General Engineer - Recent Graduate

Summary

The Recent Graduates Program is a dynamic, one-year developmental program that promotes careers in the Federal Government to recent graduates. Participants in the Program receive training and professional development, complete an Individual Development Plan (IDP), and are assigned a mentor. Recent Graduates who successfully complete Program requirements may be eligible for non-competitive conversion to a term or permanent position in the civil service.

Duties

This position offers varying full performance levels (e.g., GS-11, GS-12, or GS-13 equivalent) depending on the specific needs of the selecting Program Office. Further details regarding specific grade levels and responsibilities will be discussed during the interview process. As a General Engineer, you will: Plan, prioritize, and execute engineering projects and initiatives, managing their sequence, direction, progress, and overall implementation. Research and analyze engineering data and conditions to address technical uncertainties and determine practical, cost-effective solutions. Evaluate and resolve engineering problems, develop sound recommendations for improving programs or methods, and implement actions to resolve unique technical conflicts and policy issues. Evaluate program needs to prepare essential project management and technical documentation, including budgets and technical specifications. Prepare and deliver comprehensive technical reports and presentations to senior leadership. Please note there may be many vacancies that may be filled in any of the listed locations. This is NOT a remote position. You will have to report to the duty station you are selected for. Please make sure you select the top 2 locations you are willing to report to and/or relocate to. What constitutes a valid certificate program: The Pathways Programs regulation (see 5 CFR 362.102) defines certificate program as post-secondary education at either: A qualifying educational institution (trade or vocational school, 2-year or 4-year college or university, or graduate or professional school) equivalent to at least one academic year of full-time study that is part of an accredited college-level, technical, trade, vocational, or business school curriculum.; OR A qualifying career or technical education program of at least one year that awards a recognized postsecondary credential. What types of programs would meet the eligibility criteria for a qualifying career or technical education program? Three types of programs meet these criteria: Federally administered educational programs that provide rigorous academic content, technical skill proficiency, and a recognized postsecondary credential to prepare the individual for further education and/or a career in a current or emerging profession.; Registered Apprenticeship Programs; and Federally administered local, state, national, or international volunteer service programs. What is a Federally administered career or technical education program? A Federally administered career or technical education program is subject to programmatic oversight by a federal agency that includes: The nature and scope of work to be performed by participants, The type(s) and scope of training to be provided to participants, The types of skills participants will acquire or develop during the program (e.g., teaching, environmental, business, scientific, public health/health care, languages), The level and extent of mentoring participants will receive, and The metrics for successful completion of the program. Programmatic oversight may be reflected in partnership or cooperative agreements. Qualifications

Please note this series does have Basic Education Requirements that MUST be met. This is listed in the Education portion of the vacancy announcement. You must meet the eligibility and qualifications within 2 months of the closing date of this announcement. To be eligible for the Pathways Recent Graduate program you must be a: Recent graduate who has completed, within the previous two years, a qualifying associates, bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational, technical degree, or certificate from a qualifying educational institution or completed a qualifying career or technical education program that awards a recognized postsecondary credential (such as a Registered Apprenticeship Program or Job Corps). -OR- Student who within 2 months of the closing date of this announcement will meet the education requirements and will graduate with a qualifying associates, bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational, technical degree, or certificate from a qualifying educational institution or completed a qualifying career or technical education program. A student may not be appointed to a position until they have graduated. -OR- Preference eligible veterans who have been precluded from applying due to their military service obligation begin their two-year eligibility period upon release or discharge from active duty. Eligibility for these veterans cannot exceed six years after degree or certificate completion. You MUST submit a copy of the DD214 showing the duration and dates of service that precluded you from applying due to the military service obligation. For the GS-07: You must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-05 grade level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience for this position at the GS-7 includes: Assisting in project execution using basic engineering principles.; AND Documenting engineering findings. OR YOU MAY QUALIFY FOR THE GS-7 BASED ON EDUCATION: 1 year of graduate-level education. Graduate education must provide the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform in the position. Please see the information under Education. OR YOU MAY QUALIFY FOR THE GS-7 BASED ON SUPERIOR ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT: Bachelor's degree with superior academic achievement is defined as:(1) Class standing -- You must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision based on completed courses, (2) Grade-point average (G.P.A.) -- You must have 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum OR 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum, or(3) Election to membership in a national scholastic honor society -- You are a member of one of the national scholastic honor societies recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies (https://www.achshonor.org/). The Bachelor degree must still show the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform in this position. OR YOU MAY QUALIFY FOR THE GS-7 BASED ON A COMBINATION OF EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE: You may qualify on a combination of education and experience, the total percentage of experience at the required grade level compared to the specialized experience requirement, as well as the percentage of completed education compared to the educational requirement must equal at least 100 percent. For the GS-09: You must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience for this position at the GS-9 includes: Conducting engineering research and analysis to interpret technical data for project support.; AND Drafting concise technical reports and engineering communications for varied audiences. OR YOU MAY QUALIFY FOR THE GS-9 BASED ON EDUCATION: 2 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree. Graduate education must provide the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform in the position. Please see the information under Education. OR YOU MAY QUALIFY FOR THE GS-9 BASED ON COMBINATION: You may qualify on a combination of education and experience, the total percentage of experience at the required grade level compared to the specialized experience requirement, as well as the percentage of completed education compared to the educational requirement must equal at least 100 percent. Only graduate level education in excess of the first 18 semester hours (27 quarter hours) may be combined to be considered for qualifying education.

Education

You must meet the following Basic Education Requirement listed below in order to qualify for the 0801 series: 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)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. 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.) You must meet the following Basic Education Requirement listed below in order to qualify for the 1301 series: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a Bachelor's degree or higher in physical science, engineering, or mathematics that included 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science such as mechanics, dynamics, properties of materials, and electronics.; OR Combination of education and experience -- education equivalent to one of the majors shown above that included at least 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science, plus appropriate experience or additional education. FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. You must show proof the education credentials have been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in a conventional U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education and a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, see the Department of Education website. If you are qualifying on foreign education, you MUST submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. Refer to OPM Instructions. How You Will Be Evaluated

After the application period closes, your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials, responses to the application questionnaire, and any required assessments. Misrepresenting qualifications, cheating, or using AI tools to draft, edit, or generate assessment responses may result in removal from consideration. All assessment responses must be completed solely by the applicant. If you are minimally qualified for this job, you will be placed into one of two pre-defined quality categories. These categories are "Highly Qualified" and "Qualified". Your application will be assessed based on your responses to an online assessment (USA Hire) that measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.Applicants with a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act may request a reasonable accommodation (RA) for the USA Hire Assessments through the online application. RA requests and supporting documentation must be submitted before starting the assessments. Requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Eligible applicants will receive assessment instructions after their request is adjudicated. If the assessment link is issued after the announcement closes, all assessments must be completed within 48 hours. For more information, Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. (https://appsupport-usastaffing.opm.gov/hc/en-us/sections/45063131363475-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information) Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics): Attention to Detail Decision Making Flexibility Influencing/Negotiating Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Reading Comprehension Reasoning Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork Application of Veterans' Preference: If you are a preference eligible candidate, you will be listed at the top of whichever quality category your rating places you in. CP/CPS veterans are placed at the top of the highest category for all positions except professional and scientific positions at GS-9 and higher. To preview the Assessment Questionnaire, click here https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13107065 Online Assessments Applicants must complete the USA Hire Assessments, which measure key competencies required for the position. Applicants who do not complete the assessment will not be considered. Pathways Eligibility/Transcript Review HR Specialists will review transcripts or a certificate of completion to determine eligibility for the Pathways Recent Graduates Program and verify any education used to qualify for the position. Applicants who meet eligibility and qualification requirements will advance to the next phase. Resume Review HR Specialists will review your resume to assess qualifications based on the required specialized experience. Only information included in the resume will be considered and any additional materials such as cover letters or embedded links will not be reviewed. Applicants who pass the resume review will advance to the next phase. Other Information

The U.S. Department of Energy fosters a diverse and inclusive workplace and is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional similar vacancies across DOE. For general information on government-wide Telework polices visit: www.opm.gov/telework/ EEO Policy: www.energy.gov/justice/eeo-complaint-process Reasonable Accommodation Policy: www.energy.gov/hc/department-energy-reasonable-accommodation-program Veterans Information: https://help.usajobs.gov/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/veterans Selective Service Registration: http://www.sss.gov/ Relocation expenses/incentives may be available. Recruitment incentives may be available. Student Loan Repayment may be available. Advance in Hire (Superior Qualifications) may be available. Creditable Service may be available. Positions may be covered by a bargaining unit. Bargaining unit will vary by departmental element, grade, and/or location. This position is Non Exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Salary will be determined based on the duty location after selection. Management has the prerogative to select at any grade level. The Fair Chance Act prohibits specific inquiries concerning an applicant's criminal or credit background unless the hiring agency has made a conditional offer of employment to the applicant. An applicant may submit a complaint to the agency within 30 calendar days of the date of alleged noncompliance by completing the Fair Chance Act Intake Form and submitting it to the Administrative Investigations Program at [email protected]. CONVERSION REQUIREMENTS: DOE has the option to non-competitively convert a Recent Graduate to a permanent or term position upon successful completion of program requirements. This is not automatic, nor guaranteed. Conversion is at the discretion of the hiring manager and employing office. To be eligible to be converted to a permanent or term position you must: Be a US Citizen or National. Be recommended for conversion by your manager or supervisor. Complete all training and development requirements within the 1-year appointment period. Successful completion of 1 year of continuous service. Demonstrate successful job performance of at least a "Fully Successful" or equivalent on performance appraisal. Meet the Office of Personnel Management's qualification standards for the position to which the Recent Graduate will be converted (which may include a positive education requirement). all-professional-engineering-positions-0800.pdf. A Recent Graduate may be converted to the highest General Schedule (GS) grade level qualified for at time of conversion. Recent Graduates converted to a term position in the competitive service may subsequently be non-competitively converted to a career or career-conditional appointment without further competition. WHERE CAN I FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE PATHWAYS PROGRAM? For additional information regarding the Pathways Program, please refer to the following website: USAJOBS Help Center | Students & recent graduates