Civil Engineer (Hydraulics)

    • USAJOBS
  • Lakewood, CO, CO
  • Posted 17 days ago | Updated 3 days ago

Overview

On Site
Full Time

Job Details

Duties

Duties
-Evaluates a wide range of hydraulics and sediment transport problems in rivers and reservoirs to determine the causes of river erosion or sedimentation problems and recommendations for sustainable solutions to engineering problems. Understands relationships between river processes and natural or human disturbances and provides technical recommendations for river design features, reservoir sediment management, and ecosystem restoration. Determines types and levels of bathymetric data collection, numerical modeling, reservoir sedimentation, or river design research and guidelines needed to evaluate alternatives and meet client needs.
-Leads the development and application of new methods in the interrelated aspects of river hydraulics and sedimentation by performing, directing, and coordinating complex analysis or research with engineers and scientists. Serves as a technical expert on developing engineering standards for data collection, analysis, and design related to river and reservoir hydraulics and sedimentation problems.
-Serves as a senior technical expert on hydraulics and sediment transport data collection, modeling, or analysis best practices by providing technical checking and peer review of products developed.
-Serves as Team Leader/Project Manager for complex engineering investigations that evaluate resource management problems associated with sediment erosion and deposition in rivers and reservoirs related to environmental factors or human disturbances. Plans and executes project requirements by (a) developing Project Management Plans; (b) assembling interdisciplinary teams and coordinating/directing work; (c) monitoring work progress, schedule of deliverables, and budget expenditures; and (d) regularly reporting progress to ensure successful project delivery.
-Serves as a senior technical expert and provides oral presentations and training on engineering analyses or state of the art research related to river design, ecosystem restoration, and reservoir sedimentation to peers, program managers and stakeholders at coordination meetings, design briefings, or other technical briefings. Effectively accommodates a wide variety of audience settings by explaining technical information in a credible but understandable manner.
-Serves as a senior technical expert to produce and lead written reports that effectively and accurately evaluate engineering problems associated with river hydraulics and sediment transport. Effectively communicates the causes of river migration or sedimentation problems and recommends solutions with appropriate technical evidence.
-Leads or contributes to technical guidelines, journals or professional papers that promote knowledge transfer and mentoring of new research applications in hydraulics and sediment transport data collection, numerical modeling, or linkages to ecosystem restoration.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

You must be suitable for federal employment, determined by a background investigation.
You must submit a resume and supporting documentation (see Required Documents).
You must meet any minimum education and/or experience requirements (see Qualifications).
You must submit transcript(s) to verify education requirements (see Qualifications/Education).

Qualifications

Applicants must meet BOTH the Basic Education Requirement and the Specialized Experience Requirement: Applicants must first meet the Basic Education Qualification requirement for the series in which they request consideration for, as defined below:

Basic Education Requirement To be eligible for consideration, you must first meet the Basic Education Requirement for this position, having a
A. Degree : Engineering. To be acceptable, the program must: (1) lead to a bachelor's degree in a school of engineering with at least one program accredited by 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) 1, 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. Or
2. Written Test -- Evidence of having successfully passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) 2examination or any other written test required for professional registration by an engineering licensure board in the various States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico. Or
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 the basic requirements under paragraph A. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program as described in paragraph A. Or
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 bachelor's 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. (The above examples of related curricula are not all inclusive.)
Please submit both undergraduate and graduate level transcripts, as applicable, to meet Basic Education qualification requirements.

Additional Specialized Experience Requirement : In order to be rated as qualified for this position, the HR Office must be able to determine that you meet the specialized experience requirement - this information must be clearly supported in the resume.

To qualify at the GS-14 grade level, you must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to at least the GS-13 level in federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors) that demonstrates the following knowledge, skills, and abilities: Conducting engineering investigations of rivers and reservoirs for ecosystem restoration, reservoir sedimentation, or river design; field data collection in rivers or reservoirs; numerical modeling and coding tools of hydraulics and sediment transport in rivers or reservoirs; participation in research related to the physical aspects of rivers or reservoirs; oral presentations; technical reports, guidelines, or best practice documentation; project management, including the formulation of study plans (scope of work, schedule, and budget), leading small teams, and monitoring expenditures.

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.

You must meet all Eligibility and Qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors if applicable, by 05/17/2024.

Education

This position has a mandatory education requirement.

Transcripts: You must provide a copy of your college transcript(s) (unofficial copy is acceptable). Transcripts must include the name of the college or university, specific courses, conferred date, and the number of semester/quarter hours currently enrolled. A typed list of courses, grades, semester/quarter hours, GPA, etc. will not be accepted. If selected, an official transcript must be sent directly from the University's Registrar's office and must be provided from the institution awarding the degree. Academic transcripts certified by notary publics are NOT official. Official transcripts must be submitted prior to reporting to work as a condition of employment. Failure to submit official transcripts may be grounds for dismissal or rescission of the job offer

Accreditation: Only education from an accredited college or university recognized by the Department of Education is acceptable to meet education requirements or to substitute for experience, if applicable. For additional info, refer to the Office of Personnel Management and U.S. Department of Education .

Foreign Education: To receive credit for education completed outside the United States, you must show proof that the education has been submitted to a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education has been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education programs. For additional info, refer to the U.S. Network for Education Information .

Additional information

You may be required to serve an initial probationary period. Current, permanent Federal employees who are selected from this announcement may be required to serve a probationary period.

Reclamation has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework and you may be allowed to telework with supervisory approval.

Permanent Change of Station (PCS) expenses are authorized with the exception of the Guaranteed Home Sale Provision or first-post-of-duty relocation expenses are authorized, as applicable. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), signed into law December 2017, suspends the moving expense deduction and the exclusion from income of qualified employer reimbursements of moving expenses that was allowed under previous tax laws. Employer reimbursements for moving costs are now generally taxed at the same rate as ordinary income.

DOI uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including applicant rights and responsibilities, please visit

This position is designated as a LOW RISK position. It requires a fully completed and favorably adjudicated SF85 Background Investigation (T1 or equivalent) that is current (within the last 5 years). This is a condition of employment.

Male applicants born after December 31, 1959 must certify registration with the Selective Service System or that the applicant is exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. Go to:

This is a non-bargaining unit position.

Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement.

  • Benefits
    Help
    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 window Learn 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.

Category rating and selection procedures will be used to evaluate applications from this announcement. If an applicant meets the basic qualification requirements, his/her on-line responses to the vacancy assessment questionnaire will be used to determine the quality and extent of his/her experience, education, training, etc., for placement in one of the following categories: 1) Best Qualified, 2) Well Qualified, and 3) Qualified. Qualified candidates will be assigned a numerical score on a scale of 70-100. The Category Rating Process does not add veterans' preference points or apply the "rule of three" but protects the rights of Veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each quality category. Veterans' preference eligibles who meet the minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent will be listed in the highest quality category (except in the case of scientific or professional positions at the GS-09 level or higher). The assessment questionnaire will take approximately 20 minutes to complete.

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide to the application questionnaire, and the result of the additional assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following Competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):
  • Hydraulic Engineering
  • Oral Communication
  • Project Management
  • Technical Competence
  • Writing

In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires successful completion of additional assessment(s), including a Structured Resume Review by a Subject Matter Expert (SME) Panel. These assessments measure the critical competencies listed above that are required to successfully perform the job.

For evaluating the quality of candidates for referral to the selecting official, a three-phased process will be used.
1. Occupational Questionnaire.
2. Structured Resume Review by Subject Matter Expert (SME) Panel.
3. Those candidates who score as best qualified will be referred to the selecting official for consideration.

The application questionnaire can be previewed here:

Applicants who apply under this job opportunity announcement agree to have their application, associated documents and applicable personal information shared with other BureaOffices within the Department of the Interior (DOI) who have vacancies with the same occupational series, grade, full performance level and in the same geographic location(s). Applying to this announcement does not replace the need to apply to other job opportunity announcements for which you wish to receive consideration. You may choose to opt in of having your information shared with other agencies when applying for this position. If an agency requests a copy of a certificate you are on, you will be notified.

  • Benefits
    Help
    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 window Learn 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.

    Please submit the supporting documents outlined below applicable to your claimed eligibility status and the position and grade to which you are applying. Failing to submit required documents will result in non-consideration due to an incomplete application package.

    RESUME: You must submit a resume that demonstrates how skills and experiences through job duties meet the qualifications and requirements listed in the job announcement to be considered for the job. Each job experience must include dates of employment including start and end dates (month and year), work schedule (full-time or part-time), and hours worked per week. For more information, click here .

    TRANSCRIPTS: You must provide a copy of your college transcript(s) (unofficial copy is acceptable). Transcripts must include the name of the college or university, specific courses, conferred date, and the number of semester/quarter hours currently enrolled. A typed list of courses, grades, semester/quarter hours, GPA, etc. will not be accepted. If selected, applicants will be required to provide official college transcripts to verify educational qualifications prior to reporting for work.

    VETERANS: If you are entitled to veterans' preference, you must submit a copy of your latest Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, DD-214 (copy indicating character of service) or other proof of your service which includes character of service. If claiming disability preference, you must also submit the disability letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs or Armed Service and the Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, Standard Form 15. For more information, click here .

    CAREER TRANSITION PROGRAMS: Permanent Federal employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated. You must submit a copy of their most recent performance appraisal, proof of eligibility, and most current SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with their application. To be considered under CTAP/ICTAP, you must be well-qualified (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including selective factors, education and experience requirements) and score at least 85.0 on the assessment questionnaire as established, and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry. For more information, click here .

    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

    For evaluating the quality of candidates for referral to the selecting official, a three-phased process will be used.

    Phase 1: Applicant resumes will be reviewed by Human Resources to ensure they meet the basic qualification requirements. If applicants meet basic qualifications, they will continue on to the second phase and will be given an interim score based on the application questionnaire, which will take the applicant approximately 30 minutes to complete when initially applying.
    Phase 2: Panel SME Resume Review Criteria. Candidates who were minimally qualified based on the assessment questionnaire identified in the first phase will advance to a resume review by a Subject Matter Expert. The Subject Matter Expert will score resumes using a pre-determined scoring matrix based on the following competencies: Hydraulic Engineering, Oral Communication, Project Management, Technical Competence and Writing.
    Phase 3: Candidates will be given a final score which combines the scores from the first and second phases. Those candidates who score as best qualified will be referred to the selecting official for consideration.

    Applications (resume, assessment questionnaire, and supporting documentation) for this vacancy MUST be received online BEFORE midnight Eastern Time (Washington, DC time) on 05/17/2024. To apply, click the blue APPLY ONLINE button at the top of the page.

    Do not submit photographs with the application package. Documents with photographs may not be seen by hiring officials - applicant must remove any images from badges, licenses, etc.

    Agency contact information

    Sharlene Neyer

    Fax



    Email



    Address

    Technical Service Center
    Bureau of Reclamation
    Denver Federal Center
    P.O. BOX 25007
    Denver, CO 80225-0007
    US

    Learn more about this agency

    Next steps

    Upon successful submission of the application packet, applicants will receive a confirmation email from USAJOBS. If this email confirmation is not received by the applicant, the application has not yet been accepted by the system.

    After all application packages have been received, resumes and supporting document(s) will be reviewed to ensure applicants meet the basic qualification requirements. Each applicant who meets the basic qualifications will be further evaluated on the information provided in the resume, application questionnaire, and other assessment criteria identified in the "How You Will Be Evaluated" section above. Best-qualified applicants will be referred to the selecting official. After making a tentative job offer, a suitability and/or security background investigation will be conducted. A final job offer is typically made within 40 days after the deadline for applications. Applicants should monitor their status for positions with the Bureau of Reclamation by regularly checking their public status notifications in the USAJOBS profile.

  • Fair and Transparent

    The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
    • Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
    • Criminal history inquiries
    • Reasonable accommodation policy
    • Financial suitability
    • Selective Service
    • New employee probationary period
    • Signature and false statements
    • Privacy Act
    • Social security number request

Required Documents

Please submit the supporting documents outlined below applicable to your claimed eligibility status and the position and grade to which you are applying. Failing to submit required documents will result in non-consideration due to an incomplete application package.

RESUME: You must submit a resume that demonstrates how skills and experiences through job duties meet the qualifications and requirements listed in the job announcement to be considered for the job. Each job experience must include dates of employment including start and end dates (month and year), work schedule (full-time or part-time), and hours worked per week. For more information, click here .

TRANSCRIPTS: You must provide a copy of your college transcript(s) (unofficial copy is acceptable). Transcripts must include the name of the college or university, specific courses, conferred date, and the number of semester/quarter hours currently enrolled. A typed list of courses, grades, semester/quarter hours, GPA, etc. will not be accepted. If selected, applicants will be required to provide official college transcripts to verify educational qualifications prior to reporting for work.

VETERANS: If you are entitled to veterans' preference, you must submit a copy of your latest Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, DD-214 (copy indicating character of service) or other proof of your service which includes character of service. If claiming disability preference, you must also submit the disability letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs or Armed Service and the Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, Standard Form 15. For more information, click here .

CAREER TRANSITION PROGRAMS: Permanent Federal employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated. You must submit a copy of their most recent performance appraisal, proof of eligibility, and most current SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with their application. To be considered under CTAP/ICTAP, you must be well-qualified (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including selective factors, education and experience requirements) and score at least 85.0 on the assessment questionnaire as established, and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry. For more information, click here .

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

For evaluating the quality of candidates for referral to the selecting official, a three-phased process will be used.

Phase 1: Applicant resumes will be reviewed by Human Resources to ensure they meet the basic qualification requirements. If applicants meet basic qualifications, they will continue on to the second phase and will be given an interim score based on the application questionnaire, which will take the applicant approximately 30 minutes to complete when initially applying.
Phase 2: Panel SME Resume Review Criteria. Candidates who were minimally qualified based on the assessment questionnaire identified in the first phase will advance to a resume review by a Subject Matter Expert. The Subject Matter Expert will score resumes using a pre-determined scoring matrix based on the following competencies: Hydraulic Engineering, Oral Communication, Project Management, Technical Competence and Writing.
Phase 3: Candidates will be given a final score which combines the scores from the first and second phases. Those candidates who score as best qualified will be referred to the selecting official for consideration.

Applications (resume, assessment questionnaire, and supporting documentation) for this vacancy MUST be received online BEFORE midnight Eastern Time (Washington, DC time) on 05/17/2024. To apply, click the blue APPLY ONLINE button at the top of the page.

Do not submit photographs with the application package. Documents with photographs may not be seen by hiring officials - applicant must remove any images from badges, licenses, etc.

Agency contact information

Sharlene Neyer

Fax



Email



Address

Technical Service Center
Bureau of Reclamation
Denver Federal Center
P.O. BOX 25007
Denver, CO 80225-0007
US

Learn more about this agency

Next steps

Upon successful submission of the application packet, applicants will receive a confirmation email from USAJOBS. If this email confirmation is not received by the applicant, the application has not yet been accepted by the system.

After all application packages have been received, resumes and supporting document(s) will be reviewed to ensure applicants meet the basic qualification requirements. Each applicant who meets the basic qualifications will be further evaluated on the information provided in the resume, application questionnaire, and other assessment criteria identified in the "How You Will Be Evaluated" section above. Best-qualified applicants will be referred to the selecting official. After making a tentative job offer, a suitability and/or security background investigation will be conducted. A final job offer is typically made within 40 days after the deadline for applications. Applicants should monitor their status for positions with the Bureau of Reclamation by regularly checking their public status notifications in the USAJOBS profile.

Fair & Transparent

The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
  • Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
  • Reasonable accommodation policy
  • Criminal history inquiries
  • Financial suitability
  • Selective Service
  • New employee probationary period
  • Signature and false statements
  • Privacy Act
  • Social security number request