This is an excepted service appointment under the Pathways Recent Graduate (RG) Program. After successful completion of the program requirements, the RG MAY at agency discretion be converted to a career or career-conditional appointment. Please note this is NOT a remote position but it is eligible for some telework. You will have to report to the duty station you are selected for.

Duties

This position is an interdisciplinary position that encompasses two series. It covers both the 0801 General Engineer and 1301 Physical Scientist position. The following are the duties of this position at the GS-12. Since you will be selected at a lower grade level, you will have the opportunity to learn to perform all these duties and will receive training to help you grow in this position. As a General Engineer or Physical Scientist, you will: Research, analyze, interpret, evaluate, and carry out difficult but conventional scientific and/or engineering assignments in support of the Department of Energy programs/projects. Conduct preliminary scientific and/or engineering analyses to assist higher graded Federal scientists and engineers in accomplishing work on large and complicated projects. Review reports, plans, specifications, change orders, modifications, and other documents prepared by others and apply knowledge of technological advances in the appropriate scientific and/or engineering discipline (e.g. Chemistry, Physics, Nuclear Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Geophysics, Geology, Hydrology, etc.) to identify discrepancies or potential issues. Prepare, provide, and evaluate conventional plans, designs, design specifications, and related documentation to support higher level scientific and/or engineering efforts. Attend organizational unit and intradepartmental meetings to plan, coordinate, or advise on scientific and/or engineering work efforts, and to identify solutions to typical issues or operating problems.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. Citizen, National, or Foreign National who meets both Immigration and Annual Appropriations Laws.
• This employer participates in the e-Verify program.
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for Selective Service.
• Suitable for Federal employment, as determined by a background investigation.
• A Pathways Recent Graduate Participant Agreement is required.
• Recent Graduates serve a trial period for the entire duration of their excepted service appointment.
• Applicants must provide documentation of completion within the previous 2 years of a qualifying associates, bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution.
• Veterans precluded by a military service obligation have up to 6 years after completion of degree or certificate to apply.
• Students who will graduate within 4 months of the closing date of this announcement may also be considered; however, documentation of degree completion must be provided prior to appointment.

Qualifications

**Please note these series do have Basic Education Requirements that MUST be met. These are listed in the Education portion of the vacancy announcement. There is one for the 0801 series and one for the 1301 series.** You must meet the eligibility and qualifications within 4 months of the closing date of this announcement. For the GS-09: You must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience for this position at the GS-9 includes: Assisting in identifying issues in engineering or scientific projects. OR YOU MAY QUALIFY FOR THE GS-9 BASED ON EDUCATION: 2 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree. Graduate education must provide the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform in the position. OR YOU MAY QUALIFY FOR THE GS-9 BASED ON A COMBINATIN OF EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE: You may qualify on a combination of education and experience, the total percentage of experience at the required grade level compared to the specialized experience requirement, as well as the percentage of completed education compared to the educational requirement must equal at least 100 percent. Only graduate level education in excess of the first 18 semester hours (27 quarter hours) may be combined to be considered for qualifying education. For the GS-11: You must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience for this position at the GS-11 includes: Identifying issues which could have an impact on engineering or scientific projects and making recommendations.; AND Gathering engineering or scientific information for technical reports. OR YOU MAY QUALIFY FOR THE GS-11 BASED ON EDUCATION: 3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree. Graduate education must provide the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform in the position. OR YOU MAY QUALIFY FOR THE GS-11 BASED ON A COMBINATIN OF EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE: You may qualify on a combination of education and experience, the total percentage of experience at the required grade level compared to the specialized experience requirement, as well as the percentage of completed education compared to the educational requirement must equal at least 100 percent. Only graduate level education in excess of 36 semester hours (54 quarter hours), may be used to combine education and experience. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED) Graduate education must be related to the position being filled and must show the knowledge, skills, and ability to perform in the position.

Education

To be eligible for the Pathways Recent Graduate program you must be a:

• Recent graduate who has completed, within the previous two years, a qualifying associates, bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution.

-OR-

• Student who within 4 months of the closing date of this announcement will meet the education requirements and will graduate with a qualifying associates, bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution. A student may not be appointed to a position until they have graduated.

-OR-

• Preference eligible veteran who was precluded from applying due to their military service obligation begin their two-year eligibility period upon release or discharge from active duty. Eligibility for these veterans cannot exceed six years after degree or certificate completion. You MUST submit a copy of the DD214 showing the duration and dates of service that precluded you from applying due to the military service obligation.

You must submit transcripts with your application for proof of education with degree conferred or expected date.

If substituting education for specialized experience you must submit proof of your qualifying education.

Education must be obtained from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Foreign education must be reviewed by an organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education and a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, see the Department of Education website.

Failure to provide college transcripts may result in a rating of 'Ineligible'.

You must meet the Basic Education Requirement listed below in order to qualify for the 0801 series:

Degree: Engineering. To be acceptable, the program must:

(1) lead to a bachelor's 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 Board's 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 bachelor's 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 bachelor's 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.)

You must meet the Basic Education Requirement listed below in order to qualify for the 1301 series:

Degree: physical science, engineering, or mathematics that included 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science such as mechanics, dynamics, properties of materials, and electronics.
or
Combination of education and experience -- education equivalent to one of the majors shown in A above that included at least 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

Contacts

• Address Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy - Headquarters P.O. Box 5088 Oak Ridge, TN 37831 US
• Name: Applicant Inquiries Pathways
• Email: [email protected]