Senior General Engineer (Accident Investigator) (Direct Hire)

Summary

This position is located in the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS). OPS achieves this mission through inspection, investigation, and enforcement activities as well as other oversight and guidance. The Director and the Accident Investigation Division (AID) play an important role in evaluating pipeline, underground natural gas storage, and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) accidents/incidents and sharing lessons learned to improve safety.

Duties

As a Senior General Engineer (Accident Investigator), you will: Lead Pipeline Investigations: Conduct and oversee pipeline accident and failure investigations, serving as the lead investigator when appropriate and coordinating with NTSB, OSHA, and state agencies to ensure thorough investigations and regulatory compliance. Drive Safety Analysis and Operational Improvement: Collect and analyze technical data, identify safety trends, share lessons learned, recommend corrective actions, and support inspection, investigation, and enforcement efforts to improve pipeline safety and field operations. Advance Strategic Initiatives: Identify operational improvements, align activities with PHMSA and OPS goals, and lead special projects through the development of reports, briefings, speeches, and other executive-level communications. Represent OPS and Build Partnerships: Serve as an OPS representative on internal, interagency, intermodal, and international working groups while collaborating with technical experts and stakeholders to advance agency objectives. Lead Public and Government Affairs: Support communications with stakeholders, the public, media, and Congress by promoting OPS programs, responding to emerging issues, and advancing PHMSA's legislative and public outreach strategies This position is perfect for an experienced Engineer who is looking for challenging assignments investigating pipeline facility incidents. As a Senior Accident Investigator you will serve as a Subject Matter Expert administering the pipeline safety program of PHMSA. This position will require you to ensure that the organization operates as an adequate and highly effective link with Headquarters, Regions and state partners while participating with the Director in establishing and executing national policy and initiatives. Requirements

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT: As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance the organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for the Selective Service. GOVERNMENT TRAVEL CARD: This position involves travel. A government contractor-issued travel card will be issued and must be retained for official business only. BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: A background security investigation is required for all selected individuals. Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of the security investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to meet these requirements will be grounds for termination. PROBATIONARY PERIOD: Applicants may be required to successfully complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed). FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE: The Ethics in Government Act of 1978 requires the applicant selected for this position to submit a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450) within 30 days of appointment and annually thereafter. DRUG TEST: This position has been determined to be a critical safety/security position as defined in the Department of Transportation (DOT) Order, DOT 3910.1D entitled "Drug and Alcohol-Free Departmental Workplace." Therefore, if selected for the position you will be required to submit to a pre-employment/pre-appointment drug test, you will also be subject to Random Drug Testing. LOCATION: These positions are part of PHMSA's accident investigation team and require quick access to mobilize for accident investigations across the U.S. To ensure PHMSA can respond quickly, applicants must be located within 50 miles of an international or domestic airport (as ranked by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics). Qualifications

To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must (1) meet the Education Requirement for the series, (2) provide a copy of transcripts for verification, AND (3) meet either the education or experience qualifications for the grade at which you are requesting consideration. To qualify for the GS-14, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-13. Specialized Experience is defined as: Investigating high profile pipeline accidents involving complex failure modes such as metallurgical, operational or organizational while presenting the facts from the investigation in writing in an organized unbiased manner, as well as experience conducting studies on pipeline safety, presenting on reports of pipeline accident issues; expertise or experience working with hazardous liquids, gas transmission, LNG, underground storage or distribution systems and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) centers; experience organizing a major project; experience serving as an subject matter expert (SME) in at least one of the following areas: human factors, SCADA, corrosion, welding, cyber security, accident investigation or metallurgy. Experience in utilizing various engineering and/or scientific concepts, principles, and practices including the design, construct, of gas and liquid pipeline failures and structure; and, Experience analyzing a wide range of pipeline transportation policies in order to resolve problems, draw conclusions, and develop recommendations to improve program operations, program effectiveness, and to meet program objectives; and, Experience utilizing and exploring the principles of risk management and pipeline integrity principles and practices to determine critical environmental safety impacts while leading inspections. Experience leading a team or managing technical personnel. 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: Accident Investigation - Knowledge of guidelines, regulations, and procedures associated with an accident investigation including preservation of accident scene, root cause analysis, and evidence detection and handling. Compliance Inspection - Knowledge of the guidelines, regulations, and procedures associated with compliance inquiries. Technical Competence - Uses knowledge that is acquired through formal training or extensive on-the-job experience to perform one's job; works with, understands, and evaluates technical information related to the job; advises others on technical issues. General Engineering - Knowledge of the concepts, principles, and theories of engineering and their practical applications. Technical Problem Solving - Troubleshoots, diagnoses, analyzes, and identifies system malfunctions to determine the source and cause of the problem. 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/frequently-asked-questions/employment-faq/federal-hiring/how-do-i-apply-for-federal-jobs/ All applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

MANDATORY EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS: 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)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). All applicants must meet the education requirements under A or B to qualify for applying to an engineering position. Transcripts are required for this position. How You Will Be Evaluated

For this announcement, applications will be reviewed to determine if the applicant meets the basic qualifications for this position. The applications of individuals who meet the basic qualifications will be assessed to validate that the applicant possesses the Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) at the level of proficiency needed to perform the job successfully. Applicants who are found to possess the necessary KSAs to perform the job may be referred to the selecting official for further consideration. This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if similar vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate. You may preview questions for this vacancy. Other Information

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, [email protected]. To learn more, please visit our page at: The Fair Chance to Compete Act | US Department of Transportation