Research Highway Engineer - DIRECT HIRE

This position is in the Office of Research, Development, and Technology at the Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center in McLean, Virginia. This position serves as a Communications Engineer on the Safety Design and Operations Team specializing in highway engineering research related to wireless technologies for Connected Vehicles and the application of communications to support the safe operation of emerging technologies such as automated vehicles, digital infrastructure, and AI.

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 specialized experience requirements for the grade at which you are requesting consideration.

To qualify for the GS-13 on Experience, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-12 it must include:

• Experience in research and development of emerging technologies which may include the following: radio-frequency (RF) (wireless) technologies and systems to enable the Connected Vehicles, RF spectrum issues related to system capabilities, in-band and out-of-band interference, cybersecurity, and credential management, and the broader range of Federal, state, and local RF spectrum requirements to support the operations of emerging technology being incorporated into the transportation system such as automated vehicles, digital infrastructure, and artificial intelligence.
• Experience providing advice and/or technical assistance to State, local, or Federal practitioners or the private sector on integration and deployment of advanced technologies into standard practice.

You cannot qualify on education at the GS-13 level; you must have experience.

To qualify for the GS-14 on Experience, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-13 it must include:

• Experience in research and development of emerging technologies which may include the following: radio-frequency (RF) (wireless) technologies and systems to enable the Connected Vehicles, RF spectrum issues related to system capabilities, in-band and out-of-band interference, cybersecurity, and credential management, and the broader range of Federal, state, and local RF spectrum requirements to support operations of emerging technology being incorporated into the transportation system such as automated vehicles, digital infrastructure, and artificial intelligence.
• Experience providing advice and technical assistance to State, local, or Federal practitioners or the private sector on integrating advanced technologies into standard practice.
• Experience in program management (i.e. Developing research program plans, objectives, priorities, and/or schedules for accomplishment of program plans) on integrating advanced technologies into standard practice.

You cannot qualify on education at the GS-14 level; you must have experience.

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:

1. Research - Knowledge of the scientific principles, methods, and processes used to conduct a systematic and objective inquiry; including study design, collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; and the reporting of results.
2. Technical Credibility - Understands and appropriately applies principles, procedures, requirements, regulations, and policies related to specialized expertise. 
3. 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.
4. 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.

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/

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

Responsibilities:

As a Research Highway Engineer, you will:

• Execute complex studies (and lead exceptionally difficult research of considerable depth for the GS-14 level) on wireless technologies and systems to advance Connected Vehicle safety and highway operations and implementation of emerging technologies.
• Manage staff research and external contracts focused on solving engineering problems through advanced technological integration.
• Work closely with other FHWA offices (i.e., FHWA Office of Safety, Office of Operations, ITS Joint Program Office, Division Offices, etc.), other DOT Operating Administrations, and State and local highway personnel, where appropriate, to coordinate and obtain input on planned, ongoing, or completed research.
• Serve as Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR), requiring knowledge of the Federal procurement process to prepare procurement request packages, write proposal evaluation reports, monitor contracts, and review deliverables.   

The ideal candidate for this position is a competent and productive researcher (or a recognized research leader at the GS-14 level) capable of conceiving, formulating, and conducting complex research studies in the field of general engineering. This candidate possesses an advanced professional knowledge of general engineering with a specialization in the theories, principles, practices, and techniques of the use of radio-frequency (RF) (wireless) technologies and systems to enable the Connected Vehicles component of the safety and operations research program, RF spectrum issues related to system capabilities, in-band and out-of-band interference, cybersecurity, vulnerability assessment, and credential management, and the broader range of Federal, state, and local RF spectrum requirements to support implementation of advanced technologies into the transportation system.

Salary : $121,785