Civil Engineer (Highway) - Direct Hire SME

Full Job Description

This position is located in the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) Federal Lands Highway (FLH) Division and supports the Division as a construction project engineer responsible for managing moderately complex construction projects or multiple smaller construction projects.

The projects occur primarily on Federal Lands managed by other Federal agencies such as the National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service and include a multi-state area.

To meet the basic qualifications for this position, you must (1) meet the Mandatory Education Requirement for the series, (2) provide a copy of your transcripts or other applicable documentation for verification, AND (3) meet the specialized experience qualifications for the grade at which you are requesting consideration.

For the GS-11: On Experience, you must have at least one year of specialized experience, equal or equivalent to the GS-09 grade level, which includes: Experience as an engineer on a highway construction project overseeing a range of assigned activities such as materials testing, project schedules, progress estimates, surveys, traffic control, environmental controls, and construction methods; AND Experience coordinating with contractor staff, co-workers, and other stakeholders to resolve day-to-day issues and problems that arise.

Or on Education, 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.

For the GS-12: On Experience, you must have at least one year of specialized experience, equal or equivalent to the GS-11 grade level, which includes: Experience as the project engineer in charge or equivalent responsible for the administration and inspection of Federal, State or local highway construction projects that included major operations such as grading, drainage, bridge construction, retaining wall construction, traffic flow and maintenance and recycled or conventional paving; AND Experience leading the work of staff performing highway construction project / inspection activities; AND Experience coordinating with partners and project stakeholders in order to resolve issues related to highway construction projects.

You cannot qualify on Education alone at the GS-12; you must also have experience.

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: Civil Engineering - Knowledge of the concepts, principles, theories, and methods required to plan, design, construct, operate, and maintain facilities such as buildings, transportation systems, water and sanitary systems, and other public works systems.

Project Management - 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.

Oral Communication - Expresses information (for example, ideas, or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, considering the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately.

Written Communication - Writes in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience.

For all types of consideration, 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. Major Duties:

As a Civil Engineer (Highway), you will: Provide on-site administration of construction contracts. Ensure projects are constructed according to plans and specifications.

Administer projects by providing engineering guidance to the contractor, the client agency, and other project personnel.

Ensure engineering and technical specification requirements are met and work is accomplished according to the contract documents.

Determine the need for and issue directives to the contractor as provided for in the contract and in conformance with Division policies and procedures.

Foresee possible problems and take appropriate action.

Oversee a range of assigned activities such as materials testing, project schedule, progress estimates, surveys, traffic control, environmental controls, and construction methods.

Make recommendations to the project engineer if construction methods and safety measures do not comply with the contract. Determine the acceptability and quality of the day-to-day work.

Document daily activities and ensure project files are kept up-to-date and complete. Identify possible changes needed and obtain field data as needed.

Prepare contract modifications and, as approved by the project engineer, issue directives and contract modifications.

Develop independent government estimates and drafts contract modification documents, including pre-negotiation memorandums and negotiation memorandums. Prepare on-site correspondence.

Carry out the day-to-day project activity and coordinate with contractor staff, co-workers, partner or cooperating agency representatives, State and county officials, local municipalities, property owners, local utilities, and other interested parties, and resolve issues and problems that arise.

Maintain public relations through contacts at the local level.

The ideal candidate for this position is a seasoned mid-career engineer with experience independently and effectively serving as a project engineer in charge of complex Construction projects responsible for ensuring compliance with contract specifications, providing guidance and technical direction to lower-level project staff, and providing construction operations input from preliminary design stages through construction of the project.