Supervisory Civil/Agricultural Engineer

Natural Resources Conservation Service • Champaign, IL

1d • Onsite

About The Position

This position is located in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), State Office and reports to the State Conservationist. The agency may provide a recruitment or relocation incentive equal to 25% of the employees annual basic pay for each year of a three-year service agreement. This is subject to applicable eligibility requirements and service agreements. Manages available staff resources by preparing long and short-range schedules for staff activities, preparing and monitoring budgets and funding requests, organizing work, and controlling work products. Analyzes engineering work and training needs; and recommends training and placement of engineering personnel. Provides staff leadership in all phases of the civil and/or agriculture engineering programs of NRCS in the assigned state, including formulation of standards, specifications, engineering planning, design and construction. Prepares specifications and guidelines for planning, design, and construction of the structural practices installed under NRCS programs. Develops engineering forms, worksheets, job sheets, charts, and tables for the use of engineers, engineering and conservation technicians, and soil conservationists in applying practices. Develops training plans to ensure personnel are adequately qualified to perform assigned tasks and to ensure personnel are provided the opportunity to develop their skills to optimum level. Establishes technical engineering standards and procedures and associated engineering policies, methods of operation, training field personnel, and for the engineering phases of the work in the state. May include additional assignments in support of supervisory functions.

Requirements

• 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 a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period unless previous federal service is creditable.
• Subject to one year supervisory/managerial probationary period unless prior service is creditable.
• New USDA supervisors must successfully complete all components of the required training program before the end of their probationary period.
• Per Public Law 104-134 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.
• Required to submit Confidential Financial Disclosure Report Form OGE-450 within 30 days of your initial appointment date, and annually thereafter.
• Must maintain a current professional engineering license in the state that the incumbent is currently working.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program as described in 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.
• At least one year of specialized experience, equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through Federal service.
• Analyzes engineering work and training needs.
• Reviews draft of work plans and project measures for adequacy of the engineering aspects.
• Prepares specifications and guidelines for planning, design, and construction of the structural practices of organizational programs.
• Trains field engineers in the use of engineering standards and procedures.
• Selectee is subject to financial Disclosure Requirements in accordance with 5 CFR, Part 2635, Sub part E regarding business or personal transactions with applicants, borrowers, or business contacts who have or who are seeking business with this Agency.
• Selectee must be able to obtain and maintain a security clearance.
• If selected you will be subject to a National Agency Check and Inquiry (NACI) and a credit report.

Nice To Haves

• If selected, you may be sent instructions on obtaining fingerprints. Please note we are unable to reimburse for any fees incurred.
• Time-in-Grade Requirement: If you are a current federal employee in the General Schedule (GS) pay plan and applying for a promotion opportunity, you must meet time-in-grade (TIG) requirements of 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled. You must meet this requirement by the closing date of this announcement.
• If qualifying based on education, you must submit a copy of your college transcript with course number and department (i.e., Bio 101, Math 210, etc.), course title, number of credit hours, and grade earned.
• If a relevant course is not clearly qualifying (e.g., special topic, seminar, research, thesis, obscure or misleading course title, etc.), please submit an official course syllabi and/or detailed course description from the university/college to ensure proper evaluation.
• Foreign Education: You must submit verification that education completed in a foreign institution, was recognized by an accreditation body accepted by the U.S. Department of Education. You must include a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript.
• 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

• Manages available staff resources by preparing long and short-range schedules for staff activities, preparing and monitoring budgets and funding requests, organizing work, and controlling work products.
• Analyzes engineering work and training needs; and recommends training and placement of engineering personnel.
• Provides staff leadership in all phases of the civil and/or agriculture engineering programs of NRCS in the assigned state, including formulation of standards, specifications, engineering planning, design and construction.
• Prepares specifications and guidelines for planning, design, and construction of the structural practices installed under NRCS programs.
• Develops engineering forms, worksheets, job sheets, charts, and tables for the use of engineers, engineering and conservation technicians, and soil conservationists in applying practices.
• Develops training plans to ensure personnel are adequately qualified to perform assigned tasks and to ensure personnel are provided the opportunity to develop their skills to optimum level.
• Establishes technical engineering standards and procedures and associated engineering policies, methods of operation, training field personnel, and for the engineering phases of the work in the state.
• May include additional assignments in support of supervisory functions.

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.
• 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: Manager