Civil Engineer (Cost Estimator)

Full Job Description

Reclamation is seeking a career professional looking for an opportunity to capitalize on their expertise as a Civil Engineer (Cost Estimator).

You can make a difference in the West by assisting in meeting increasing water demands while protecting the environment.

Duty Location: Lakewood, Colorado Applicants must meet BOTH the Basic Education Requirement and the Specialized Experience Requirement: Applicants must first meet the Basic Education Qualification requirement for the series in which they request consideration for, as defined below: Basic Education Requirement To be eligible for consideration, you must first meet the Basic Education Requirement for this position, having a A.

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.

Or B.

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.

Or 2.

Written Test -- Evidence of having successfully passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) 2examination 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.

Or 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. Or 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.) Please submit both undergraduate and graduate level transcripts, as applicable, to meet Basic Education qualification requirements.

Additional Specialized Experience Requirement: In order to be rated as qualified for this position, the HR Office must be able to determine that you meet the specialized experience requirement - this information must be clearly supported in the resume.

To qualify at the GS-14 grade level, you must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to at least the GS-13 level in federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors) that demonstrates the following knowledge, skills, and abilities: Specialized experience is defined as cost-estimating expertise, mentorship, and quality assurance to address increased workload in construction project cost estimation and to support succession planning within the Cost Estimating Services Group at the Technical Service Center (TSC).

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.

You must meet all Eligibility and Qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors if applicable, by 04/03/2026. Major Duties:

To provide specialized cost estimating expertise, mentorship, and quality assurance to address the increased workload in construction project cost estimation and support succession planning within the Technical Service Center (TSC).

Estimate Development: Produce and finalize feasibility-level construction estimates for ongoing projects, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and compliance with Reclamation directives, standards, policies, and methodologies.

Peer Review: Serve as a peer reviewer of estimates prepared by others in the Estimating Services Group; verify compliance with Reclamation and industry standards; provide constructive feedback to improve quality, reliability, and auditability.

IGCE Preparation: Lead development of IGCEs to support procurement and contract award of mission-critical projects, coordinating with Project Managers, Contracting Officers, and Technical Leads.

Methodology & Governance: Maintain continuity in estimating processes, tools, and templates during periods of increased workload; champion best practices and internal controls.

Mentoring & Training: Train and mentor entry-level and journeyman Cost Estimators in estimating techniques, tools, data sources, risk/contingency analysis, and documentation standards.

Subject-Matter Expertise: Provide authoritative guidance on complex or unique estimating challenges (e.g., heavy civil, dams, canals, hydropower facilities, pipelines).

Stakeholder Coordination: Collaborate with engineering, scheduling, procurement, and finance to align scope, quantities, schedules, market data, and risk assumptions.

Quality & Documentation: Develop thorough basis-of-estimate (BOE) narratives; maintain traceable estimate files; support audits, reviews, and leadership briefings.