Mechanical Engineer

Summary

St. Paul District will be collecting applications to fill these vacancies through various job fairs and/or applications through email. Please see 'How to Apply' for more information.

This job is open to

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

Duties

• Responsibilities vary based on grade levels leading to the GS-12 grade responsibilities listed below. Selections may be made at the GS-7 through GS-12 grade levels.
• Position and grade level selected for will depend on applicant's qualifications and agency needs.
• Plans and designs mechanical concepts for civil works projects.
• Prepares mechanical engineering work required for general design memorandums, feature design memorandum, and plans and specifications concerning navigation, flood control, and multi-purpose water resources projects.
• Develops technical specifications of the mechanical features for all construction projects, hired labor, and supply contracts administered by the District.
• Prepares or directs preparation of mechanical engineering designs involving elements of a complex nature such as machine loadings, power requirements and size, type and layout of equipment for flood control and navigation projects.
• Prepares cost estimates of the mechanical features for proposed construction projects and coordinates with the Cost Engineer.
• Performs periodic mechanical maintenance inspection of existing structures, such as locks and dams, within the District and recommends repairs or preventive maintenance necessary for proper upkeep.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
• Promotion progression to the target position is contingent upon satisfactory completion of training requirements and continuous satisfactory performance.
• Relocation/PCS MAY BE authorized.
• Recruitment/Relocation/Retention Incentive MAY BE authorized.
• See other requirements below.

Qualifications

Who May Apply: US Citizens

In order to qualify, you must meet the education and/or experience requirements described below. 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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document.

Basic Education Requirement for Mechanical Engineer 0830 series:

A. Degree: Bachelor's degree (or higher degree) in engineering. To be acceptable, the program must: (1) lead to a bachelor's degree (or higher degree) in a school of engineering with at least one program accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (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, Written Test, Specified academic courses, and/or Related curriculum. Please see the following link for more detail: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0800/files/all-professional-engineering-positions-0800.pdf.

Applications will also be accepted from applicants who will graduate within 9 months of application.

In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the specialized experience listed below:

GS-07:

Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes one of the following: 1) Perform engineering duties of limited scope in knowledge of work processes; 2) apply standard mechanical engineering practices; 3) identify problem; and interpret mechanical engineering rules and procedures; and 4) familiar with other engineering disciplines. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-05).

OR

Education:One full year of graduate level education in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position.

OR

Superior Academic Achievement. In order to be creditable under this provision, Superior Academic Achievement must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled, such as that identified in Education above. Superior Academic Achievement is based on:(1) Class Standing - Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses; OR(2) Grade-Point Average (G.P.A.) - Applicants must have a grade-point average of either (a) 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on your official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or (b) 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum.; OR(3) Honor Society Membership - Applicants may be considered eligible based on membership in one of the approved national scholastic honor societies listed by the Association of College Honor Societies (https://www.achsnatl.org/).

GS-09:

Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes meeting two of the following: 1) Perform routine and recurring mechanical engineering duties; 2) utilize typical engineering calculations; 3) select appropriate approach to solve routine problems and/or recommends course of action; 4) interpret and apply mechanical engineering rules and procedures; and 5) familiar with other engineering disciplines. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-07).

OR

Education: Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position.

GS-11:

Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes meeting all of the following: 1) Perform engineering duties concerned with the design, installation, and/or inspection of complex mechanical equipment and systems for construction activities; and 2) investigate and analyze any of a variety of problems or conditions.

OR

Education: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position.

OR

Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the second year (total graduate semester hours minus 36) by 18. Add the two percentages.

GS-12:

Specialized Experience:One year of specialized experience which includes meeting all of the following: 1) Apply the latest advanced mechanical engineering design and/or construction techniques to develop design plans and specifications for all types of structures and buildings; 2) experience using computer aided design and/or building information modeling software; 3) develop design plans and/or specifications for complex construction, renovation or maintenance projects; 4) review engineering designs and shop drawings and prepare responses for construction requests for information; and 5) utilize various forms of technical design/evaluation software to prepare energy modeling, life cycle cost analysis calculations, and/or database management. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-11).

"Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience in order to qualify. For this job, you must meet the qualification requirement using experience aloneno substitution of education for experience is permitted".

Education

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications.

Additional information

• This announcement uses the Certain Personnel of the DoD Workforcedirect hire authority to recruit and appoint qualified candidates to certain positions in the competitive service.
• Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
• You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship.
• One year trial/probationary period will be required.
• Direct Deposit of Pay is required.
• Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees.
• If you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant, see the information in the Reemployed Annuitant information sheet.
• This is a(n) Construction, Engineering, Infrastructure Career Field position.
• Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
• Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement.
• When you perform a Civilian Permanent Change of Station (PCS) with the government, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) considers the majority of your entitlements to be taxable. Visit https://www.dfas.mil/civilianemployees/civrelo/Civilian-Moving-Expenses-Tax-Deduction/ for more information.
• Permanent Change of Station (PCS) allowances may be authorized, subject to the provisions of the Joint Travel Regulations and an agency determination that a PCS move is in the Government Interest.

• 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.

As vacancies occur, the Human Resources Office will review your resume to ensure you meet the hiring eligibility and qualification requirements listed in this flyer. You will be rated based on the information provided in your resume, along with your supporting documentation.

If, after reviewing your rsum and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

Veterans and Military Spouses will be considered along with all other candidates.

If selected, you may be required to provide additional supporting documentation.

• 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 complete application includes your resume and other documents which prove your qualifications and eligibility to apply. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further.
  
  1. Your resume:
  
  • Your resume may be submitted in any format and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement.
  • If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations and you may not be considered for this vacancy.
  • For qualifications determinations your resume must contain hours worked per week and the dates of employment (i.e., HRS per week and month/year to month/year or month/year to present). If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as incomplete and you may not receive consideration for this position.
  • For additional information see: What to include in your resume.
  
  2. Other supporting documents:
  
  
  • Cover Letter, optional
  • This position has an individual occupational requirement and/or allows for substitution of education for experience. If you meet this requirement based on education you MUST submit a copy of your transcript with your application package or you will be rated ineligible. See: Transcripts and Licenses
  
  NOTE: Documents submitted as part of the application package, to include supplemental documents, may be shared beyond the Human Resources Office. Some supplemental documents such as military orders and marriage certificates may contain personal information for someone other than you. You may sanitize these documents to remove another person's personal information before you submit your application. You may be asked to provide an un-sanitized version of the documents if you are selected to confirm your eligibility.
  
  
  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
  
  Applications will be accepted through several career fairs and through email to CEMVP-EngCon@usace.army.mil. Job offers may be made throughout the period of this flyer and/or after the close date. Here are the events that Army Corps personnel will be accepting applications through:
  
  1. University of Minnesota-Duluth-09/12/2024 10am-2pm CT Link: https://career.d.umn.edu/employers/career-fairs
  
  2. University of Wisconsin-Madison-09/18/2024 11am-5pm CT Link: Employers - Engineering Career Services - UW-Madison (wisc.edu)
  
  3. SDSU College of Engr Career Fair-09/18/2024 12 pm-4pm CT Link:Engineering Career Fair | South Dakota State University (sdstate.edu)
  
  4. University of North Dakota-09/24/2024 11am-3pm CT Link: https://und.edu/student-life/career-services/career-expo.html
  
  5. Iowa State University-09/24/2024 12pm-5pm CT Link: https://www.engineering.iastate.edu/ecs/employers/career-fair/
  
  6. North Dakota State University-09/25/2024 11am-3pm CT Link: Fall Career Expo - Career and Advising Center - North Dakota State University (ndsu.edu)
  
  7. University of Wisconsin-Platteville-09/25/2024 9am-12pm CT Link: https://www.uwplatt.edu/department/career-professional-development-office/career-fair-employers
  
  8. University of Minnesota-Twin Cities-10/08/2024 11am-3:30pm CT Link:CEGE ASCE Career Fair | College of Science and Engineering (umn.edu)
  
  To apply for this position, you must submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.
  
  Alternate applications (e.g., facsimile applications) will not be accepted.
  
  The complete application package must be submitted to the email address provided above by 11:59 PM (EST) on 11 October, 2024 to receive consideration.
  
  Agency contact information
  
  Army Applicant Help Desk
  
  Website
  
  https://portal.chra.army.mil/hr_public?id=app_inq
  
  Address
  
  RG-W2R906 US ARMY ENGINEER DISTRICT-ST PAUL
  
  DO NOT MAIL
  
  St. Paul, MN 55101
  
  US
  
  Next steps
  
  Eligible applicants will be referred to the hiring manager. The selecting official may choose to conduct interviews.
  
  Acknowledgement and Notice of Results letters will be sent by the hiring office.
  
  The evaluation will be based on the information you provide. You should expect that we will verify performance, suitability, and security information and take that information into account in making employment offers.
• 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 complete application includes your resume and other documents which prove your qualifications and eligibility to apply. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further.

1. Your resume:

• Your resume may be submitted in any format and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement.
• If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations and you may not be considered for this vacancy.
• For qualifications determinations your resume must contain hours worked per week and the dates of employment (i.e., HRS per week and month/year to month/year or month/year to present). If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as incomplete and you may not receive consideration for this position.
• For additional information see: What to include in your resume.

2. Other supporting documents:

• Cover Letter, optional
• This position has an individual occupational requirement and/or allows for substitution of education for experience. If you meet this requirement based on education you MUST submit a copy of your transcript with your application package or you will be rated ineligible. See: Transcripts and Licenses

NOTE: Documents submitted as part of the application package, to include supplemental documents, may be shared beyond the Human Resources Office. Some supplemental documents such as military orders and marriage certificates may contain personal information for someone other than you. You may sanitize these documents to remove another person's personal information before you submit your application. You may be asked to provide an un-sanitized version of the documents if you are selected to confirm your eligibility.


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

Applications will be accepted through several career fairs and through email to CEMVP-EngCon@usace.army.mil. Job offers may be made throughout the period of this flyer and/or after the close date. Here are the events that Army Corps personnel will be accepting applications through:

1. University of Minnesota-Duluth-09/12/2024 10am-2pm CT Link: https://career.d.umn.edu/employers/career-fairs

2. University of Wisconsin-Madison-09/18/2024 11am-5pm CT Link: Employers - Engineering Career Services - UW-Madison (wisc.edu)

3. SDSU College of Engr Career Fair-09/18/2024 12 pm-4pm CT Link:Engineering Career Fair | South Dakota State University (sdstate.edu)

4. University of North Dakota-09/24/2024 11am-3pm CT Link: https://und.edu/student-life/career-services/career-expo.html

5. Iowa State University-09/24/2024 12pm-5pm CT Link: https://www.engineering.iastate.edu/ecs/employers/career-fair/

6. North Dakota State University-09/25/2024 11am-3pm CT Link: Fall Career Expo - Career and Advising Center - North Dakota State University (ndsu.edu)

7. University of Wisconsin-Platteville-09/25/2024 9am-12pm CT Link: https://www.uwplatt.edu/department/career-professional-development-office/career-fair-employers

8. University of Minnesota-Twin Cities-10/08/2024 11am-3:30pm CT Link:CEGE ASCE Career Fair | College of Science and Engineering (umn.edu)

To apply for this position, you must submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

Alternate applications (e.g., facsimile applications) will not be accepted.

The complete application package must be submitted to the email address provided above by 11:59 PM (EST) on 11 October, 2024 to receive consideration.

Agency contact information

Army Applicant Help Desk

Website

https://portal.chra.army.mil/hr_public?id=app_inq

Address

RG-W2R906 US ARMY ENGINEER DISTRICT-ST PAUL

DO NOT MAIL

St. Paul, MN 55101

US

Next steps

Eligible applicants will be referred to the hiring manager. The selecting official may choose to conduct interviews.

Acknowledgement and Notice of Results letters will be sent by the hiring office.

The evaluation will be based on the information you provide. You should expect that we will verify performance, suitability, and security information and take that information into account in making employment offers.

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