General Engineer

Summary

DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled through the office of Personnel Management's (OPM) Government-Wide Direct-Hire Authority for this occupation and is open to all U.S. Citizens. Since the Direct-Hire Recruitment Authority is being used, traditional Veterans' Preference rules do not apply. Qualified Veterans will, however, be given full consideration for this position.

This job is open to

• The public
  
  U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Clarification from the agency

All U.S. Citizens

Duties

This position is located within the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), Office of Offshore Regulatory Programs (OORP), Systems Reliability Section (SRS) in various locations.

At the full performance level (GS-13) the major duties of this position include but are not limited to the following:

1. Serves as team leader for the SRS/QC-FIT technical evaluations. SRS/QC-FIT technical evaluations are comprised of a multi-disciplinary team engaged in a wide variety of complex and innovative work assignments necessary to: (a) identify failures, trends and QA/QC issues with critical equipment and/or systems; (b) identify gaps in standards or regulations or the need for new standards and/or regulations; (c) identify research issues to address QA/QC issues of equipment and/or systems impacting the safety of offshore energy operations; (d) develop project outlines; (e) evaluate alternative research methodologies; (f) distribute research findings, recommendations, QC-FIT technical evaluation findings and recommendations and incorporate into new policies, regulations, guidelines, and operational directives as warranted.
2. Performs activities relating to QC-FIT technical evaluations, which include reviewing and/or conducting: personnel interviews; data collection; accident and incident investigations (including Panel investigations and District Form 2010 investigations); Offshore Incident Reports (OIR); near-miss reporting data; Safety Alerts; risk-based inspections, risk assessments, INCs or Civil Penalties; safety management audit reports, SEMS reporting; root cause analysis (RCA) reports; material trace records; equipment design specifications; equipment and human performance reliability reports; training reports; material specifications; vendor compliance reports; compliance trend analyses; relevant industry standards (ASME, API, ISO, NACE, ASTM, NORSOK, etc.), equipment testing and validation reports, certified verification agent (CVA) reports; and/or deep water operation plans (DWOP).
3. Provides engineering and technical support to BSEE's Risk Assessment Branch; identifies appropriate studies for BSEE funding; and reviews and comments on abstracts, drafts, and final papers.
4. Reviews and aids in the regulation's development process. Participates in standard development organization (SDO) meetings and provides expert analysis and recommendations of domestic and international standards for use as part of BSEE's regulatory program to management. Maintains a strong working knowledge of BSEE regulations. Participates in industry standards committee meetings addressing BSEE's concerns pertaining to, but not limited to high-pressure high temperature (HPHT), equipment repair/refurbishment, QA/QC, arctic conditions, testing, verification and validation, corrosion, materials, equipment manufacture processes, drilling, production, workover, structures, and subsea.
5. Participates in meetings, conferences between staff personnel and representatives from industry, standards organizations, test laboratories, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), and vendors, on matters relating to offshore oil and gas operation, incidents/accidents/QC-FIT technical evaluations of QA/QC issues, risk-based inspections, offshore safety inspections on OCS, with guidance from supervisor makes decisions on questions and/or problems which have no established policy or precedent.
6. Represents BSEE with outside industry, operators, OEMs, organizations (domestic and global), addressing QC-FIT identified QA/QC issues and concerns and/or QC-FIT Technology Assessment Program (TAP) activities. This includes the development and joint funding of applied technology research projects with oil and gas companies, trade organizations, contractors, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), academia, international research organizations, international regulatory agencies, and similar organizations.
7. Periodically conducts formal briefings for senior OORP officials including the SRS Chief, senior BSEE headquarters, and regional officials pertaining to SRS/QC-FIT technical evaluation findings, recommendations, and QA/QC concerns pertaining to the state-of-the-art technologies utilized for offshore energy operations on the OCS. Designs and develops briefing materials such as reports, memos, and PowerPoint slides for use by senior BSEE officials in formal presentations at industry conferences, congressional appearances, and a wide variety of international and domestic public appearances and private sessions.

Salary Range Information:

GS-13:

Houston, TX: $119,502-$155,357 (SRT 0716)

Jefferson, LA: $103,409-$134,435

Sterling, VA: $117,962-$153,354

Camarillo, CA: $120,246-$156,323

First time hires to the federal government typically start at the beginning salary in the range for their respective grade level.

This vacancy may be used to fill additional positions as vacancies become available.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

1. You must be a U.S. Citizen.
2. You will be subject to a background/suitability investigation/determination.
3. You will be required to have federal payments made by Direct Deposit.
4. You must submit ALL required documents and a completed questionnaire.
5. Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service system, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See http://www.sss.gov/.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, you must meet the (1) Basic Educational Requirements AND (2) Specialized Experience for the series/grade to which you are applying.

(1) Basic Educational Requirements: 0801-General Engineer

You must meet the description in either A or B below to qualify for this position:

A. Degree: professional engineering. To be acceptable, the curriculum must: (1) be in a school of engineering with at least one curriculum accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) as a professional engineering curriculum; 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 professional 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 listed in the link below:

https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0800/files/all-professional-engineering-positions-0800.pdf

(2) Specialized Experience

To qualify for the GS-13, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through Federal service. Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience: (MUST MEET ALL)

1. Conducting Causal Failure Analysis (RCFA) or Causal Analysis (RCA) studies using tools such as 5-Whys, TapRooT, Fish Bone diagrams, and Bow-Tie diagrams, etc.. or Fault Tree Analysis;
2. Conducting Failure Modes and Effects Criticality Analysis (FMECA) or Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) studies;
3. Conducting failure analysis involving at least two or more of the following equipment damage mechanisms, Overload, Fatigue, Corrosion, Erosion, Hydrogen Embrittlement, and Brittle Fracture;
4. Reviewing or designing equipment involving Material Science, Metallurgy, Manufacturing or Finite Element Analysis, for the Oil & Gas, Chemical, Renewables, Aerospace, or Automotive industries; and,
5. Leading, facilitating, or participating in Process Hazards Analysis (PHA) studies, or Hazard and Operability Analysis (HAZOP) studies, or What-If studies.

Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualification Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions and is available at OPM's website: https://www.opm.gov/qualifications/standards/indexes/num-ndx.asp

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

Education: If this position requires specific educational course work to qualify, or you are qualifying based in whole or part on education, you are required to provide transcripts as proof of meeting the requirements.

Foreign Education: Education completed in colleges or universities outside the United States may be used to meet the specific educational requirements as stated above. You must provide acceptable documentation that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. For more information on how foreign education is evaluated, visit: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-policies/#url=e4

Additional information

Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position.

Identification of promotion potential in this announcement does not constitute a commitment or an obligation on the part of management to promote the employee selected at some future date. Promotion will depend upon administrative approval and the continuing need for and performance of higher-level duties.

The application contains information subject to the Privacy Act (P.L. 93-579, 5 USC 552a). The information is used to determine qualifications for employment, and is authorized under Title 5, USC, Section 3302 and 3361.

Notice of Financial Disclosure Report Requirement: The position to which you will be appointed is subject to a financial disclosure reporting requirement and you will be required to complete a new entrant Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450) within 30 days of your appointment.

Important Note: All Department of the Interior (DOI) employees are subject to the conflict of interest restrictions imposed upon all employees of the Executive Branch of the Federal Government and may be required to file a Financial Disclosure Report. In addition, DOI employees, GS-15 and above, who work in the Office of the Secretary; along with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) employees (at ALL grade levels), are further restricted concerning their interests in Federal lands and resources administered or controlled by the Department of the Interior. This includes holding stock in energy corporations which lease Federal lands (e.g.: oil, gas, coal, alternative energy resources, etc.). If you have any such investments you should contact the DOI, BOEM or BSEE Ethics Office before accepting employment. DOI employees are held to the highest level of integrity. Employees must be objective and impartial in the performance of their work. All potential issues (e.g.: work-related interactions with friends, family members, or previous employers) must be disclosed at the time of application or during the interview process.

NOTICE: This employer participates in E-Verify and will utilize your Form I-9 information to confirm you are authorized to work in the U.S.

• Benefits
  
  A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
  
  Review our benefits
  
  Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

For this announcement, all applicants will be reviewed to determine if they meet the basic qualifications for this position, specifically the educational and specialized experience requirements. Applicants will not be rated or ranked. All applications that are verified to meet the basic qualifications will be referred to the selecting official. All answers provided in the on-line process must be substantiated by a resume. If, upon review, it is determined that your resume and/or supporting documents do not support your answer choices, your application may be removed from consideration.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas:

If you are a status applicant (current career or career-conditional Federal employee or former permanent Federal employee with reinstatement eligibility in the competitive service), or are eligible under a special appointing authority and you are selected under this vacancy, you may be subject to serving a new one-year probationary period.

To preview the assessment questionnaire click: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12530665

• Benefits
  
  A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
  
  Review our benefits
  
  Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
• Required Documents
  
  As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.
  
  Your resume must contain information sufficient to make a valid determination that you fully meet the specialized experience requirements as stated in this vacancy announcement and OPM qualification standards for each grade level(s) for which you are applying. It is strongly recommended that you use the USAJobs Resume Builder as it was designed to ensure that your resume includes the standard information needed. The Resume Builder is available at https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/account/documents/resume/build/
  
  To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes:
  
  1. Your resume showing work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment and duties performed.
  
  2. Other supporting documents (if applicable):
  
  • College transcript for verification of qualifying education. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable
  • Certificates, license, etc.
  
  You will find additional information on the following topics: (1) e-Verify; (2) Selective Service; (3) CTAP/ICTAP; (4) Education - accreditation; (5) Foreign education; (6) Veterans preference; (7) Special appointing authority documentation; and more can be found on our web site: https://www.bsee.gov/careers/usajobs-assistance OR https://www.boem.gov/about-boem/boem-employment.
  
  If you are claiming CTAP/ICTAP eligibility, you must submit proof by the closing date of the announcement that you meet the requirements of 5 CFR 330.605(a) for CTAP and 5 CFR 330.704 for ICTAP or you will not receive priority consideration. The proof includes a copy of the agency notice, your most recent Performance Rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty station. To be considered well-qualified and exercise selection priority for this vacancy, you must earn a minimum score of 85 or above (prior to the assignment of veteran's preference) on the rating criteria for this position.
  
  
  If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
  
  Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from
  schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
  
  Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
• How to Apply
  
  Your complete application, including required documents, must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.
  
  To apply on-line, you must complete and submit an application by accessing the USAJOBS website at www.usajobs.gov. To begin, click the Apply Online button near the bottom of this screen and follow the prompts to register into your USAJOBS account, answer the questions, and submit all required documents.
  
  To return to your saved application, log in to your USAJOBS account at www.usajobs.gov and click on "Application Status." Click on the position title, and then select Apply Online to continue.
  
  Applicants who apply under this job opportunity announcement agree to have their application, associated documents and applicable personal information shared with other Bureaus/Offices within the Department of the Interior (DOI) who have vacancies within the same occupational series, grade, full performance level and in the same geographic location(s), including within the same metro/commuting area. Applying to this announcement does not replace the need to apply to other job opportunity announcements for which you wish to receive consideration.
  
  Agency contact information
  
  Maritza Lupercio
  
  Email
  
  maritza.lupercio@bsee.gov
  
  Address
  
  Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement
  
  45600 Woodland Road
  
  Sterling, VA 20166
  
  US
  
  Next steps
  
  You can track the progress of your application package via your USAJobs account. You will receive an acknowledgment from USAJobs that your submission was successful, once we have received your on-line assessment questionnaire, resume and any supporting documentation. You will be notified of the status of your application via your USAJobs account after we conduct a qualification review of your complete application package. You will be contacted if further evaluation or interviews are required. Any exaggeration of your experience, false statements, or attempt to conceal information may disqualify you for employment consideration. We may verify all information you provide in your resume and questionnaire responses, through reference and/or background checks, and/or verification of your education. If you are selected, you will be contacted personally by the Human Resources Office posting this announcement.
• Fair and Transparent
  
  The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
  
  
  • Criminal history inquiries
  • Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
  • Financial suitability
  • New employee probationary period
  • Privacy Act
  • Reasonable accommodation policy
  • Selective Service
  • Signature and false statements
  • Social security number request

Required Documents

Your resume must contain information sufficient to make a valid determination that you fully meet the specialized experience requirements as stated in this vacancy announcement and OPM qualification standards for each grade level(s) for which you are applying. It is strongly recommended that you use the USAJobs Resume Builder as it was designed to ensure that your resume includes the standard information needed. The Resume Builder is available at https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/account/documents/resume/build/

To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes:

1. Your resume showing work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment and duties performed.

2. Other supporting documents (if applicable):

• College transcript for verification of qualifying education. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable
• Certificates, license, etc.

You will find additional information on the following topics: (1) e-Verify; (2) Selective Service; (3) CTAP/ICTAP; (4) Education - accreditation; (5) Foreign education; (6) Veterans preference; (7) Special appointing authority documentation; and more can be found on our web site: https://www.bsee.gov/careers/usajobs-assistance OR https://www.boem.gov/about-boem/boem-employment.

If you are claiming CTAP/ICTAP eligibility, you must submit proof by the closing date of the announcement that you meet the requirements of 5 CFR 330.605(a) for CTAP and 5 CFR 330.704 for ICTAP or you will not receive priority consideration. The proof includes a copy of the agency notice, your most recent Performance Rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty station. To be considered well-qualified and exercise selection priority for this vacancy, you must earn a minimum score of 85 or above (prior to the assignment of veteran's preference) on the rating criteria for this position.


If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from
schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

Your complete application, including required documents, must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.

To apply on-line, you must complete and submit an application by accessing the USAJOBS website at www.usajobs.gov. To begin, click the Apply Online button near the bottom of this screen and follow the prompts to register into your USAJOBS account, answer the questions, and submit all required documents.

To return to your saved application, log in to your USAJOBS account at www.usajobs.gov and click on "Application Status." Click on the position title, and then select Apply Online to continue.

Applicants who apply under this job opportunity announcement agree to have their application, associated documents and applicable personal information shared with other Bureaus/Offices within the Department of the Interior (DOI) who have vacancies within the same occupational series, grade, full performance level and in the same geographic location(s), including within the same metro/commuting area. Applying to this announcement does not replace the need to apply to other job opportunity announcements for which you wish to receive consideration.

Agency contact information

Maritza Lupercio

Email

maritza.lupercio@bsee.gov

Address

Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement

45600 Woodland Road

Sterling, VA 20166

US

Next steps

You can track the progress of your application package via your USAJobs account. You will receive an acknowledgment from USAJobs that your submission was successful, once we have received your on-line assessment questionnaire, resume and any supporting documentation. You will be notified of the status of your application via your USAJobs account after we conduct a qualification review of your complete application package. You will be contacted if further evaluation or interviews are required. Any exaggeration of your experience, false statements, or attempt to conceal information may disqualify you for employment consideration. We may verify all information you provide in your resume and questionnaire responses, through reference and/or background checks, and/or verification of your education. If you are selected, you will be contacted personally by the Human Resources Office posting this announcement.

Fair & Transparent

The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

• Criminal history inquiries
• Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
• Financial suitability
• New employee probationary period
• Privacy Act
• Reasonable accommodation policy
• Selective Service
• Signature and false statements
• Social security number request