Civil Engineer/Hydraulic Engineer, GS-0810
Definitions:
EXPERIENCE: One year of work experience is twelve months working full-time (at least 35-40 hours per week). Part-time experience can be pro-rated (i.e., a year at 20 hours per week is credited as 6 months of experience). If your position consisted of mixed duties, experience credit is given for the percentage of time that you spent on qualifying duties (i.e., if you held a position for 2 years, full-time, consisting of 25% personnel work and 75% budget work, and then applied for a budget position you could calculate your experience as follows: 2 yrs = 24 months. 24 months x 75% [percentage of time spent on budget duties] = 18 months of qualifying experience.)
UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION: A year of undergraduate education is 30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours or the equivalent of college study. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university for which high school graduation or the equivalent was a prerequisite.
GRADUATE EDUCATION: In the absence of specific graduate program information, a year of graduate education is 18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours of graduate level college course work, or the number of credit hours the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full time study. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university.
For GS-5:
BASIC REQUIREMENTS: Applicants must meet the requirements outlined in either A or B below to satisfy the basic requirements for Civil Engineer/Hydraulic Engineer, all grade levels. A. 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 B. ALTERNATIVE METHODS OF QUALIFYING: In lieu of meeting the specific educational requirements listed above, applicants may substitute four years of 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. This knowledge and understanding must be equivalent to that provided by a full 4-year professional engineering curriculum. ***The adequacy of such background MUST be demonstrated by one of the following: 1. 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 (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; or 2. Written Test - Evidence of having successfully passed the Engineer-in-Training (EIT) examination, or the written test required for professional engineering registration; or
(**NOTE: Applicants who have passed the EIT examination and have completed all the requirements for either (a) a bachelor's degree in engineering technology (BET) from an accredited college or university that included 60 semester hrs. of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences, or (b) a BET from a program accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering & Technology (ABET) may be rated eligible for certain engineering positions at GS-5. Eligibility is limited to positions that are within or closely related to the specialty field of the engineering technology program. Applicants for positions that involve highly technical research, development, or similar functions requiring an advanced level of competence in basic science must meet the basic requirements specified in paragraph "A" above.) 3. 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 "A" above: i.e., differential and integral calculus and courses in five of the seven areas of engineering science or physics as listed under "A" of the basic requirements above as (a) through (g). The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of a professional engineering curriculum as described in "A" above; or 4. 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 also have at least 1 year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance.
For GS-7:
In addition to the basic requirements as stated above, applicants must meet one of the following to qualify for the GS-07 level:
**Applicants with a professional engineering degree who have appropriate experience as an engineering technician equivalent to GS-5 or higher may have such experience credited for GS-7 on a month-to-month basis up to a maximum of 12 months.
**OR successful completion of a 5-year program of study of a least 160 semester hours leading to a bachelor's degree in a professional engineering curriculum is qualifying.
**OR superior academic achievement at the baccalaureate level in a professional engineering curriculum is qualifying. (CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ON SUPERIOR ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT)
**OR one year of graduate level education in professional engineering (18 semester hours, 27 quarter hours or the equivalent); OR with a bachelor's degree in professional engineering, one year of graduate education in a related field may be qualifying if it provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform successfully the work of the position to be filled.
**OR one year of professional engineering experience defined as nonroutine engineering work that required and was characterized by (1) professional knowledge of engineering; (2) professional ability to apply such knowledge to engineering problems; and (3) positive and continuing development of professional knowledge and ability. To be creditable, this professional engineering experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service and it must have equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position to be filled.
Examples of GS-05 level work may include: 1) applying basic formulas to routine hydraulic calculations; 2) collecting, retrieving, and interpreting hydrologic, hydraulic, and meteorological data; 2) assisting in conducting field surveys involving measurement of surface-water flow; and 3) assisting in the design and installation of hydrologic measuring devices; 4) providing assistance with drilling and pumping tests to determine hydraulic characteristics and properties. For examples 1-4, technical manuals, directives, and criteria were detailed and directly applicable to the work. Specific instructions as to what was required and relevant guidance was provided.
**OR a combination of successfully completed graduate level education, as described above, and professional engineering experience, as described above. (CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS ON HOW TO COMBINE GRADUATE EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE)
For GS-9:
In addition to the basic requirements as stated above, applicants must meet one of the following to qualify for the GS-09 level:
**A combination of superior academic achievement in a professional engineering curriculum and 1 year of appropriate professional engineering experience.
**OR successful completion of a 5-year program of study of at least 160 semester hours leading to a bachelor's degree in a professional engineering curriculum and one year of appropriate professional engineering experience is qualifying.
** OR two years of progressively higher level graduate education (36 semester hours, 54 quarter hours, or the equivalent) leading to a master's degree in professional engineering, or a master's or equivalent graduate degree in professional engineering; OR with a bachelor's degree in professional engineering the aforementioned graduate education may be in a related field of study if it provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position to be filled.
**OR one year of professional engineering experience defined as nonroutine engineering work that required and was characterized by (1) professional knowledge of engineering; (2) professional ability to apply such knowledge to engineering problems; and (3) positive and continuing development of professional knowledge and ability. To be creditable, this professional engineering experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service and it must have equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position to be filled.
Examples of GS-07 level work may include: 1) collecting and interpreting hydraulic data for use in the design of bridges, culverts, and other conveyance structures; 2) making measurements of the flow of streams at times under conditions of above average difficulty; 3) performing hydraulic analysis using documented hydrologic models; 4) conducting field surveys of bridge waterway openings, indirect stream flow measurement sites or flood profiles. For examples 1-4, the work was carried out using prescribed methods. Guidelines consisted of user guides, technical manuals, published standard procedures, precedents and detailed instructions. Judgment was used in selecting the most appropriate guidelines and techniques. Assignments were typically screened to eliminate difficult or unusual problems.
**OR a combination of successfully completed progressive graduate level education, as described above, that is beyond the first year of graduate study and professional engineering experience, as described above. (CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS ON HOW TO COMBINE GRADUATE EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE)
For GS-11:
In addition to the basic requirements as stated above, applicants must meet one of the following to qualify for the GS-11 level:
**Three years of progressively higher level graduate education (54 semester hours, 81 quarter hours or the equivalent) leading to a Ph.D. degree in professional engineering or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in professional engineering; OR with a bachelor's degree in professional engineering the aforementioned graduate education may be in a related field of study if it provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position to be filled.
**OR one year of professional engineering experience defined as nonroutine engineering work that required and was characterized by (1) professional knowledge of engineering; (2) professional ability to apply such knowledge to engineering problems; and (3) positive and continuing development of professional knowledge and ability. To be creditable, this professional engineering experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service and it must have equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position to be filled. Examples of GS-9 level work may include: (1) conducting preliminary site investigations to obtain field data on such things as existing structures, drainage areas, topography, and feasible layout of facilities in relation to terrain; (2) preparing design criteria for smaller or less complex portions of facilities; (3) developing technical data for formal specifications regarding materials, sizes, dimensions, quantities and costs; (4) designing and constructing hydrologic measuring structures. For examples 1-4, the work was of a conventional nature, but often required consideration of and selection from several alternative approaches or solutions to problems to arrive at the best treatment from a technical standpoint and sometimes required substantial adaptation of standardized guides and criteria. Critical or overriding problems were referred to a higher authority for guidance or decision.
**OR a combination of successfully completed graduate level education, as described above, that is beyond the second year of progressive graduate study and professional engineering experience, as described above. (CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS ON HOW TO COMBINE GRADUATE EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE)
For GS-12:
In addition to the basic education requirements as stated above, applicants must have one year of appropriate professional experience that is equivalent to at least the GS-11 level in the Federal service.
At the GS-11 level, the engineer is well-versed in the standard theory and practices in the field and proceeds without technical instruction or guidance in applying these to conventional projects or pieces of work; receives assignments of conventional work with a general indication of results expected, and must identify the limits of the problems involved, the kinds of controlling data needed, and the criteria and techniques to be applied in accomplishing the assignment; and work often requires consideration of and selection from several alternative approaches or solutions to problems to arrive at the best treatment from a technical standpoint, and sometimes requires substantial adaptation of standardized guides and criteria. Some examples are: (1) preparing designs for structures appurtenant to flood control channels (diversion structures, high retaining walls, closed box channels, simple bridges); (2) developing competitive bidding cost estimates for a variety of civil works projects of multiple-use nature, or military construction projects in different geographic locations, with different climatic conditions and land characteristics; (3) preparing the preliminary, or planning, design and estimate for single-purpose buildings nature; (4) reconnoitering proposed routes and recommending final route selection for railroads or highways through public lands areas by field or aerial surveys; (5) utilizing given radiological safety criteria, preparing detailed designs for containers and facilities for shipping, handling, storage and disposal of radioactive materials; (6) preparing designs and specifications setting forth required capacity, size, location and materials and methods to be used in building varied roads, streets and allied structures in parks and recreational areas.
For GS-13:
In addition to the basic education requirements as stated above, applicants must have one year of appropriate professional experience that is equivalent to at least the GS-12 level in the Federal service.
At the GS-12 level, the engineer must not only be well-versed in standard theory and practices in the field, but must have gained further experience and know-how that provide the capability to identify and define the nature and scope of obscure problems, and to project assumptions and derive criteria from inconclusive or variable data; engages in intensive search and study of the approaches applied and results obtained, the findings of research and study of related problems, and manufacturer’s and laboratory reports on materials and equipment, or other similar sources of information; extends or modifies existing criteria or techniques or develops new approaches to the solution of problems; and may develop prototypes, models or other testing criteria and methods to try out or validate design assumptions and approaches. Some examples are: (1) individual work on advanced planning or design problems; (2) responsibility for coordinating or monitoring planning and design work that is largely conventional in nature, but which encompasses a number of components or obscure problems; (3) responsibility for coordinating or monitoring planning and design work that is largely conventional in nature, but which encompasses a number of components or phases of project work.
For GS-14:
In addition to the basic education requirements as stated above, applicants must have one year of appropriate professional experience that is equivalent to at least the GS-13 level in the Federal service.
At the GS-13 level, the engineer functions as the technically responsible specialist (in a subject matter or functional area or on a type of facility) in an organization in which their field constitutes a major activity and present problems of significant depth and complexity; develops procedures and standards for carrying out their specialty in the organization, and represents the organization with authority on technical engineering matters within the specialty; individually performs advanced work relating to difficult or critical problems, and often leads the efforts of a team carrying out broad project assignments with emphasis in the area of specialization; must apply perception and analysis in depth of the variety of interrelated and conflicting conditions present in projects; applies experienced judgment in selecting optimum planning and design approaches from a technical, economic, and public need standpoint; and outstanding skill in representing the activity in connection with the assigned project, presenting and explaining controlling policies, objectives and needs to cooperating or concerned authorities, agencies, and groups. Specific examples are: (1) serving as soils and pavement specialist for airfields constructed in a number of locations in a regional area of the United States and on islands in the neighboring ocean, requiring attention to a variety of soil and terrain types; safety issues; tolerances; (2) coordinating the site investigation and planning for construction of systems and facilities to develop a river basin (normally including substantial areas in several States) for purposes of water conservation and supply, flood control, power development, irrigation, fish preservation, and recreational use, taking into account economic implications, various types of development, concerns of various special interest groups, etc.; (3) coordinating the development of the designs for the ater-controlling elements of a system of large multipurpose projects (for flood control, production of hydroelectric power, water supply and navigation, taking into account extreme variations in the amount and frequency of rainfall, the topography and the soil characteristics along the river basin involved, and unusual sediment loads and pollutive conditions in the main stream and tributaries these variations pose great difficulty in determining the operating limits and requirements of the components of the system; and other complicating factors; (4) using an extensive knowledge of engineering methods, practices, equipment and materials, developing comparative engineering cost analyses and estimates that serve as the basis for (a) selection of design standards and construction systems for a nationwide hospital construction program, (b) Congressional appropriations for approved projects, and (c) negotiation of settlements on construction contract changes.
For GS-15:
In addition to the basic education requirements as stated above, applicants must have one year of appropriate professional experience that is equivalent to at least the GS-14 level in the Federal service.
At the GS-14 level, the engineer functions as an authoritative source of theoretical expertise and practical “know-how” throughout the employing agency, (e.g., a Bureau or national organization) in a function or program, subject-matter area, or a category of facilities; his/her specialty encompasses projects or programs of major significance, for which controlling theory and practices are in great measure undefined, or in which the operating requirements or engineering methods and practices are in a state of development or are affected extensively by advances in technology; devises net theoretical approaches for developing criteria and solving problems, develops standard engineering methods and procedures covering agency operations within specialty area, and gives technical review to such operations carried out in diverse locations and circumstances. Some examples are: (1) functioning as an expert in costal and estuary protection works, where the constantly, and sometimes greatly changing physical environment presents many variables and unknowns in planning and design criteria and critical problems with respect to costs and economics; (2) serving as an authoritative source within the agency or organization on theory and procedures for making stress analyses of concrete structures that depend on stress rather than weight for stability; plans and carries out investigations to improve or develop new procedures for the train load method of analysis, adapts broad principles of the theory of elasticity to specific problems of analysis to determine effects of temperature changes and seismic forces on stresses and stability, and applies mathematical processes of analysis through automatic data processing; and furnishes expert testimony at hearings on matters pertaining to safety and stability of structures.