As a general engineer you will join a Volpe team comprised of transportation professionals and you will lead or work on various transportation-related projects. You will be given a wide range of tasks and assignments utilizing your engineering and project management skills for the development, evaluation, and operation of transportation systems. This Direct Hire Public Notice will be used to build a list/inventory of applicants that may be referred as vacancies become available.
To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must (1) meet the Education Requirement for the series, (2) provide a copy of transcripts for verification, AND (3) meet either the education or experience qualifications for the grade at which you are requesting consideration. To qualify for the GS-11 on Experience, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-09 it must include: Applying engineering principles, knowledge, and practices to complete assigned project tasks. To qualify for the GS-11 on Education alone, you must have: 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree. You can also qualify based on a combination of higher level graduate education and experience. This must be fully supported by your resume and transcripts, provided with your application. To qualify for the GS-12 on Experience, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-11 it must include: Applying engineering principles, knowledge, and practices to manage project tasks. You cannot qualify on education at the GS-12 level; you must have experience. To qualify for the GS-13, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-12, it must include: Designing, implementing and managing engineering projects or significant tasks of major engineering projects. To qualify for the GS-14, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-13, it must include: Identifying and developing new business opportunities for an organization that provides technical services. Designing, implementing, and managing major engineering projects. 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: Knowledge of the concepts, principles, and theories of engineering and their practical applications. Knowledge of the principles, methods, or tools for developing, scheduling, coordinating, and managing projects and resources, including monitoring and inspecting costs, work, and contractor performance. Ability to understand and interpret written material, including technical material, rules, regulations, instructions, reports, charts, graphs, or tables; applies what is learned from written material to specific situations. Skilled in making clear and convincing oral presentations. Listens effectively; clarifies information as needed. Ability to use imagination to develop new insights into situations and applies new solutions to problems; designs new methods where established methods and procedures are not suitable or are unavailable. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. For additional information about applying to Federal positions, please click on the following link: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-policies/#url=e4 All applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
As a General Engineer, you will: Perform duties involving basic principles of engineering and will work as a member or leader of a project team in one of Volpe’s engineering organizations. Project work varies by division, please visit the following site to learn more about our four technical areas: Communication, Navigation, Surveillance Systems & Engineering - https://www.volpe.dot.gov/our-work/air-traffic-systems-and-operations Infrastructure Systems and Technology - https://www.volpe.dot.gov/our-work/infrastructure-systems-and-technology Policy, Planning, and Environment - https://www.volpe.dot.gov/our-work/policy-planning-and-environment Safety Management and Human Factors - https://www.volpe.dot.gov/our-work/safety-management-and-human-factors. Complexity of duties increases with experience and grade level. Major duties may include: Research, interpretation, design, testing, and analysis of transportation products, infrastructure, vehicles, structures, and systems. Extracting and processing data using a variety of equipment, instruments, computer software/ hardware, laboratory tests, mathematics, elementary algebra and geometry, basic statistics, and standard formulas of engineering-specific disciplines. Applying life-cycle project management skills to develop and manage the operation, scope, schedule, budget, and quality of assigned projects and deliverables. Articulating information through methods such as: fact sheets, technical reports, design documentation, discussions, meetings, and briefings or presentations to the project team as well as internal and external stakeholders including Volpe Center management, sponsor representatives, and representatives of other government agencies/industrial groups. Traveling to field sites for testing or assignments and performing other related duties, as appropriate. Areas of work may involve: connected and automated vehicle research, hardware/software/network architectures for transportation and safety systems, software development for cybersecurity/building policies, aviation or maritime systems engineering, applied mechanics, finite element analysis techniques, energy use reduction, fire safety/code compliance, occupational safety, transportation infrastructure improvements, automobile/rail crash-worthiness tests and simulation, or highway/transportation engineering (design, construction, materials, survey and mapping, and asset management). The ideal candidate for this position holds a degree in professional engineering and has a desire to manage complex transportation-related projects. Preferred engineering fields include: general, civil, mechanical, environmental, computer, software, electronics, electrical, systems, architectural, geomatics, construction/industrial, and engineering management. As a federal partner in advancing U.S. DOT initiatives, the Volpe Center draws on its multimodal, multidisciplinary expertise to support U.S. DOT’s priorities: Safety, Infrastructure, Innovation and Accountability. You must have superb analytical, communications, leadership, and problem-solving skills and be able to excel in a fast-paced environment. Volpe is committed to fostering an all-inclusive diverse workforce where employees feel valued for their unique backgrounds and qualities and have a sense of belonging and engagement in helping to advance transportation for the public good. PLEASE NOTE: This announcement establishes an open continuous (6 months) vacancy announcement. Given our continuing need for top professionals in this field, we will review applications on an as needed basis. Duty locations will vary. The difference in salary is determined by the locality pay in each location. Salaries for all areas are available on the OPM website at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/2024/general-schedule/.