. Pay ranges by grade can be found here. Duties include carrying out tasks required in the management of the District's River and Harbor program, including advanced planning and coordination with other offices, agencies, and private interests. Responsibilities involve developing out-year budget estimates, channel and disposal area design, plans and specifications, and estimates. The role requires studying past survey maps and aerial photographs, conducting field studies, analyzing and designing disposal areas, determining cost comparisons of dredging alternatives, and computing dredge output and time requirements for dredging-related work. The position also involves heading rate-of-fill studies, reviewing dredging records, analyzing disposal needs, and forecasting engineering concerns on district navigation projects for submission in support of fiscal year civil works appropriations. Additionally, the role entails drafting special and technical provisions of dredging specifications and direct portrayal of engineering data on contract plans. It also involves planning, coordinating, and preparing contract specifications for new construction, rehabilitation, and maintenance or extension of civil works facilities. The engineer will attend pre-bid conferences and site inspections as necessary, and recommend measures to accomplish work more efficiently. The position requires meeting with representatives of other government agencies (Federal, State, and local), contacting businesses, and local citizenry concerning matters related to the District's River and Harbor program.

Requirements

• Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
• The duties of this position require the incumbent to possess or obtain and maintain a valid state Driver's License in one of the 50 U.S. states or possessions to operate vehicles.
• The duties of this position require travel up to approximately 5% of the time.
• This position has been designated as performing Project and/or Program Management functions. Program and Project Managers are required to achieve, at minimum, Level 1 CDP internal qualification.
• May be required to serve a one year probationary period, if not already completed.
• US Citizens
• Degree: Bachelor's degree (or higher degree) in engineering. To be acceptable, the program must: (1) lead to a bachelor's degree (or higher degree) in a school of engineering with at least one program accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (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.
• 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.
• Specialized Experience at the GS-09 level: One year of specialized experience which includes: Performing a range of developmental civil engineering duties with increasing independence. Using basic engineering principles to perform routine tasks in support of dredging or navigation projects, such as calculations or data compilation. AND/OR Assisting in the review of project documents to identify basic discrepancies or omissions. AND/OR Gathering data from technical manuals or survey reports for use in engineering analysis under the guidance of a senior engineer. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the two lower grade/level positions of the federal service (GS-07)
• Specialized Experience at the GS-11 level: One year of specialized experience which includes: Applying established engineering methods to resolve conventional problems related to dredging or navigation structures. AND/OR Conducting technical analyses of dredging records, survey maps, or site conditions to support senior engineers. AND/OR Preparing conventional plans, design specifications, or other related documents for navigation projects in accordance with standard procedures. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at two lower grade/level positions of the federal service (GS-09)
• Specialized Experience at the GS-12 level: One year of specialized experience which includes: Analyzing technical issues for dredging operations, dredged material disposal, or dike design by interpreting and adapting engineering guidelines. AND/OR Applying engineering principles to develop or evaluate design alternatives for river, harbor, or coastal navigation projects. AND/OR Assisting in the preparation of plans, specifications, or cost estimates for dredging or other navigation-related contracts. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position of the federal service (GS-11)

Responsibilities

• Carries out tasks required in the management of the District's River and Harbor program including advanced planning and coordination with other offices, agencies and private interests to effect those plans.
• Develops out-year budget estimates, channel and disposal area design, plans and specifications, estimates.
• Studies past survey maps and aerial photographs, makes field studies, analyzes and designs disposal areas, determines cost comparisons of dredging alternatives, computes dredge output and time requirements for dredging related work.
• Heads rate-of-fill studies, reviews dredging records, analyzes disposal needs, and forecasts engineering concerns on district navigation projects for submission in support of the fiscal year civil works appropriations.
• Drafts special and technical provision of dredging specifications and direct portrayal of engineering data on contract plans.
• Plans, coordinates and prepares contract specifications for new construction, rehabilitation, and maintenance or extension of civil works facilities.
• Attends pre-bid conferences and site inspections as necessary, and recommends measures to accomplish work more efficiently.
• Meets with representatives of other government agencies (Federal, State and local), contacting businesses and local citizenry concerning matters related to the District's River and Harbor program.

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.
• Permanent Change of Station (PCS) allowances may be authorized, subject to the provisions of the Joint Travel Regulations and an agency determination that a PCS move is in the Government Interest.
• Relocation or recruitment incentive may be authorized pending management and district approval and interest.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level