Deputy Director for Engineering and Design

The incumbent serves as a principal advisor on all aspects of facilities engineering architecture design excellence accessibility and the stewardship of Smithsonian facilities. Advises senior leadership on broad policy design standards code application program and human resource matters affecting facilities engineering and design of SI programs and operations. Advises senior leadership on architectural and engineering approaches that balance functionality life-cycle performance sustainability preservation requirements visitor experience and SI mission needs. Oversees strategic and business planning goal setting quality implementation organizational performance measurement and reinvention efforts to ensure alignment with the vision values and goals of the Secretary and Director for Office of Planning Design and Construction (OPDC).

Leads the architectural and engineering design program to ensure projects achieve excellence in design quality functionality durability sustainability accessibility and compatibility with historic and cultural resources. Successful adoption of these best practices and standards is essential to maximize the Institutions buying power and to help reduce the more than $1.5 billion backlog in revitalization addition the incumbent will continue to oversee existing priorities including facilities safety and security energy efficiency historical preservation and public access in facility projects and construction criteria.

Manages the completion of an aggressively changing project that includes responsibilities that may evolve in its complexity. During the next ten years the Institution will invest to revitalize aging facilities and construct new facilities to support additional exhibits and programs. The project workload will require the incumbent to establish policies processes and procedures and to develop a training program that will ensure appropriate performance standards are achieved throughout the division.

Oversees the established control systems to monitor and ensure adherence to the budgetary commitments allotted to the engineering and design initiatives and services. Responsible for assessing the effectiveness of these control systems to ensure the engineering and design division remains within budget. Adheres to financial management policies and procedures contained in the Institutions Office Memorandums.

Serves as SIs expert in the development of policy standards and procedures to ensure operation of an effective and efficient engineering and design program for all SI facilities. Develops implements and assesses processes and systems involved in capital improvement initiatives new construction and repair and revitalization projects and contracts. Leads studies on current and innovative approaches to providing quality driven engineering and design functions and customer services. Provides expert technical advice and guidance to SI leadership on various contracts (i.e. internal engineering and design services supervision and inspection) and facilities planning and programs.

Ensures the Quality Control and Quality Assurance of engineering and design work products whether internally or externally developed reflect the commitment to excellence and outstanding service that establishes the divisions credibility authority and efficient operations.

Oversees engineering and design services and program functions and resolves issues that are outside the purview of engineering and design branch staff. Oversees the fulfillment of the division staff Contracting Officers Technical Representative (COTR) responsibilities to meet divisions contract administration and inspection functions.

Keeps abreast of the latest private and public sector developments and innovations related to architecture engineering and design; maintains liaison with counterparts in other federal agencies and external stakeholders such as universities and the cultural community; evaluates the applicability of those developments for SI engineering and design services and incorporates into SI programs as appropriate.

Oversees architectural planning and design activities for new construction major revitalization preservation and adaptive reuse projects. Ensures compliance with applicable design standards historic preservation requirements accessibility guidelines and SI engineering and design criteria. Reviews and evaluates conceptual schematic and architectural designs to ensure alignment with SI objectives and long-term facility goals. Ensures appropriate consideration of cultural landscapes and architecturally significant facilities while balancing operational programmatic life-safety and sustainability requirements.

Through subordinate supervisors the incumbent: plans organizes and directs the personnel and activities of OPDCs Engineering and Design Division.

• Pass Pre-Employment Background Investigation
• May need to complete a Probationary Period
• Maintain a Bank Account for Direct Deposit/Electronic Transfer
• Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered with selective service

Meet the basic qualifications and specialized experience as listed below:

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

Basic Requirements for Engineering Series 0801:

A. Degree: Engineering. To be acceptable the program must: (1) lead to a bachelors 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 Boards 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 bachelors 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 bachelors 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.)

Basic Requirements for Architecture Series 0808:

A. Degree: architecture; or related field that included 60 semester hours of course work in architecture or related disciplines of which at least (1) 30 semester hours were in architectural design and (2) 6 semester hours were in each of the following: structural technology properties of materials and methods of construction and environmental control systems.

OR

B. Combination of education and experience -- college-level education training and/or technical experience that furnished (1) a thorough knowledge of the arts and sciences underlying professional architecture and (2) a good understanding both theoretical and practical of the architectural principles methods and techniques and their applications to the design and construction or improvement of buildings. The adequacy of such background must be demonstrated by at least one of the following:

1. Related Curriculum: Degree in architectural engineering may be accepted as satisfying in full the basic requirements provided the completed course work in architectural engineering provided knowledge skills and abilities substantially equivalent to those provided in the courses specified in paragraph A. The curriculum for a degree in either architecture or architectural engineering covers function esthetics site structure economics mechanical-electrical and other engineering problems related to the design and construction of buildings primarily (but not exclusively) intended to house human activities. The courses required for a degree in architecture generally place emphasis upon planning esthetics and materials and methods of construction while the courses for an architectural engineering degree place equal or greater weight on the technical engineering aspects such as structural systems mechanical systems and the properties of materials. Because of this difference in emphasis persons with degrees in architecture may have a preference for work assignments that offer greater opportunities for them to express their artistic and creative abilities. As a result they may be more concerned with planning and design aspects of architecture and persons with degrees in architectural engineering may be more engaged in aspects emphasizing technical engineering considerations.

2. Experience: An applicant lacking a degree in architecture must have had 1 year of experience in an architects office or in architectural work for each year short of graduation from a program of study in the absence of college courses 5 years of such experience is required. This experience must have demonstrated that the applicant has acquired a thorough knowledge of the fundamental principles and theories of professional architecture.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE:
In addition applicants must have one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-15 level. Specialized experience is defined as the demonstrated experience in leading directing and integrating the architectural engineering and design functions for a large organization.

The applications that meet the basic qualifications will be evaluated further against the following criteria:

1. Experience overseeing Architect and Engineering services contracts and design development including oversight of building code compliance.

2. Leadership experience at the managerial level that includes visioning strategic planning goal setting and metric development for construction projects.

3. Ability to apply latest technology and/or industry best practices to manage an engineering and design program for large facilities.

4. Experience managing a capital budget including developing budget forecasts monitoring expenditures prioritizing capital investments and ensuring compliance with financial policies.

5. Skill in leading supervising and managing a multi-disciplined and talented workforce including fostering teamwork and high morale as well as developing attracting retaining and motivating employees.