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Posted: January 5, 2026 (9 days ago)

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Engineering Technician

Justice, Bureau of Prisons/Federal Prison System

Department of Justice

Recent

Salary

$63,780 - $97,087

per year

Closes

January 12, 2026

GS-4 Pay Grade

Base salary range: $30,286 - $39,372

Typical requirements: 1 year general experience. 2 years college or associate degree.

Note: Actual salary includes locality pay (15-40%+ depending on location).

Job Description

Summary

This job involves supporting engineering tasks in a federal prison, such as creating drawings and plans for building projects, using computer tools to design facilities, and helping with maintenance while ensuring the security of the institution.

It's a good fit for someone with hands-on technical experience in trades or engineering support who is detail-oriented and comfortable working in a secure environment.

The role combines technical skills with correctional duties to help maintain safe prison operations.

Key Requirements

  • One year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade, involving technical work in drafting, surveying, construction estimating, or related fields like electrical/mechanical systems
  • Proficiency in using complex precision instruments, gauges, and methods for measurements and standardization
  • Ability to interpret drawings, plans, and specifications, and develop sketches or computer-aided designs
  • Experience in cost estimating, preparing justifications for costs, and analyzing designs for production
  • Certification by the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (helpful but not required)
  • For GL-09 level: Two years of directly related graduate education or a master’s degree (no education substitution for GS-11)
  • Responsibility for maintaining institution security as a primary duty, performed regularly

Full Job Description

Corrections professionals who foster a humane and secure environment and ensure public safety by preparing individuals for successful reentry into our communities.

To be considered for the position, you must meet the following qualification requirements.

Basic Requirements: Experience: Specialized Experience (for positions at GS-4 or equivalent and above): Examples of qualifying specialized experience include technical work in drafting, surveying construction estimating, physical science, mathematics, aerospace, architecture, chemicals, electrical or mechanical systems, mining, petroleum, or nuclear systems.

Experience in a trade or craft may be credited as specialized experience when the work provided intensive knowledge of engineering principles, techniques, methods, and precedents.

Examples are trade positions with substantial developmental, test, or design responsibilities such as: Planner and estimator who analyzed designs for production purposes.

Instrument maker or model maker who performed design or development work on devices fabricated.

Certification: Engineering technicians may be certified by the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies, an organization sponsored by the National Society of Professional Engineers.

Certification by the Institute will be helpful as a measure of the technician's quality of experience.

In addition to meeting the Basic Requirements above, applicants must have: Education: GL-09: Two full years of graduate education or a master’s degree meets the requirements, only in those instances where it is directly related to the work of the position.

GS-11: There is no substitution of education for specialized experience for this position.

OR Experience: You must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the next lower grade level.

To be creditable, this experience must have equipped the applicant with the particular qualifications to perform successfully the duties of the position and must typically be in or related to the position to be filled.

Some examples of this qualifying experience are: GL-09: Employs a variety of complex precision instruments, gauges, and methods.

Experience that involved work measurement, simplification, and standardization. Interpret drawings, plans, and specifications. Analysis and design of work center facilities and equipment.

GS-11: Experience developing sketches and drawings of new and existing structures, and rough drafts of proposed projects.

Must be proficient in utilizing automated software as it pertains to maintenance management and computer aided design.

Experience in performing cost estimating, preparation of justification for excessive cost and estimating work that is to be performed.

If applicable, credit will be given for paid and unpaid experience. To receive proper credit, you must show the actual time (such as number of hours worked per week) spent in the activities.

**Your eligibility for consideration will be based on your responses to the questions in the application.** Major Duties:

Plots results of all field surveys and prepares them for tracing and reproduction.

Completes plans for proposed projects; such as new structures, building alterations, and shop work to be performed at the local level with institution funds.

Completes computer-aided drawings to be submitted to the regional office for approval and funding.

Furnishes additional instructions as requested by employees and inmates about work steps and assists journeyman mechanics in the interpretation of blueprints when necessary.

Along with all other correctional institution employees, incumbent is charged with responsibility for maintaining security of the institution.

The staff correctional responsibilities precede all others required by this position and are performed on a regular and recurring basis.

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Posted on USAJOBS: 1/5/2026 | Added to FreshGovJobs: 1/6/2026

Source: USAJOBS | ID: SPG-2026-0037