Civil Engineer Highway Construction Project Engineer - DH

Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has Civil Engineer (Construction) positions available in the Central Federal Lands Highway Division (CFLHD). Projects occur primarily on Federal Lands managed by other Federal agencies (e.g., National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service) and include multi-state areas.  

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-11 on Experience,  you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-09 it must 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 level graduate education and experience. This must be fully supported by your resume and transcripts, provided with your application. 

To qualify for the GS-12 on Experience,  you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-11 it must 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 and maintenance, and recycled or conventional paving; AND  
• Experience leading the work of staff performing highway construction project/inspection activities; AND 
• Experience coordinating with partners and project stakeholders in order to resolve issues related to highway construction projects.   

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.
•          Communication - Writes in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience. Makes clear and convincing 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/frequently-asked-questions/employment-faq/federal-hiring/how-do-i-apply-for-federal-jobs/

Students enrolled in a qualifying degree program can apply if the anticipated graduation date is within six months of closing date of the announcement. Graduation transcript must be received before start date.

Other applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Responsibilities:

As a Civil Engineer (Highway) Construction Project Engineer, 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.  

Salary : $85,447