Summary This position is located in the Architect of the Capitol, Office of the Chief Engineer, Project Management Division, Construction Management Branch. The selectee will work on highly visible projects that involve great historical significance and require the use of specialized construction methods to accomplish. Responsibilities This position is temporary in nature and is not to exceed 2 years. This is strictly a temporary appointment where there is no permanent need or permanent funding available for the work involved. This position is subject to the project needs of the Agency. Therefore, the appointment could be terminated at any time due to shortage of work or shortage of funds without any advance notice. If project work continues however, it could be extended beyond the 2-year time frame at the sole discretion of the Agency. As a non-permanent employee, you may also be separated for failure to meet management’s expectations, with no advance notice. The selected individual will perform the following responsibilities: - Serves as a Contracting Officer's Technical Representative with responsibilities for providing construction oversight on multi million-dollar new construction, renovation and rehabilitation projects. - Performs constructability reviews and collaborates with consultants, architects, engineers and estimators in advance of demolition, renovation and construction projects. - Directs construction teams composed of in-house and/or external construction teams. Provides technical guidance and advice to specialists, lower-grade employees and contract construction management support staff in the performance of their assignments. Provides clarification as needed to resolve technical difficulties as they arise to achieve the expected outcome. - Monitors AOC staff and contractors’ safety protocols and fully enforces all applicable safety standards and regulations. Must follow all relevant safety rules, regulations and standard operating procedures. Must utilize knowledge of and must comply with all OSHA safety rules and regulations to ensure that work progresses in a safe manner. Attends safety training as required to be knowledgeable of applicable safety standards and regulations to effectively monitor and identify unsafe work practices on assigned contracts. Must ensure the use of any required Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). - Coordinates access requests with Jurisdictions and U.S. Capitol Police and ancillary construction activities performed by other contractors or in-house staff. - Schedules meetings to identify action items, milestones, reasonableness of construction schedule and phasing requirements. - Works with Project Managers, Jurisdiction representatives, consultants and in-house resources to determine risks and makes recommendations to mitigate risks through review of construction documents, changes in scope of work and proactive oversight utilizing risk mitigation planning processes. - Works with engineers and architects, consultants and AOC staff to resolve conflicts and concerns as they arise. Evaluates estimates for financial and time impacts to the projects and advises on the degree of effect on schedule and budget. Prepares and or assists in the preparation and presentation of project reports to keep Jurisdictions and stakeholders informed on project status. - Provides advice to Jurisdiction representatives, in-house staff, engineers, architects and consultants on practicability of design, materials to be used and means and methods to accomplish work based on historical knowledge and construction experience. Recommends design changes to improve efficiencies, reduce changes to the contract and to enhance operations. Informs Project Managers regarding worksite access and staging space necessary to efficiently execute contract work. - Monitors and inspects contractor performance to ensure that the entire scope of the contract is performed and all quality requirements specified are in strict compliance. Monitors contract compliance against contractor’s submitted Quality Control management plan. Develops effective quality assurance and surveillance plans to proactively identify and correct any deficiencies in work and materials. - Ensures that contract construction managers, consultants and in-house support personnel maintain effective construction surveillance utilizing project controls and protocols. - Recommends acceptance or rejection of construction activities, phases of work and overall project completion. - Analyzes and defines requirements using technical knowledge of engineering concepts, methods and procedures to coordinate with other projects and activities to integrate standards and precedents. Takes part in the development of requirements, integrating applicable industry best practices and lessons learned for inclusion in contract documents. - Contributes to the development of construction specifications by reviewing draft contract documents for practicability, accuracy, risk management and completeness. Assists in preparing documents for bid and award process. - Monitors projects’ financial outlook to identify potential funding shortages or overruns that may affect contract actions. Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be able to pass a drug test. Your resume and question responses must demonstrate the job-related KSAs. You must meet the definition of specialized experience. The tour of duty will be decided at selection. Tour of duty may change due to the operational needs of Management. To be employed by the Architect of the Capitol in a paid position, an individual must meet one of the categories below: A citizen of the United States; A person who is lawfully admitted for permanent residence and is seeking citizenship as outlined in 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)(B); A person who is admitted as a refugee under 8 U.S.C. 1157 or is granted asylum under 8 U.S.C. 1158 and has filed a declaration of intention to become a lawful permanent resident and then a citizen when eligible; A person who owes allegiance to the United States (nationals of American Samoa, Swains Island, and the Northern Mariana Islands, and nationals who meet other requirements described in 8 U.S.C. 1408); or A person who is currently an officer or employee of the Government of the United States. Qualifications You must meet the United States Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) qualification requirements (including specialized experience and/or educational requirements) for the advertised position. You must meet all eligibility and qualifications requirements by the closing date of the job announcement. Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualifications Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions. It is available for your review on the OPM web site at OPM qualification standards Specialized experience: is experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level. Candidates for the GS-13 grade level must have at least 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower (GS-12) grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as the following: Experience in repairs, replacement, restoration and protection of historical stone. Overseeing and monitoring new construction, renovations, infrastructure improvements and building upgrade contracts. Serving as Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (COTR) or equivalent on assigned construction and consultant contracts. Working with project managers, jurisdictions, consultants and in-house resources to determine risks and making recommendations through changes in scope of work, construction documents and proactive oversight utilizing risk mitigation planning and/or removal of these risks. Recommending improvements in design and efficiencies, reducing changes to the contract and enhancing operations. Education No education substitution. Additional Information Welcome Veterans. The Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) gives veterans' preference rights in the legislative branch to certain veterans as applied by the Congressional Accountability Act. Veterans' preference is applied on this vacancy announcement. If you are a veteran and have been separated under honorable conditions, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 or other proof of eligibility; SF-15, if applicable; and Department of Veterans Affairs documentation of disability, if applicable. For more information, please visit OPM vet guide If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System. If you are exempt from registration under Selective Service Law, you must provide appropriate proof of exemption. Please visit the Selective Service System website for more information. DRUG TESTING: The Architect of the Capitol (AOC) is a Drug Free Workplace. As part of the AOC’s suitability assessment, a candidate tentatively selected for a position who is not currently an AOC employee is required to submit to screening for illegal drug use. Satisfactory completion of a drug test is a condition of employment with the Agency. A candidate must test negative prior to being eligible for appointment into a position. We will schedule, provide, and cover the cost for the drug test. The selectee(s) under the vacancy announcement for this position is subject to a criminal record check by the U.S. Capitol Police and satisfactory adjudication to be eligible for employment at the Architect of the Capitol. The Architect of the Capitol is an E-VERIFY Participant. E-VERIFY is an Internet-based system that compares information from an employee's Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to data from U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Social Security Administration records to confirm employment authorization in the United States. If you are selected for this position, the documentation that you present for purposes of completing the DHS Form I-9 will be verified through the DHS "E-VERIFY" electronic system. For more information on E-Verify, please visit http://www.dhs.gov/files/programs/gc_1185221678150.shtm The Architect of the Capitol is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, genetic information, sexual orientation and/or disability. This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be on a case-by-case basis. Moving expenses are not authorized. Relocation expenses are not authorized. Probationary Period- A newly appointed selectee(s) is subject to the completion of a one-year trial/probationary period, regardless of whether or not a trial/probationary period has been completed previously with the Architect of the Capitol or another Federal agency. This vacancy announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies in any of the jurisdictions of the Architect of the Capitol. All application materials become the property of the Architect of the Capitol. Note: Please be advised that federal retired annuitant candidates may only be considered as a temporary employee if the role can be filled in that capacity.