MECHANICAL ENGINEER

Summary

This is a public notice flyer to notify interested applicants of anticipated vacancies. Applications will not be accepted through this flyer. Interested applicants must follow the directions in the "How to Apply" section of this flyer to be considered. There may or may not be actual vacancies filled from this flyer. Notice of Result letters will not be sent to applicants who respond to this flyer.

Duties

Help

• You will serve as a MECHANICAL ENGINEER in the CELESTIAL REFERENCE FRAME DEPARTMENT of the U.S. NAVAL OBSERVATORY located in FLAGSTAFF, AZ.
• You will serve as a key member of the Instrumentation Research and Engineering Division at the USNOFS that supports the maintenance, upgrade, and development efforts of new and existing telescopes and astronomical instrumentation.
• You will be responsible for the design, construction, and procurement of new telescopes and/or telescope systems in order to meet emergent requirements.
• You will be responsible for the maintenance and upgrade of the station's mirror coating facility and its supporting infrastructure.
• You will be responsible for maintaining astronomical instrumentation for night time operations and providing on-site support to the science staff.

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

• Must be determined suitable for federal employment.
• Must participate in the direct deposit pay program.
• New employees to the Department of the Navy will be required to successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit e-verify.gov
• Within the Department of Defense (DoD), the appointment of retired military members within 180 days immediately following retirement date to a civilian position is subject to the provisions of 5 United States Code 3326.
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.
• This is a bargaining unit position.
• You will be required to obtain and maintain an interim and/or final Secret security clearance prior to entrance on duty. Failure to obtain and maintain the required level of clearance may result in the withdrawal of a job offer or removal.
• Work is performed in areas where potentially harmful physical and chemical agents are present (e.g. fumes, dust, heat, ionizing and non-ionizing radiation and chemicals). You may required to participate in medical surveillance programs.

Qualifications

Your resume must also demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-12 grade level or pay band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector. Specialized experience must demonstrate the following:

• Experience applying an expert knowledge in astronomical telescope and instrumentation design, construction, operation, and maintenance. This includes possessing comprehensive knowledge regarding optical testing, alignment, recoating, as well as mechanical design, testing, and optimization. Must be knowledgeable regarding vacuum technology (for re-aluminizing and camera dewars) and cryogenics (for low-temperature control of detectors). Must possess firm knowledge in SOLID WORKS CAD design as well as finite element analysis and thermal modeling. Must demonstrate expertise in professional level design and fabrication of mechanical and optical systems as used in astronomical facilities.
• Experience solving complex mechanical engineering problems, as demonstrated by a history of successful engineering design and problem solving on telescopes or similar systems.
• Experience applying knowledge regarding the safe and proper use of support and handling equipment such as hydraulic lifts, cranes, and forklifts as well as specialized equipment for handling cryogenics and for handling heavy yet fragile telescope mirrors.
• Experience possessing sufficient knowledge of Navy safety and hazardous material handling guidelines and regulations to oversee these programs at the Station.
• Experience using strong verbal and written communication skills is required.

Additional qualification information can be found from the following Office of Personnel Management website:

all-professional-engineering-positions-0800.pdf (opm.gov)

General Schedule Qualification Standards (opm.gov)

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (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.

Education

BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT:

(A) Successfully completed a bachelor's degree or higher in engineering. To be acceptable, the program must: (1) lead to a bachelor's degree (or higher) 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) A 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.
2. Written Test Evidence of having successfully passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE)2 examination 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.
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.
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.)

Note: An applicant who meets the basic requirements as specified in A or B above, except as noted under B.1., may qualify for positions in any branch of engineering unless selective factors indicate otherwise.

***NOTE: College Transcripts from an accredited University MUST be submitted to show proof the applicant meets ALL education requirements e.g., Basic.

Additional information

This announcement uses the Certain Personnel of the DoD direct hire authority to recruit and appoint qualified candidates to positions in the competitive service.

Certain incentives (such as Recruitment, Relocation or Student Loan Repayment) may be authorized to eligible selectees.

A relocation incentive is generally a single payment intended to offset some of the relocation costs experienced by the selectee. A relocation incentive may be authorized.

Occasional official travel will be required.

The required range of physical activity are from sitting at a desk in a temperature-controlled office, to operating all manner of machine shop equipment, performing maintenance and repairs (occasionally at night) in an open observatory dome where temperatures may reach 0 For colder, to lifting and moving equipment and instruments of various weights under varied environmental conditions, to shoveling snow. The work requires some physical exertion, such as long periods of standing; walking over rough, uneven, or rocky surfaces; recurring bending, crouching, stooping, stretching, reaching, or similar activities; or recurring lifting of moderately heavy items, such as typewriters and record boxes. The work may require lifting and moving equipment and instruments of various weights under varied environmental conditions. to working with caustic chemicals, and to climbing ladders for work up to 30 feet above the surroundings. The work may require specific, but common, physical characteristics and abilities, such as above average agility and dexterity.

The work involves moderate risks or discomforts that require special safety precautions, e.g., working around moving parts, carts, or machines; exposure to contagious diseases or irritant chemicals and working in cold weather and at moderately high altitudes. Appropriate safety equipment, including protective clothing, are required and provided.

This position is covered by the Department of Defense Priority Placement Program.

Several vacancies may be filled.

A tentative offer of employment will be rescinded if the selectee fails to meet the pre-employment requirements, including failure to report to any of the scheduled appointments.

Federal annuitant information: The selection of an annuitant is subject to the Department of Defense and Department of the Navy policy on the employment of annuitants. Policy information may be found at: ;br>
Veteran's preference does not apply when selecting individuals under this specific hiring authority. However, if you claim veteran's preference, you will be required to submit supporting documentation with your application as described in the Required Documents section below.

Expand Hide additional information

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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 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.