Civil Engineer (Structural)

Announcement Number: VK-16-KB-1718540-OCA-BU
Department: Department Of Veterans Affairs
Agency: Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration
Position Info: Full Time
Location(s): Palo Alto, CA
Open Period: 2016-06-15 to 2016-12-14

Overview

Who May Apply

Status Candidates (Merit Promotion and VEOA Eligibles)

Appointment Duration

Permanent

Job Status

Full Time

Agency Marketing Statement

Vacancy Identification Number (VIN) 1718540

Job Summary

OUR MISSION: To fulfill President Lincoln's promise "To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan" by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's Veterans. How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate care to Veterans?

The VA Palo Alto Health Care System (VAPAHCS) consists of three inpatient facilities located at Palo Alto, Menlo Park, and Livermore, plus seven outpatient clinics in San Jose, Fremont, Capitola, Monterey, Stockton, Modesto, and Sonora. These facilities provide some of the world's finest medical care and cutting-edge technology.

VAPAHCS is a teaching hospital with an affiliation with the Stanford University School of Medicine which provides a rich academic environment including medical training for physicians in virtually all specialties and subspecialties. Our Health Care System operates over 800 beds, including three nursing homes and a 100-bed homeless domiciliary - all to serve more than 67,000 enrolled Veterans.

You can learn more about VAPAHCS by visiting http://www.paloalto.va.gov/about

Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities [i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities], and/or Disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. Contact the Agency Contact on the last page of the JOA for information on how to apply under this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator.

For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.

***NOTE: Declining to be interviewed, failure to respond/accept interview attempts, or failure to report for a scheduled interview will be considered as a declination for further consideration for employment against this vacancy.***

Key Requirements

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job.
• Subject to a background/suitability investigation.
• Designated and/or random drug testing may be required.
• Time-in-grade restrictions MUST be met by the closing date.***
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.

Duties

Major Duties

The first list of eligible applicants will be pulled for referral on 06-29-2016. Subsequent referrals will be made every month after that date. Applications received after the first cut-off date, will be considered for the second cut-off, and so on throughout the life of the announcement and within your specific period of eligibility.

All applicants may receive consideration for 6 months from the date of eligibility. If you wish to be considered after that period, and the announcement is still open to receive applications, you must re-apply to indicate your continued interest.******

Work Schedule: Mon - Fri, 8:00am - 4:30pm

Position Description Title/PD#: Civil Engineer (Structural)/6400A

• A RELOCATION/RECRUITMENT BONUS HAS BEEN AUTHORIZED FOR HIGHLY QUALIFIED CANDIDATES***
  
  The incumbent of this position will serve in the Project Development Section, Office of Facility Planning and Development (OFPD), responsible to be a technical resource for the staff in their area of engineering expertise and a Project Engineer for complex projects. Position requires expert knowledge of civil and structural engineering principles including hydrology, geotechnical, statistics, dynamics, load and stress assessment, and seismic analysis.
  
  The major duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
  
  
• Project Management: Performs project management duties to lead multi-discipline design teams, or contracted design services in the preparation of complete design packages, and inproviding the full range of engineering/architect services in support of VA's design and construction program.
• Site Investigations: Conducts and directs the conduct of investigations of project sites to determine essential site information.
• Design: Evaluates design and construction objectives dealing with large and complex projects.
• Documentation and approvals: Performs professional review, assessment, and guidance by analyzing design development documents, resolving both simple and the more complex design problems, and preparing appropriate documents for VA project developmental approval.
  
  

Qualifications

Qualifications And Evaluation

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date TAG:Closing Date of this announcement.

Selective Placement Factor: This position includes a Selective Placement Factor (skill, knowledge, ability or other worker characteristic basic to - and essential for - satisfactory performance of the job). Selective Placement Factors are a prerequisite to appointment and represent minimum requirements for a position. Applicants who do not meet it are ineligible for further consideration.

The Selective Placement Factor for this position is: Experience in design, construction and activation of hospitals or medical clinics.

BasicRequirement

Degree: professional engineering. To be acceptable, 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: (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 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:

Professional registration - Current registration as a professional engineer 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 (NOTE: EVIDENCE OF PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATION MUST BE SUBMITTED WITH APPLICATION).

Written Test - Evidence of having successfully passed the Engineer-in-Training (EIT) examination, or the written test required for professional registration, which is administered by the Boards of Engineering Examiners in the various States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico. (NOTE: EVIDENCE OF SUCCESSFUL PASSING OF THE EIT EXAM MUST BE SUBMITTED WITH APPLICATION MATERIAL).

Specified academic courses - Successful completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences and in engineering that included the courses specified in the basic requirements. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of a professional engineering curriculum as described in paragraph A.

Related curriculum - Successful completion of a curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree in engineering technology or in an appropriate professional field, e.g., physics, chemistry, architecture, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, or geology, may be accepted in lieu of a degree in engineering, provided you have 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: TRANSCRIPT(S) MUST BE SUBMITTED WITH APPLICATION MATERIALS. CONFERRAL OF DEGREE(S) EARNED SHOULD BE PRESENT ON TRANSCRIPT(S). UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT(S) OK].

Specialized Experience: Applicants must have One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-12) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:

• Experience in project management and member of multi-discipline teams to accomplish design and construction objectives.
• Performs office and field duties of architectural/engineering
• Ability to review in-house and/or monitoring and managing contracted design of large and complex construction projects on sites with diverse climatic, geographic, and environmental conditions.

There is no educational substitution for the GS-13 level.

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; religions; 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

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education.

Requirements

Physical Requirements: The work of this position requires frequent walking, bending, lifting, and carrying light equipment. Occasional climbing and crawling is required. Work hours will often extend beyond the normal 8 hour day.

• Time-in-Grade Restriction: Applicants who are current Federal employees must meet time-in-grade (TIG) requirements. TIG means you have held a GS grade for 52 weeks [or are within two (2) pay periods/four (4) weeks of possessing 52 weeks] at the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-13 you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-12 level. Note: You must submit copies of all SF -50s to clearly demonstrate that you meet the 52 week time-in-grade requirement. Examples of SF-50s to include: Within Grade Increase(s), Promotion(s), and/or Appointment action(s).
  
  Evaluations
  
  IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.
  
  You will be rated on the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA's) based on your application for this position.
  
  KSA 1 Skill in project management and leading multidisciplinary teams.
  
  KSA 2 - Skill in coordinating complex hospital construction projects.
  
  KSA 3 - Skill in evaluating large, complex construction designs.
  
  KSA 4 - Ability to apply government regulations to procurement, contracting and budget preparation.
  
  KSA 5 - Ability to communicate verbally and in writing, skill using MS Projects, Computer Assisted Design (CAD), Building Information Management (BIM).
  
  If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview.
  
  Your résumé and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.
  
  How To Apply Information
  
  How To Apply
  
  All applicants are encouraged to apply online.
  
  To apply for this position, you must complete the View Occupational Questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
  
  The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on Wednesday, December 14, 2016 to receive consideration.
• To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
• Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.

NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.

To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.

To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.

Required Documents

All applicants are required to submit the following supporting documents based on applicability:

• Resume (Required for ALL applicants)
• DD-214 (if applying as a Veteran)
• Other Veterans Documents (if applicable - e.g. VBA Letter)
• SF-15 (if Veteran claiming 10 point preference)
• Non-Award SF-50 (VA, other Federal Employees, and Reinstatement eligibles)

In addition to the above documents, applicants may also submit the following:

• Cover Letter (Optional)
• OF-306 (Required if selected)

Please use this checklist to ensure you have included other documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), documentation to support Veterans Preference claims, or ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees). You will not be contacted for additional information.

Need help building your resume? Please visit USAJOBS - Support https://my.usajobs.gov/support#Account-Resumes for assistance.

What To Expect Next

After we receive application packages (including all required documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we will review applications to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. During our review, if your résumé and application package do not support your questionnaire answers, we will adjust your rating accordingly. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email (if provided); otherwise, applicants will receive a notification letter via the U.S. Postal Service. Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made.

You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USAJOBS account and clicking on "Application Status." For a more detailed update of your status, click on "more information." Information regarding applicant notification points can be found in the USAJobs Resource Center.

Benefits

Benefits And Other Information

VA offers a comprehensive benefits package. This link provides is an overview of the benefits currently offered: http://www.vacareers.va.gov/why-choose-va/benefits/index.asp.

VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.

Other Information

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation and be found well-qualified (have a final rating of 85 or more before any Veterans preference points) for this vacancy. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website.

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave : Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.