Summary This is a Direct Hire Authority (DHA) solicitation utilizing the DHA for for Certain Personnel of the DoD Workforce to recruit and appoint qualified candidates to positions in the competitive service. About the Position: As a Mechanical Engineer for The Dalles Project you will be responsible for a variety of functions in support of the large hydropower plant, fish passage systems, navigation lock, spillway, levees, recreation and other features and equipment of a multi-purpose project. Responsibilities Systematically defines, designs, develops, monitors and refines the preventive and predictive maintenance process in pursuit of optimization. Coordinates with maintenance planners to ensure that preventive and predictive maintenance services and inspections are scheduled and performed when due. Advises and works with supervisors and crews to provide expeditious assistance and solutions to problems, including emergency situations or short term design needs. Ensures system check-out, functional tests and adjustment of newly installed equipment, modified equipment, or recently maintained equipment. Provides professional mechanical engineering expertise on operations and maintenance of mechanical equipment for multipurpose hydroelectric power facility. Develops and evaluates alternative choices for equipment modifications by studying new developments in the industry and integrating state-of-the-art technology into the evaluation of existing powerhouse, navigation lock and fish passage systems. Coordinates contractor work with Project activities. Resolves technical issues arising between contract specifications and existing conditions. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications Who May Apply: US Citizens In order to qualify, you must meet the education and/or experience requirements described below. 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; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document. BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS: A. 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- 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: 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.) In addition, to the Basic Requirements, you must also meet the Minimum Qualifications stated below- MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: GS-12 Specialized Experience: Your resume must demonstrate at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector performing the following type of work and/or tasks: Mechanical maintenance engineering experience to include the development of engineering solutions to repetitive failures and ensuring reliability and maintainability of equipment, and processes at various facilities. GS-11 Specialized Experience: Your resume must demonstrate at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service which includes experience applying theories, principles, concepts and methodologies of engineering, including performing the following types of duties: Mechanical maintenance engineering experience to include assisting with the development of engineering solutions to repetitive failures and ensuring reliability and maintainability of equipment, and processes at various facilities. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-09).-OR-Education: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position. -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) beyond the second year (total graduate semester hours minus 36) by 18. Add the two percentages. GS-9 Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes monitoring, reviewing, and post-processing the results of testing of mechanical engineering devices, components, and systems to ensure proper functionality and contract compliance; or, assisting in the inspection and evaluation of mechanical engineering devices, equipment or systems using established criteria. -OR- Education: Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position, such as: mechanical engineering. -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) beyond the first year (total graduate semester hours minus 18) by 18. Add the two percentages. Education All science or engineering courses offered in fulfillment of the above requirements must be acceptable for credit toward the completion of a standard 4-year professional curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree in science or engineering at an accredited college or university. For engineering degrees to be acceptable, the curriculum must be in a school of engineering with at least one curriculum accredited by the ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology) as a professional engineering curriculum. When there is a positive education requirement, or you are using education to qualify as a substitution for experience, transcripts (unofficial) are required at the time of application to verify that you meet the educational requirement or substitution. Only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education may be credited. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html. FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show 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 an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/ Additional Information Management may select at either grade level announced. You may be eligible for non-competitive promotion to target position upon meeting time-in-grade restrictions and the following requirements: (1) Demonstrated ability to perform at target grade level; (2) Higher level work exists at target grade level; (3) Increased responsibilities are assigned; (4) Supervisor recommends promotion; (5) All required training is completed and conditions of employment are met; and (6) Regulatory requirements for career ladder promotions are met. Consequently, promotion is not guaranteed. A Relocation Incentive may be considered. A Recruitment Incentive may be considered. Enhanced Leave Accrual may be considered. Advanced Rate of pay may be considered. Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration. You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship. One year trial/probationary period may be required. Direct Deposit of Pay is required. Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees. If you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant, see the information in the Reemployed Annuitant information sheet. This is an Engineers and Scientist Career Field position Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement. Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement. When you perform a Civilian Permanent Change of Station (PCS) with the government, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) considers the majority of your entitlements to be taxable. Visit https://www.dfas.mil/civilianemployees/civrelo/Civilian-Moving-Expenses-Tax-Deduction/ for more information. Payment of Permanent Change of Station (PCS) costs is authorized, subject to the provisions of the Joint Travel Regulations.