Research General Engineer

Full Job Description

This vacancy is for a GS-0801-13, Research General Engineer located in the Technical Division, USCG Research and Development Center, U.S. Coast Guard, Department of Homeland Security in New London, CT.

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: Professional registration or licensure -- Current registration as an Engineer Intern (EI), Engineer in Training (EIT), 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.

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

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.

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.

AND In addition to the above basic education requirement to qualify at the GS-13 grade level, your resume must demonstrate at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 grade level in the federal or private 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 and recurring basis: Performing research or systems engineering work related to maritime and underwater technologies, including applied research, systems integration, test and evaluation, and technical assessments to inform technology development or operational decision-making.

NOTE: Education cannot be substituted for experience at this grade level.

NOTE: All experience statements (i.e., duties, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire) copied from this announcement and pasted into your resume will not be considered as a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.

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:

As a Research General Engineer in the Technical Division at the Coast Guard Research and Development Center (RDC), you will join a fast-paced, interdisciplinary , and collaborative group of scientists and engineers working under the Defense and Safety Systems research program.

You will participate in the execution of projects as a member, and leader, of teams conducting applied research to support all 11 missions of the Coast Guard.

Successful projects identify transformative technologies and new techniques to improve the mission performance of the Service.

Being a Coast Guard civilian makes you a valuable member of the Coast Guard team.

Typical work assignments include: Leading planning, programming, and management of resources and milestones for multiphase research projects focused on subsea security and port defense.

Applying advanced research methodologies to address complex technical challenges in the detection, tracking, classification, and defeat of subsea threats, including adversarial uncrewed underwater vehicles (C-UUV).

Designing and implementing comprehensive test and evaluation plans for subsea security technologies, including field demonstrations and integration with Coast Guard assets.

Conducting technology assessments and literature reviews to maintain awareness of emerging trends in subsea security, autonomous maritime defense, and related fields.

Collaborating with government, industry, and academic partners to evaluate emerging subsea security and defense technologies.

Providing decision support and recommendations on legal authorities, operating concepts, and technology applicability to Coast Guard leadership.

The focus of this position is to apply the required research, development, test, and analysis methodologies to mature novel concepts and transition tangible results to the fleet.

Specific competencies include Counter Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (C-UUV); subsea security systems; port defense technologies; sensor fusion; test planning; systems engineering and integration.