Structural Engineer

Summary

This position is located in the Architect of the Capitol (AOC) in the Office of the Chief Engineer (OCE).

The selectee will serve will on projects involving the study, design, construction, rehabilitation, inspection and/or testing of structural systems and their associated components to include but not limited to including building frames, foundations, tunnels, retaining structures, vibration‐sensitive elements, blast‐resistant components, and historic preservation.

Duties

• Project Technical Reviews (40%) • Apply expertise to review and interpret technical documents from other consultants such as structural engineering, geotechnical engineering and civil engineering • Performs primary reviews of drawings, specifications, calculations, and engineering analyses to identify technical deficiencies, noncompliance, coordination gaps, and risk concerns. • Detects omissions, discrepancies, inadequacies, and nonconformance with approved criteria; directs corrective actions and approves or rejects deliverables for the most critical projects. • Reviews and comments on SOWs, technical criteria, and proposed variances from agency standards; resolves disputes and establishes precedent‐setting technical determinations. • Reviews and evaluates A/E contractor RFI responses, submittal reviews, and change-order recommendations for adequacy and compliance with agency standards and project objectives. • Sets review procedures and quality assurance protocols for the discipline; mentors task leaders in applying advanced review principles. • Integrates findings from risk and reliability assessments into agency policy, design standards, and program decisions; ensures readiness of complex structural documents for bidding and construction.
• Technical Advice and Guidance (20%) • Represents the agency as the principal technical authority in coordination with external organizations (utility companies, DOTs, transit authorities, code bodies, historic preservation authorities) on matters affecting structural integrity, safety, or capacity of AOC assets. • Negotiates technical solutions and provides expert input to formal agreements developed in coordination with agency counsel and real property officials. • Mentors engineers, establishes best practices, and leads discipline-wide continuous improvement efforts, including development of guidance documents and lessons learned.
• Structural Engineering Designs and Specifications (15%) • Prepares or directs preparation of complete structural design documentation in the lead role and responsibility (drawings, specifications, calculations, technical reports) in accordance with agency engineering standards and applicable codes.
• Design efforts include concrete, steel, masonry and wood structural buildings or systems. • Performs and validates complex structural analyses, including nonlinear, performance‐based, time-history, and risk‐based evaluations to develop and justify design solutions. • Adjudicates material acceptability, design methodologies, and structural system selections for the agency’s most complex projects, including those involving historic preservation or elevated operational risk. • Ensures design integration among architectural, civil, mechanical, and electrical interfaces, providing final technical determinations when conflicts arise. • Responsible for final project close to the structural design efforts or corrective actions implemented Project Management (15%) • Serves as Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) for assigned structural scope; performs contract administration activities for IDIQ A/E consulting services and specialized procurements. • Prepares Scopes of Work (SOWs), fee estimates, schedules, and solicitation documents prior to award. • Prepares responses to offeror questions, conducts proposal evaluations, and documents award recommendations. • Ensures compliance with agency policies, standards, and procedures; reviews completed work and recommends acceptance or rejection to the Contracting Officer. • Manages schedule, budget, and quality; reports status to upper management and meets project requirements. • Coordinates preparation of project working plans and specifications between junior engineers, CAD staff, and other architectural and engineering disciplines. • Prepares, revises, and maintains project documents and electronic files for agency archives. • Provides senior‐level technical oversight and direction for structural safety and compliance programs, including special inspections coordination, structural observation requirements, and structural variances, ensuring program alignment with agency policies.
• Structural Engineering Studies (10%) • Establishes study methodologies, acceptance criteria, and data requirements; develops or oversees development of advanced structural models and tools for risk and reliability analyses. • Ensures studies adhere to established criteria and applicable code(s), professional standards, and agency priorities; defines options and determines recommended courses of action.

Requirements

** Professional license, certification, and LEED AP desired, but not required. To be employed by the Architect of the Capitol in a paid position, an individual must meet one of the categories below:

A citizen of the United States; A person who is lawfully admitted for permanent residence and is seeking citizenship as outlined in 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)(B); A person who is admitted as a refugee under 8 U.S.C. 1157 or is granted asylum under 8 U.S.C. 1158 and has filed a declaration of intention to become a lawful permanent resident and then a citizen when eligible; A person who owes allegiance to the United States (nationals of American Samoa, Swains Island, and the Northern Mariana Islands, and nationals who meet other requirements described in 8 U.S.C. 1408); or A person who is currently an officer or employee of the Government of the United States.

Education

In addition to meeting the specialized experience requirements for this position, applicants must possess the following: Education Required For Engineers: 1.

Bachelor’s degree in professional engineering: To be creditable, the curriculum must: (1) be in a school of engineering with at least one curriculum accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) as a professional engineering curriculum; 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: — statics, dynamics; — strength of materials (stress-strain relationships); — fluid mechanics, hydraulics; — thermodynamics; — electrical fields and circuits; — nature and properties of materials (relating particle and aggregate structure to properties); and — any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics. –OR– 2.

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: (a) current registration as a professional engineer by any State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico; (b) evidence of having successfully passed the Engineer-in-Training (EIT) examination or the written test required for professional registration; (c) successful completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences that are fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of a professional engineering curriculum; or (d) successful completion of a curriculum leading to a bachelor’s degree in engineering technology or in an appropriate professional field.

For a detailed explanation of the related curriculum or experience, please visit the following website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0800/general-engineering-series-0801/ Transcripts are required upon selection.

Special Instructions for Foreign Education: Education completed outside of the United States must be deemed equivalent to that gained in conventional/accredited U.S. education programs to be acceptable for Federal employment. Qualifying education from colleges and universities in foreign countries must be evaluated in terms of equivalency to that acquired in U.S. colleges and universities.

Applicants educated in whole or in part of foreign countries must submit sufficient evidence, including transcripts, to an accredited private organization for an equivalency evaluation of course work and degree. You must provide a copy of the letter containing the results of the equivalency evaluation with a course by course listing if selected.

How You Will Be Evaluated

Review your resume and responses carefully. Your eligibility for consideration and qualifications for the position will be determined based upon a review of your detailed resume and your responses to job specific self-assessment questions.

Your resume will be evaluated based on evidence of your ability to demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) for this position, possession of any specialized experience, and how well your background and experience relates to the self-assessment questions in the job announcement.

The self-assessment questions relate to the following knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies: Technical knowledge of the theories, concepts and principles practiced in project development/management for structual engineering sufficient to provide authoritative interpretations of guidelines and practices used in the planning, design and construction of new facilities or the repair, restoration and alteration of existing facilities.

Comprehensive knowledge of the roles and responsibilities of a Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative (COTR). Ability to identify problems, generate alternatives and make recommendations for solutions. Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing. Your responses to the self assessment questions serve as the basis for your initial rating.

You will receive a numerical score based on your responses to these questions. Next, your responses will be evaluated by a Human Resources Specialist and/or a subject matter expert against the information provided in your resume and optional cover letter. Your resume must support your answers to the self assessment questions.

Falsifying your background, education, and/or experience is cause for not hiring you or disqualification for further consideration. Please note that a complete application is required for consideration. (Please review the “Required Documents” section of this job announcement to see what must be included in a complete application). You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Benefits

A variety of health insurance plans; retirement system with investment options; paid holidays; paid sick and annual (vacation) leave; life insurance; incentive systems; subsidized transportation; training and development opportunities, etc. The Architect of the Capitol offers eligible employees opportunity to participate in the Student Loan Repayment Program.

Required Documents

• The Architect of the Capitol’s (AOC) job application process is designed to ensure you only provide information necessary to evaluate your qualifications and eligibility for the position vacancy.
• To apply for this position, you only need to submit: a) your resume and b) answers to the online vacancy assessment questionnaire.
• The online questionnaire contains eligibility and screening questions and other relevant information.
• No additional documentation or attachments are required at the time of application.
• Your resume should list your education, training and work experience including job titles, employment dates, duties and accomplishments.
• Nothing further is required until it is requested by AOC’s Human Capital Management Division.
• If additional documentation is required for the position, you will be asked to provide it during the interview or selection process.
• At that time, you may be asked to submit documentation to support statements made in your resume.
• For example, you may be asked to provide a copy of your diploma, college transcripts, or proof of Federal employment status.
• If the position requires licensure or certification, you will be asked to provide proof at the time of selection.
• If Veterans’ preference is claimed, you will be asked to submit proof (DD-214, and, if claiming a 10-point preference, a SF-15 and the proof required by that form).
• Failure to provide the required documents will end further consideration and/or result in the withdrawal of any tentative job offers.