Job opening: Mechanical Engineer

Salary: $117 962 - 153 354 per year

Published at: Oct 07 2024

Company: Social Security Administration

Employment Type: Full-time

Serves as SSA's Mechanical Engineer responsible for planning, developing and conducting complex comprehensive agency-wide facilities planning and engineering. Provides coordination of stakeholders, planning and design consultation on sophisticated requirements for facilities with state-of-the-art technology, as well as electrical and mechanical equipment for commercial office buildings in spaces occupied by SSA personnel. See QUALIFICATIONS AND DUTIES for more information.

Duties

Serves as authoritative source for all mechanical guidance and consultation for SSA facilities nationwide. Expertise covers a wide range of heating, ventilation, air conditioning and other engineering services. Serves as project engineer on the mechanical aspects of building design, planning, modifications and upgrades. Keeps up with state-of-the-art of building technologies and mechanical and electrical engineering requirements. Reviews requests for proposals to assure compatibility with building capabilities and provides data for the preparation of Request for Proposals (RFP), which are issued to potential bidders. Serves as resource expert to component task forces and consulting firms performing studies of approaches and methods used to accomplish specific processes such as modernization retrofitting, troubleshooting and changes. Formulates strategy in planning for new and retrofitted space to meet new program equipment needs for general office space, computer areas and other special areas, taking into account reliability, energy conservation, security and health and safety. Prepares standard and technical reports, administrative memos, letters, and other forms of correspondence. Serves as agency wide expert on mechanical engineering techniques to SSA components and assists in and/or provides solutions to complex facility planning and engineering problems as they relate to program needs.

Requirements

U.S. Citizenship required. Selective Service Registration, if applicable (www.sss.gov).
Fingerprinting and background and/or security investigation may be required. Job offers are contingent on fingerprinting and background / security investigation results.
See QUALIFICATIONS, EDUCATION, ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED and REQUIRED DOCUMENTS for other important information.

Qualifications

To qualify for this GS-13 Mechanical Engineer position you must demonstrate: (1) the Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR) for the federal GS-0800 series -- AND -- (2) at least 52 weeks of Specialized Experience. (1) INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENT (IOR) A. Degree in Engineering from a school of engineering with at least one program accredited by ABET (see www.abet.org for information on engineering programs that have received accreditation) OR B. Degree in Engineering that includes 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: (1) statics, dynamics; (2) strength of materials (stress-strain relationships); (3) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (4) thermodynamics; (5) electrical fields and circuits; (6) nature and properties of materials (relating particle and aggregate structure to properties); and (7) any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics or electronics (highlight those courses on your transcript to ensure they receive consideration) OR C. Combination of education and experience comprised of college-level education, training AND technical experience that furnished (1) a thorough knowledge of the physical and mathematical sciences underlying engineering AND (2) a theoretical and practical understanding of engineering sciences and techniques and their applications to one of the branches of engineering. This claim must be based on one of the following and supporting documents must be submitted: (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, District of Columbia, Guam or Puerto Rico. (2) Written Test -- evidence of successfully passing the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam or other written test required for professional registration by an engineering licensure board in the various States, District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico. (3) Specific academic courses -- successful completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical and engineering sciences that included the courses specified in (2)(a)-(g) above. Courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program and must be highlighted on your transcript(s). (4) 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 you have 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. ONLY APPLICANTS WHO DEMONSTRATE THIS IOR WILL BE EVALUATED. (2) SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE must have been gained in a federal position at or above GS-12 OR (if your position/experience is in another federal pay scale OR outside of federal service) by performing duties at a level of responsibility and difficulty equivalent to GS-12. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE is work that primarily consists of planning, developing and conducting complex large-scale facilities planning and engineering projects and applying engineering theories, principles and practices to solve difficult and/or unique problems affecting large-scale facilities operations. If you have this experience, you must describe, in your own words, the specific duties you perform that demonstrate it. Since Specialized Experience also has a time component, it must be evident that the duties you describe are at the required level for at least 52 weeks. Reviewers cannot assume you perform duties you don't describe. An affirmative response to the online questionnaire is not sufficient to demonstrate experience. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS (IOR and Specialized Experience) must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Information on this job series can be found at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0800/files/all-professional-engineering-positions-0800.pdf CONDITIONS OF POSITION The work in this position is mostly sedentary; however, some walking, bending and climbing is required to inspect buildings at various stages of construction. Will occasionally visit and investigate onsite operations, repair and improvement or construction activities and be subject to related construction hazards, in particular, those associated with high voltage and electrical switch gear. Some travel is required to conduct studies and meet with regional and other field facilities.

Education

This position has an Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR) that must be met and demonstrated by all applicants (see QUALIFICATIONS).

To satisfy the IOR, submit a copy of your full transcript(s) and other applicable supporting documents, even if you already hold a federal 0800 series position.

DO NOT SUBMIT A DIPLOMA IN LIEU OF A FULL TRANSCRIPT THAT SHOWS THE REQUIRED INFORMATION.

TRANSCRIPTS MUST BE LEGIBLE or you may not receive credit for your degree or completed courses.

TRANSCRIPTS must show your name, the name of the school, the program in which you were enrolled and your degree in Engineering OR (if your degree isfrom a school of engineering that does not have at least one program accredited by ABET) completion of *creditable courses. If you attended more than one college or university, submit transcripts for all schools attended.

Transcripts that do not show that an Engineering Degree was conferred cannot be considered to have resulted in an Engineering Degree. Check your transcript to be sure this information is shown.

*Since course titles do not always indicate that a course pertains to a creditable curriculum:

-- Applicants claiming IOR Option B (differential and integral calculus and courses in five of the seven areas of engineering science or physics) should highlight qualifying courses to ensure they are given consideration.

-- Applicants claiming IOR Option C (combination of college-level education, training or technical experience) should also highlight relevant engineering courses to ensure that consideration is given to the college education portion of this requirement. NOTE that your experience under Option C must be in addition to the 52 weeks of Specialized Experience AND you must provide documentation that fully supports your claim. Read the information carefully.

Unofficial transcripts or screenshots of electronic/web transcripts with the required information will be accepted at the time of application. CHECK YOUR UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT TO CONFIRM IT SHOWS THE REQUIRED INFORMATION. You must upload your transcripts as part of your application. Documents will not be accepted via email or regular mail.

Foreign Education: If your transcripts show education completed in foreign colleges or universities, you must also provide documentation that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in a conventional/accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.

If selected, you may be required to provide your official college transcripts prior to the effective date of your appointment.