Systems Engineer (Pathways Recent Graduates)
Job Location:
Springfield, VT - USA
Yearly Salary:
Posted:
Application Deadline:
Vacancies:
Job Summary
This position is located in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of the Chief Procurement Officer (OCPO).The primary purpose of this position is to carry out developmental assignments in performing analyses and evaluations of limited systems engineering requirements of acquisitions such as information technology (IT) and Non-IT systems and equipment that support systems engineering activities and operations
Non-BU: This is a non-bargaining unit position.
Before applying learn more at a SYSTEMS ENGINEER (PATHWAYS RECENT GRADUATES) GSyour typical work assignments may include the following under supervision:
Recent Graduates hired through this announcement are eligible to convert into positions up to the Full Performance of GS-12.
This is an excepted service appointment under the Pathways Recent Graduates Program.
After successful completion of the program requirements the individual may at the agencys discretion be converted to a term or career or career-conditional appointment.
All DHS-HQ announcements have a 5 business day open period due to the number of applications received.
This announcement will be open for 5 business days OR until the first 150 applications have been received whichever happens first.
View common definitions of terms found in this announcement: Common Definitions.
- You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.
- Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for Selective Service.
- You must successfully pass a background investigation.
- You must submit to a pre-employment drug test.
- You must be 16 years of age or older to apply.
- The duration of Recent Graduates in the excepted service.
- Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for DHS to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions.
- Pathways Trial Period: This will be an excepted service appointment. A trial period is required for the duration of the Pathways appointment.
- The incumbent will be required to sign a Program Participant Agreement.
- The incumbent must complete an Individual Developmental Plan (IDP) within 45 days of initial appointment.
- The transcript(s) or official letter from the registrars office MUST include either the date your degree or certificate was conferred OR the anticipated date the degree or certificate is scheduled to be conferred.
- The degree conferred date must be within the 2 years preceding the closing date of this announcement. Proof of education must be submitted with your application package and received by the closing date of the announcement.
- The position sensitivity/risk and security clearance level is Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk and/or Secret.
- The Pathways Program requires the incumbent to submit official or unofficial transcripts with your application and provide official transcripts prior to entrance-on-duty (EOD).
To be eligible for this position you must have completed (within the previous two years of the closing date of this job announcement) a qualifying associates bachelors masters professional doctorate from a qualifying educational institution OR a qualifying certificate program vocational or technical degree or qualifying career or technical education program (Registered Apprenticeship Programs and certain volunteer service programs i.e. Job Corps AmeriCorps and Peace Corps). Veterans unable to apply within two years of receiving their degree due to military service obligation have as much as six years after degree completion to : Qualifying educational institution means-Any of the following educational institutions or curricula that have been accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the Secretary of Education:
- A technical or vocational school; A 2-year or 4-year college or university;
- A graduate or professional school (e.g. law school medical school); or
- A post-secondary homeschool curriculum.
Basic/Individual Occupational Requirement for Systems Engineer (GS-0801):
A. Degree: Bachelors degree (or higher degree) in engineering. To be acceptable the program must: (1) lead to a bachelors degree (or higher degree) 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. 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) 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) examination or any other written test required for professional registration by an engineering licensure board in the various States the District of Columbia Guam or 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 A above. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program. 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 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.
In addition to meeting the basic requirement above to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below:
Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes performing analyses and evaluations of limited systems engineering requirements of acquisitions such as information technology (IT) and Non-IT systems and equipment that support systems engineering activities and operations; preparing systems engineering reports and related program documentation that addresses technical acquisition system; and providing technical systems engineering assistance to implementing organizations and acquisition officials. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-05) or equivalent.
OR
Education: One full year of graduate level education in a field which demonstrates the knowledge skills and abilities necessary to do the work of the position such as: engineering and architecture.
OR
Superior Academic Achievement. In order to be creditable under this provision Superior Academic Achievement must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled such as that identified in Education above. Superior Academic Achievement is based on: See information under Education heading below.
OR
Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) by 18. Add the two percentages.
After Program completion Department of Homeland Security Recent Graduates may be converted to a term or permanent position in the competitive service. To be eligible for conversion to a permanent or term position Recent Graduates must:
- Successfully complete at least 1-year of continuous service in addition to all requirements of the Program.
- Demonstrate successful job performance.
- Meet the Office of Personnel Managements qualifications for the position to which the Recent Graduate may be converted. To learn more please visit: 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. Education
Superior Academic Achievement. In order to be creditable under this provision Superior Academic Achievement must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled such as that identified in Education above. Superior Academic Achievement is based on:(1) Class Standing - Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college university or major subdivision such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration based on completed courses; OR(2) Grade-Point Average (G.P.A.) - Applicants must have a grade-point average of either (a) 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 (B or better) as recorded on your official transcript or as computed based on 4 years of education or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or (b) 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 (B or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum.; OR(3) Honor Society Membership - Applicants may be considered eligible based on membership in one of the approved national scholastic honor societies listed by the Association of College Honor Societies ( must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications; applicants resumes and supporting documentation should only reflect education received from schools accredited by such institutions. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following Website: must submit a copy of your college transcript. An unofficial transcript or a list of courses grades earned completion dates and quarter and semester hours earned can be used as a substitute for the official transcript at the time of application. Official transcripts will be required if you are selected for the position.
If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency (a U.S. private organizations interpretation that such education has been deemed at least equivalent to conventional U.S. education programs) with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For more information regarding evaluation of foreign education for federal employment please visit the U.S. Department of Education webpage on the Recognition of Foreign Qualifications.Additional informationCurrent or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently or have been within the last 5 years a political Schedule A Schedule C Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.
The Department of Homeland Security encourages persons with disabilities to apply to include persons with intellectual severe physical or psychiatric disabilities as defined by 5 CFR 213.3102(u) and or Disabled Veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more as defined by 5 CFR 315.707. Veterans Peace Corps VISTA volunteers and persons with disabilities possess a wealth of unique talents experiences and competencies that can be invaluable to the DHS mission. If you are a member of one of these groups you may not have to compete with the public for federal jobs. To determine your eligibility for non-competitive appointment and to understand the required documentation click on the links above or contact the servicing Human Resources Office listed at the bottom of this announcement.
Pursuant to Executive Order 12564 and DHS policy DHS is committed to maintaining a drug-free workplace and therefore conducts random and other drug testing of its employees in order to ensure a safe and healthy work environment. Headquarters personnel in safety- or security-sensitive positions are subject to random drug testing and all applicants tentatively selected for employment at DHS Headquarters are subject to drug testing resulting in a negative test result.
This position may be filled at the GS-07 grade level only. Promotion to the GS-09 GS-11 and GS-12 level may occur without further competition.
If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306 Declaration of Federal Employment and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment dismissal after beginning work fine or imprisonment.
Background Investigation: To ensure the accomplishment of our mission DHS requires every employee to be reliable and trustworthy. To meet those standards all selected applicants must undergo and successfully pass a background investigation for Secret as a condition of placement in this Noncritical - Sensitive (Moderate Risk) position. This review may include financial issues such as delinquency in the payment of debts child support and/or tax obligations as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs.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:
IC
