FUL - Mechanical Engineer

Bureau of Reclamation • Grand Coulee, WA

1d • Onsite

About The Position

This position is in Grand Coulee Power Office of the Bureau of Reclamation, within the Department of the Interior. The incumbent serves as an experienced mechanical engineer, providing mentorship and technical expertise for a variety of complex projects and activities at Grand Coulee Dam, the nation's largest hydropower facility, and the source of water for the Columbia Basin Project, serving irrigation water to more than 670,000 acres in Eastern Washington State.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.
• Direct Deposit participation required.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check.
• As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest will be evaluated.
• You may be required to complete training and obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority.
• You must be at least (1)18 years old or (2) at least 16 years old and: (a) Have graduated from high school or been awarded a certificate equivalent to graduating from high school; or (b) Have completed a formal vocational training program; or (c) Have received a statement from school authorities agreeing with their preference for employment rather than continuing their education; or (d) Be currently enrolled in a secondary school and either work only during school vacation periods or work part-time during the school year under a formal student employment program.
• Certification and/or training to serve as a Federal Acquisition Certification (FAC) Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) or Grants Officer's Technical Representative (GOTR) may be required as articulated in Department and/or Reclamation policies depending on assignment.
• All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-11/11/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.
• All candidates must also meet Time-in-Grade requirements.
• To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST state either "full-time" (or "40 hours a week") or "part-time" with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience.
• Failure to adequately provide information needed to determine number of hours worked in each position may result in that time not being credited when evaluating qualifying experience.
• For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the full and/or part-time hours requirement as the service dates will be reflected.
• Successfully completed a bachelor's or higher degree in Engineering in a school of engineering with at least one program accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).
• OR Successfully completed a bachelor's or higher degree in Engineering that included 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 A 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: 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Specialized Experience Requirement: you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors).
• Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience: Provide support to higher-graded engineers in reviewing inspection data of equipment/systems; knowledge of mechanical engineering concepts; experience developing mechanical engineering designs and plans for mechanical utility systems using computer software.
• You must include hours per week worked.
• OR Education: Successful completion of at least a masters or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years (36 semester hours) of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the work of the position, such as Mechanical Engineering.
• You must include transcripts.
• OR Combination of education and experience.
• To combine education and experience, first take the number of months of full-time experience and divide by 12 months.
• Then, divide your semester hours of graduate education beyond the first year (total graduate semester hours minus 18) by 18.
• Add the two percentages.
• The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify.
• You must include hours per week and transcripts.
• Transcripts: If selected, the selectee will be required to provide official college transcripts to verify educational qualifications.
• An official transcript must be sent directly from the University's Registrar's office and must be provided from the institution awarding the degree.
• Academic transcripts certified by notary publics are NOT official.
• Official transcripts must be submitted prior to reporting to work as a condition of employment.
• Foreign Education: To receive credit for education completed outside the United States, you must show proof that the education has been submitted to a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education has been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education programs.

Nice To Haves

• 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.

Responsibilities

• Investigating generator performance and resolving operational issues associated with inadequate lubrication or excessive vibration.
• Designing modifications to auxiliary pump and piping systems that support hydropower generators with capacities of up to 805 MW, modernizing equipment and facility systems to improve facility reliability.
• Conducting inspections and diagnostic testing during routine maintenance outages to assess equipment condition and continuously improve maintenance processes.
• Performing acceptance testing for new equipment and overseeing maintenance testing before equipment is returned to service following routine outages, resulting in reliable operation throughout the equipment life cycle.
• Serve as project manager and/or contracting officer's representative for smaller projects.
• Represent facility needs in the role of subject matter expert for and product manager for larger and more complex projects managed by a dedicated project manager.
• Duties will be developmental in nature when filled below the full performance level.

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.
• Review our benefits 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.

What This Job Offers

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