Mechanical Engineer
U.S. Coast Guard
Posted: January 16, 2026 (1 day ago)
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U.S. Coast Guard
Department of Homeland Security
Location
Honolulu, Hawaii
Salary
$93,445 - $121,482
per year
Type
Full Time
More Engineering jobs →Closes
Base salary range: $74,441 - $96,770
Typical requirements: 1 year specialized experience at GS-11. Advanced degree + significant experience.
Note: Actual salary includes locality pay (15-40%+ depending on location).
This job is for a mechanical engineer working with the U.S. Coast Guard in Honolulu, Hawaii, where you'll design, maintain, and improve mechanical systems for maritime operations.
It involves applying engineering principles to ensure equipment reliability in a government setting.
A good fit would be someone with a solid engineering education, practical experience, and a passion for technical problem-solving in a coastal environment.
This vacancy is for a GS - 0830 - 12, Mechanical Engineer located in the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Coast Guard, CEU HONOLULU in HONOLULU, Hawaii.
Basic Requirements: This position has a positive Education Requirement in addition to at least one year of Specialized Experience or substitution of education for experience or combination (if applicable) in order to be found minimally qualified.
Transcripts must be submitted with your application package. You MUST meet the following requirements: EDUCATION: 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.
2.
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.
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. 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.) Note: An applicant who meets the basic requirements as specified in A or B above, except as noted under B.1., may qualify for positions in any branch of engineering unless selective factors indicate otherwise.
AND To qualify at the GS-12 grade level, your resume must demonstrate at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 grade level in the federal sector.
Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the ability, skill, and knowledge to successfully perform the duties of this position and is typically in or related to this line of work.
Examples of specialized experience include performing the following types of tasks on a regular basis.
Planning and executing a variety of logistical responsibilities and solving logistical problems, planning reviews, and cost estimates.
Knowledge of mechanical engineering concepts, principles and practices. Ability to use computerized drafting, word processing, global information system, spreadsheets, and other design programs.
Knowledge of cold weather engineering principles. Knowledge of funding processes, procedures, construction and service contract funding limits.
Preparing cost estimates and constructability assessments. Guiding and evaluating contractor efforts and assess technical and project progress.
NOTE: All experience statements (i.e., duties, specialized experience, or related applicable assessment) copied from this announcement and pasted into your resume will not be considered as a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.
NOTE: Education cannot be substituted for experience at this grade level.
National Service Experience (i.e., volunteer experience): 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:
You will serve as a Mechanical Engineer/Project Manager and be responsible for a multi-disciplinary architectural and engineering team, providing contractual support, logistics planning and handling of logistics problems.
Evaluates contractor efforts and assess technical progress in relation to the established scheduled and resources allotted.
Participates in scheduled design reviews and conferences to ensure methods, plans, and specifications are clearly defined and provide guidance to improve the design.
Being a Coast Guard civilian makes you a valuable member of the Coast Guard team.
Typical work assignments include: Serving as a Construction Technical Representative, providing authoritative technical advice and guidance to the contractor performing work required by the contract.
Planning specific objectives, milestones, and phases for complex projects, and makes needed innovations and modifications.
Conceiving, analyzing, designing, planning, and executing large and/or complex designs for diverse range of engineering projects.
Evaluating design objectives, performing complex technical calculations, and identifying the most economical and efficient procedures for project design and performance considering all influence.
Preparing drawings, specifications and cost estimates including computer aided drawing for both design and drafting.
Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application.
Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments.
Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis.
If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision.
You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement.
To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. Reasonable Accommodation Information
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