Supervisory General Engineer
Job Location:
Manhattan, IL - USA
Yearly Salary:
Posted:
Application Deadline:
Vacancies:
Job Summary
This position is located at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Services (ARS) National Bio And Agro-Defense Facility located in Manhattan KS.
In this position you will provide leadership and technical direction in formulating and executing programs and policies related specifically to the NBAF Facility as NBAF Director of Operations.
- Serves as NBAF Director of Operations with responsibility for directing planning and coordinating the NBAF Facilities Engineering Operations Maintenance Unit (FOMU) and the Animal Resources Unit (ARU).
- Provides 24/7 utilities system operations and services needed for all other NBAF units mission and requirements to continue without and interruption of services while maximizing unit effectiveness and efficiencies.
- Approves the development of work plans operating budgets and resource allocation in support of customer needs and objectives.
- Prepares reads and interprets blueprints and drawings of buildings and associated systems such as structural civil mechanical electrical and plumbing drawings.
- Supervises and leads multidisciplinary teams dedicated to facilities management.
- Conducts and chairs special studies as required that include providing technical engineering recommendations on sensitive and controversial issues.
- You must be a US Citizen or US National.
- Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
- Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
- Successful completion of one-year probationary period unless previously served. Refer to the Next Steps section for more information.
- Subject to one-year supervisory/managerial probationary period unless prior service is creditable. New USDA supervisors must successfully complete all components of the required training program before the end of their probationary period.
- Direct Deposit: Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
- Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify including your rights and responsibilities visit E-Verify at Test Required.
- National Agency Check with Inquiries (NACI) clearance is required. Department of Justice (DOJ) Security Risk Assessment (SRA) approval is required.
- Vaccine(s) required.
- Motor Vehicle or Commercial Drivers License Required.
- Special Physical Requirements/Demands (will wear fully encapsulated suit).
- Immunizations may be required.
- Respirator fitting and certification is required.
Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including specialized experience and/or education as defined below.
Basic Qualification Requirements:
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
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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.)
GS-15:
Specialized Experience: Specialized experience is experience directly related to the position to be filled. Specialized experience must be described for each grade level advertised. The specialized experience requirements for this position are: Qualifying experience for GS-15 includes one year of specialized experience comparable to GS-14 which is directly related to the work of this position and which has equipped the applicant with the knowledge skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. For this position specialized experience is experience implementing strategic plans for the management of high containment research facilities and animal housing facilities; leading multidisciplinary teams dedicated to facilities management; and interpreting blueprints and drawings of buildings and associated systems.
Containment Work Requirements
Working in a high containment laboratory poses some degree of risk to human health. For the health and safety of the incumbent and to prevent the spread of diseases immunization against diseases being studied at NBAF which are transmissible to humans is required where the vaccine has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for safety and effectiveness under the Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act as amended 21 USC 321-392.
Investigational vaccines are those approved for human testing while they continue gathering additional safety and efficacy data in advance of full approval for commercial release. While immunization with FDA investigational vaccines is strongly encouraged the incumbent will be advised that such immunization is voluntary.
Individuals who are already vaccinated or do not wish to receive the investigational vaccines will be asked to sign a declination form assuming the risk of working with the viruses without vaccination.
Ongoing Health Status Monitoring
Psychological and physical health are monitored as part of a person review. For physical health monitoring a baseline blood sample will be required for employees entering and working in the biocontainment facility. When enrolled in the serum monitoring program in addition to physical and psychological examinations the physical health status of personnel is monitored periodically using biologic and serological tests. Beyond regular monitoring programs blood draws will be needed to monitor the specific medical surveillance examinations.
Any medical condition which could create an unsafe environment for the individual or his/her co workers such as: Insufficient control of a medical disorder which could result in sudden loss of consciousness; and inadequate vision and hearing required for safety in a laboratory environment must be considered before a job offer and may be disqualifying.
Decontamination/Body Requirements
The incumbent must have the ability to take a full-body shower with soap and shampoo one or more times per day without assistance. The incumbent must not have a skin condition which would prevent daily showering. Jewelry of any kind is not permitted inside containment.
Body jewelry in piercings must have the ability to be removed prior to entering biocontainment or the piercing and jewelry must be completely sealed off from the working environment to protect the individual from contamination. No unhealed piercings are permitted inside biocontainment.
External medical devices may not be permitted. External medical devices must have the ability to be removed prior to entering biocontainment or be sealed off from the working environment to protect the individual from contamination. Facial hair restriction are required to ensure the proper fit of tight-fitting respirators.
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 and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience including volunteer experience.
Please see above for education qualification requirement information.
Continued Work Requirements
Personal Protective Equipment
Risk is reduced but cannot be eliminated with special safety precautions. Use of Safety protocols and use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as respirators disposable personal protective clothing and eye protection are used as needed. PPE is dependent upon the work performed and the laboratory space in which the work is performed.
The incumbent is required to wear tight-fitting respirator when working in biological control areas; facial hair restrictions are to comply with proper operation of personal protective equipment. Approval to use a respirator requires a medical evaluation and fit test.
- Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) Reemployment Priority List (RPL) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP RPL or ICTAP eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section. When assessed through a score-based category rating method CTAP/ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100.
- The Office of Personnel Management has granted Direct Hire Authority for Scientific Technical Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) positions.
- The USDA ARS has authority to recruit and fill Permanent (Career/Career-Conditional) positions under Direct Hire Authority. Under this authority any U.S. citizen may apply.
- For more information on the Government-wide Direct Hire Authority positions click here
- Recruitment or Relocation Incentive may be authorized. The final determination to pay an incentive will be made by the hiring official at the time of job offer.
- If selected you will be required to submit Form OGE-450 within 30 days of your initial appointment date and annually thereafter. Selectee is subject to financial Disclosure Requirements in accordance with 5 CFR Part 2635 Sub part E regarding business or personal transactions with applicants borrowers or business contacts who have or who are seeking business with this Agency. Selectee must be able to obtain and maintain a security clearance. If selected you will be subject to a National Agency Check and Inquiry (NACI) and a credit report.
- This is a Testing Designated Position (TDP). Selectee must submit to a urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment and random testing thereafter. Final appointment and continued employment is conditional on negative results for illegal drug use.
- This position may be eligible to telework up to four days per week based upon the duties of the position. This position may also be eligible for flexible work arrangements as determined by agency policy and any applicable collective bargaining agreements.
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.
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.
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 Experience:
Manager
