Mechanical Engineer

Job summary

About the Position: Performs mechanical engineering design and review work for both Host Nation and US funded projects in support of Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and other official agencies. This is a Direct Hire Authority (DHA) solicitation utilizing the DHA for DoD Government-wide Direct Hire Authority to recruit and appoint qualified candidates to positions in the competitive service.

Major duties

Performs mechanical engineering design and review work for both Host Nation and US funded projects. Projects cover problems ranging from the conventional to the complex and require a capability of adapting precedence and engineering theories and principles to the particular needs of the project. Reviews mechanical designs prepared by Architect-Engineers (A-E) to ensure design excellence and that user and funding requirements are met. Prepares the engineering criteria and detailed as well general parameters for guidance in preparing contract plans and specifications. Checks designs for proper interpretation and application of building codes, established technical criteria, sound engineering principles, and standard practices. Responsible in serving other staff elements of the District and other agency staff elements as consultant and technical expert in mechanical engineering problems involving planning, design, construction, and operations. Performs quality assurance reviews for soundness of mechanical engineering in a variety of areas and system types such as HVAC, compressed air, plumbing, and Cybersecurity, etc. Applies advanced concepts, principles, and practices of mechanical engineering to interpret and develop technical criteria. Prepares replies to architect-engineer firms, other Districts/Centers, or contractors/manufacturers regarding the mechanical portions to set forth the basis for exceptions taken and revisions required in proposed mechanical systems. Perform inspections and assessments of existing mechanical systems and develops memos and reports with recommendations for correction or improvement. Maintain awareness of current advances in mechanical design and construction to recommend changes in programs, practices, methods or design procedures. Ensures that design drawings, design analysis, and specifications are accurate, and that conclusion and assumptions are sound.

Qualification

Who May Apply: All US Citizens If you are currently stationed in the overseas area, all of your overseas time will be credited toward your current overseas tour end date. Your overseas time served will not reset upon accepting this assignment. If you have returned from OCONUS within the past 2 years or less, your time previously served in the OCONUS area will be credited to your 5 year overseas rotation upon accepting this assignment. In order to qualify, you must meet the education and 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. Basic Requirement for Mechanical Engineer: 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:1. Professional registration or licensure - Current registration as an Engineer Intern (EI), Engineer in Training (EIT), 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.2. 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, or Puerto Rico.3. 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 A above. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program.4. 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 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. In addition to meeting the basic requirements above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below: Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes: 1) Applying mechanical engineering principles to review and analyze design plans and specifications for both U.S. funded and Host Nation funded projects, ensuring compliance with applicable codes and standards. 2) Coordinating with multiple technical disciplines to ensure design compatibility and addressing technical deficiencies through detailed reviews of shop drawings and mechanical systems. 3) Providing technical consultation and conducting on-site evaluations, including troubleshooting post-construction systems and collaborating with stakeholders to resolve complex design and construction issues. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-11) or equivalent grade level. Separated Military Members: Resumes will be accepted from members of the Armed Forces who indicate in their applications that they are available for appointment within 120 days of the closing date of this announcement. Military members may be appointed while on terminal/transitional leave, before the effective date of their military retirement/separation. Military Retirees: Within the DoD (Department of Defense), including non-appropriated fund positions, the appointment of retired military members within 180 days immediately following the retirement date to a civilian position is subject to the provisions of 5 United States Code 3326 or 5 U.S.C. 5305.

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/. 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 alone--no substitution of education for experience is permitted.

Evaluations

Once the announcement has closed, a review of your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. 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.