Summary Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has Civil Engineer (Construction) positions available in the Central Federal Lands Highway Division (CFLHD) in Lakewood, Colorado; Carson City, Nevada; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Clovis, California or Grand Junction, Colorado. Projects occur primarily on Federal Lands managed by other Federal agencies (e.g., National Park Service & U.S. Forest Service) & include multi-state areas. Responsibilities As a Civil Engineer (Highway) Construction {SEASONAL}, 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 actions. 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 is an engineer with experience serving as a project engineer responsible for ensuring compliance with contract specifications, providing guidance and technical direction, and providing construction operations input. Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. citizen & meet specialized experience to qualify Submit application and resume online by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date Required documents must be submitted by the closing date. Direct Hire Authority will be used to fill this position CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT: SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for the Selective Service. BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: You will be required to complete a background/security investigation and meet preliminary requirements prior to onboarding. BARGAINING UNIT: This is not a Bargaining unit position. PHYSICAL CONDITIONS: The work requires extensive standing, walking, climbing, bending, lifting, and carrying up to 50 pounds. In addition, you will be exposed to varying weather and terrain conditions. DRIVER'S LICENSE: You must have a valid state driver’s license and be fully qualified to operate a government-owned vehicle. PROBATIONARY PERIOD: Applicants may be required to successfully complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed). GOVERNMENT TRAVEL CARD: This position involves travel. A government contractor-issued travel card will be issued and must be retained for official business only. TRAVEL: The position involves a significant amount of travel away from your duty station for extended periods of time. Travel may often be to remote locations. You must be willing to travel for extended periods of time, often to remote locations PCS/RELOCATION/RECRUITMENT: Permanent Change of Station (PCS), Relocation, and Recruitment Incentive authorization varies by position/selection and a service agreement may be required. TELEWORK ELIGIBILITY: This position may be eligible for occasional and/or regularly scheduled telework. The number of telework days approved will be determined by your immediate supervisor or manager following the agency’s telework policy and guidance. If participating in the telework program, you will be required to sign a telework agreement detailing agency telework policy requirements, working conditions, and expectations for the position. Qualifications To determine which grade(s) you may be eligible for, review the following grade specific details. You will be asked a few questions as part of your application but make sure to verify how you meet this experience in your resume, or you may be deemed ineligible. 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 requirements for each grade you are applying to. Please review the following information before proceeding with the application process: Note: Students enrolled in a qualifying degree program can apply if the anticipated graduation date is within six months of the closing date of this announcement. If selected, the final transcript must be received before your start date. Other applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement. To qualify 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 include: Experience as an engineer on highway construction projects overseeing a range of assigned activities such as materials testing, project schedule, 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. To qualify for the GS-11 on Education alone, 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 graduate education and experience. This must be fully supported by your resume and transcripts, provided with your application. To qualify for the GS-12: You must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-11 grade level, which include: 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, maintenance, and recycled or conventional paving; AND Experience in leading the work of staff performing highway construction project/inspection activities; AND Experience in coordinating with partners and project stakeholders in order to resolve issues related to highway construction projects. For additional information, please refer to the OPM qualifications standard for GS-800: All Professional Engineering Positions qualifications at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0800/files/all-professional-engineering-positions-0800.pdf. 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. Transportation Engineering- Knowledge of the concepts, principles, theories, and methods applicable to planning, designing, and constructing of transportation systems including traffic analysis, signal analysis, highway capacity, pavement design, bridge construction, planning of transportation projects, environmental analysis of transportation facilities, and transportation network analysis. Written Communication- Writes in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience. Oral Communication- Makes clear and convincing oral presentations. Listens effectively; clarifies information as needed. 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. For additional information about applying to Federal positions, please click on the following link: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-policies/#url=e4 All applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement. 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 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)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. 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. 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). For additional information, please refer to the OPM qualifications standard for GS-800: All Professional Engineering Positions qualifications at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0800/files/all-professional-engineering-positions-0800.pdf. Additional Information This posting establishes an open-continuous 3-month announcement. The first review of applications will be 15 days from the opening date, then applications will be reviewed as needed. Please Note: This is a seasonal position. Positions are full time during the field construction period and placed in non-pay status during the off season. The construction period typically runs from April through December. Employees may be called back to attend selected classes during the off season for two to three weeks at the official duty station, Lakewood, Colorado. Training is scheduled normally January through March of each year. Physical Conditions: The work requires extensive standing, walking, climbing, bending, lifting, and carrying up to 50 pounds. In addition, you will be exposed to varying weather and terrain conditions. This posting establishes an open-continuous 3-month/90-day announcement. The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Transportation and its Operating Administrations from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to the Department of Transportation by email at, FairChanceAct@dot.gov. To learn more, please visit our page at: The Fair Chance to Compete Act | US Department of Transportation This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if similar vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate. Qualified CTAP/ICTAP candidates receive priority and will be referred to the hiring manager.