Civil Engineer (Highway) (Construction Program Manager) (Direct Hire)

Summary This position is in the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), California Federal-aid Division Office. You will serve as the Construction Program Manager as a member of the Project Delivery Team. You will be responsible for management, oversight, and stewardship of the highway construction program, regional project oversight, and implementation of grant projects and construction initiatives in California. Responsibilities As a Civil Engineer (Highway) (Construction Program Manager), you will: Represent the Division at Senior leadership and staff level meetings with Caltrans, local public agencies, other federal agencies and industry partners. Participate in task forces or other committees to provide engineering expertise, develop policy, and assist in resolving complex Construction Program problems involving program management implementation. Develop, implement, and monitor the Construction Program-related elements of the Stewardship and Oversight Agreement and for Discretionary Grant funded non-state DOT/direct recipient projects. Determine program progress and success in meeting overall agency goals. Recommend improvements and develop improvement action plans as needed. Provide engineering expertise, technical assistance, and recommendations to Division staff on construction project related matters in accordance with the Division's risk-based stewardship and oversight initiatives. Lead and/or participate in program reviews of the Construction Program procedures and processes used by Caltrans to implement Federal-aid projects. This may include researching background information and performing risk assessments. Conduct continuous process improvement guidelines, analyzing the existing process, performing data analysis, mapping processes, writing reports, and involvement in the resolution of findings and recommendations. Share Construction Program related information and coordinate with internal FHWA staff. Provide expertise and advice to Transportation Engineers, Financial Specialists, and other technical specialists in resolving Construction Program related issues that have programmatic implications. Review and approve annual updates to the Caltrans Construction Manual and updates to Office Bulletins. Coordinate FHWA comments on draft updates to the Caltrans Construction Manual and Office Bulletins from FHWA functional and program specialists in related program areas. Approve Caltrans Specifications and Standard Plans. Monitor and analyze Division activities to identify Construction Program trends and recurring issues, report those issues to the Executive Leadership Team, and recommend actions to enhance opportunities and/or mitigate threats The ideal candidate is a mid-career professional who has experience administering Highway Engineering and Construction programs at a national, statewide, or local transportation system level applying construction methods, alternative contracting strategies, and sound engineering principles and techniques in delivering highway and bridge construction projects to manage performance and track the health of the federal-aid program. 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/SME will be used to fill this position. 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. PCS/RELOCATION/RECRUITMENT: Permanent Change of Station (PCS), Relocation, and Recruitment Incentive authorization varies by position/selection and a service agreement may be required. PROBATIONARY PERIOD: Applicants may be required to successfully complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed). 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 the specialized experience requirements. To qualify for the GS-12, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-11, it must include: Experience conducting highway construction engineering reviews and managing related programs; AND Experience providing guidance on strategies, regulations, policies and procedures relating to highway construction programs. To qualify for the GS-13, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-12, it must include: Experience managing or leading highway, transportation and construction programs; AND Experience in applying theories and application of strategies in highway and bridge engineering, construction methods, construction management, alternative contracting methods, traffic control, materials, schedules, contract plans, specifications, cost estimating, change orders, regulations, contract interpretation and conflict resolution, and construction performance reviews and tracking; AND Experience in advocating, providing guidance, and facilitating complex construction problems in areas of highway and transportation engineering and construction management. 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. Contracting/Procurement - Knowledge of various types of contracts, techniques, or requirements (for example, Federal Acquisitions Regulations) for contracting or procurement, and contract negotiation and administration. Partnering - Develops networks and builds alliances; collaborates across boundaries to build strategic relationships and achieve common goals. Project Management - Knowledge of the principles, methods, or tools for developing, scheduling, coordinating, and managing projects and resources, including monitoring and inspecting costs, work, and contractor performance. Oral Communication - Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately. 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. Additional 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