Job Summary
This position is located in a state office within the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), performing professional engineering and scientific work involving hydraulics and hydrologic aspects of river basin studies, watershed plans, floodplain management studies, other water projects and conservation technical assistance projects.
Major Duties
- Directs and coordinates hydraulics and hydrologic studies for selection of project design storms and development of design floods, performs project risk analysis, and determines project back water effects.
- Directs and coordinates field examinations of hydraulic and hydrologic problems, determines potential solutions and organizes collection of data.
- Develops statistical analysis of meteorological and hydrological parameters to determine peak flow and low flow frequencies to be used in all phases of design.
- Prepares technical portions of watershed plans, river basin surveys, local implementation plans, and flood hazard reports that pertain to hydraulic, hydrologic, and engineering investigations and designs.
- Makes site investigations and feasibility studies related to hydraulic and hydrologic impacts; field check designs as prepared/approved by the State Conservationist Engineer (SCE) of structural works of improvements prior to contracting.
- Coordinates and conducts necessary quality assurance reviews of planned, designed, and constructed engineering projects in the assigned area/state.
- Works within a team concept to develop and implement ways to improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and quality of the products and/or services provided to internal and external customers.
Qualifications
Basic Education Requirement:
Degree: Engineering. To be acceptable, the program must: (1) lead to a bachelor's degree be in a school of engineering with at least one program accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) http://main.abet.org/aps/accreditedprogramsearch.aspx;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 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: 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 Boards eminence provision as a manufacturing engineer typically would be rated eligible only for manufacturing engineering positions. Written Test-Evidence of having successfully passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) examination, or any other written test required for professional registration, which is administered by the Boards of Engineering Examiners in the various States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico. 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 the basic requirements above. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program as described above. 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 bachelor's degree in engineering, provided the applicant has had a 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. (The above examples of relate curricula are not all-inclusive.) In addition to meeting one of the Basic Requirements listed above, applicants must meet the following Minimum Qualifications Requirement in order to be considered: Specialized Experience to qualify for GS-12: You must possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level or higher in Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through Federal service. For this position, specialized experience is defined as: Applying fundamental and advanced hydraulic engineering theories, principles, concepts, standards, and/or methods to investigate hydraulic problems. Initiating, execute and complete hydrologic/hydraulic engineering studies related to the analysis and design of flood risk management, dam and/or levee safety, stream bank protection, and multi-purpose water resources projects. Note: There is no education substitution for the GS-12 level. Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including time-in-grade restrictions, specialized experience and/or education, as defined above. For more information on the qualifications for this position, click here: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/#url=List-by-Occupational-SeriesExperience 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 and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
Pay Range
$81,875.00 - $106,442.00