Summary Reclamation is seeking a career professional looking for an opportunity to capitalize on their expertise as a Civil Engineer (Geotechnical). Make a difference in the West by assisting in meeting increasing water demands while protecting the environment. Duty Location: Lakewood, Colorado GS-07 Salary: $69,946-$82,537. GS-09 Salary: $85,552-$100,951. GS-11 Salary: $103,507-$122,137. Responsibilities Job duties listed are at the full performance level. -Responsible for detailed planning, development, and completion of assigned geotechnical engineering design and analysis projects, especially embankment dams. -Assigns, prepares, or directs special technical studies on embankment dams, earth fill structures, and structure foundations in connection with construction and performance problems. -Initiates and prepares correspondence to the field and to outside agencies regarding the assigned geotechnical projects; contacts engineers in other groups for the purpose of coordinating data and information to be incorporated into the assigned project. Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen or U.S. National. You must be suitable for federal employment, determined by a background investigation. You must submit a resume and supporting documentation (see Required Documents). You must submit eligibility documents for veterans consideration (see Required Documents). You must meet any minimum education and/or experience requirements (see Qualifications). You must submit transcript(s) to verify education requirements (see Qualifications/Education). Please limit your resume to 5 pages. If more than 5 pages are submitted, only the first 5 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications. *This is an open continuous vacancy announcement opening. Applicants will be referred periodically throughout the announcement period until the positions are filled. The initial cut-off date for referral consideration is 12/26/2024 and as needed thereafter. Initial consideration will be given to candidates whose applications have been received by the first cut-off date. Qualification requirements must be met for those applications submitted by the first cut-off date. * Qualifications In order to qualify for this position, you must meet BOTH the Basic Qualification Requirement and Additional Qualification Requirements for each grade level described below. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience. A copy of your unofficial transcripts must be provided with your application. Basic Qualification Requirement: To be eligible for the position, you must possess one of the following: 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. -OR- 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. -OR- 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. -OR- 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.) ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENT In addition to meeting the basic education requirement, you must also meet one of the following for the specified grade level. Specialized experience is obtained after the requirements noted under 'Basic Qualifications Requirements' are met. In order to be rated as qualified for this position, the HR Office must be able to determine that you meet the education and specialized experience requirement - this information must be clearly supported in the resume. GS-07 A. Specialized Experience: 1 year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to at least the GS-05 level in the Federal Government or Private Sector. Specialized experiences include having familiarity with shallow and deep foundations, retaining wall design, stability analyses, seepage analyses, and other areas covered by geotechnical engineering. -or- B. Education: 1 year of graduate-level education or completion of a 5-year program of study of at least 160 semester hours leading to a bachelor's degree in engineering. -or- C. Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education (above a bachelors) and specialized experience may be used to qualify for this position if the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. -or- D. Superior Academic Achievement. Superior Academic Achievement is based on 1) class standing, 2) grade-point average, or 3) honor society membership. Specific requirements are: 1) Class Standing: Upper third of graduating class based on completed courses; 2a) Grade Point Average: 3.0 or higher as recorded on official transcript or as computed based on 4 years of education; 2b) based on courses completed during the final full 2 years of curriculum; or 2c) 3.5 or higher based on average of courses completed in the specific major field of study; or 3) Honor Society Membership: Election to membership in a national scholastic honor society listed in the Association of College Honor Societies, Booklet of Information, and/or Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities (membership in a freshman honor society cannot be used to meet it). GS-09 A. Specialized Experience: 1 year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to at least the GS-07 level in the Federal Government or Private Sector to include preparation of designs, analysis, layouts, and preparation of construction documents for one or more of the following: embankment dams, tailings dams, waste impoundments, and foundations for concrete dams, levees, or underground excavation support. -or- B. Education: 2 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree leading to such a degree in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position or completion of a 5-year program of study of at least 160 semester hours leading to a bachelor's degree in engineering in addition to having 1 year of appropriate professional experience. -or- C. Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education (noted in choice B) and specialized experience (noted in choice A) may be used to qualify for this position if 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. -Continued under Education- Education GS-11 A. Specialized Experience: 1 full year of specialized experience comparable in the scope and responsibility of the GS-09 grade level in the Federal Government or Private Sector. Specialized experience includes preparation of designs, analysis, layouts, and preparation of construction documents for one or more of the following: embankment dams, tailings dams, waste impoundments, and foundations for concrete dams, levees, or underground excavation support; and experience in preparing technical reports, gathering, and interpreting site geotechnical data, completing seismic site response analysis, and developing and/or applying geotechnical computer programs. -or- B. Education: 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position. -or- C. Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education (noted in choice B) and specialized experience (noted in choice A) may be used to qualify for this position if 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. You must include months, years and hours per week worked to receive credit for your work and/or volunteer experience. One year of specialized experience is equivalent to 12 months at 40 hours per week. Part-time hours are prorated. You will not receive any credit for experience that does not indicate exact hours per week or is listed as "varies". The superior academic achievement provision is to be used to determine eligibility for applicable GS-07 level positions of persons who have completed (or expect to complete within 9 months) all the requirements for bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with a qualifying grade point average (GPA), class standing, or honors society. For more information, visit OPM. 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). 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. You must meet all Eligibility and Qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors if applicable, by 03/10/2025. This vacancy announcement allows substituting education for experience at the GS-7/9/11 grade levels. You must submit a copy of college transcript(s) (unofficial copy is acceptable) to support claimed education if substituting education for experience. Transcripts must include the name of the college or university and date the degree was conferred. A typed list of courses, grades, semester/quarter hours, GPA, etc. will not be accepted. Non-submission may result in being rated not-qualified for the position. This position has a mandatory education requirement. You must submit a copy of college transcript(s) (unofficial copy is acceptable) to support claimed education if substituting education for experience. Transcripts must include the name of the college or university and date the degree was conferred. Non-submission will result in being rated not-qualified for the position. You will be required to provide official college transcripts to verify educational qualifications, if selected. An official transcript must be sent directly from the University's Registrar's office and must be provided from the institution awarding the degree. Academic transcripts certified by notary publics are NOT official. Official transcripts must be submitted prior to reporting to work as a condition of employment. Failure to submit official transcripts may be grounds for dismissal or rescission of the job offer. Accreditation: Only education from an accredited college or university recognized by the Department of Education is acceptable to meet education requirements or to substitute for experience, if applicable. For additional info, refer to the Office of Personnel Management and U.S. Department of Education. Foreign Education: To receive credit for education completed outside the United States, you must show proof that the education has been submitted to a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education has been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education programs. For additional info, refer to the U.S. Network for Education Information. Additional Information Initial consideration will be given to candidates whose applications have been received before the first cut-off date. Qualification requirements must be met for those applications submitted by the first cut-off date. You may be required to serve an initial probationary period. Current, permanent Federal employees who are selected from this announcement may be required to serve a probationary period. Reclamation has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework and you may be allowed to telework with supervisory approval. If otherwise eligible and qualified, you may be offered a recruitment incentive. The decision to offer an incentive will be made on a case-by-case basis and is neither promised nor guaranteed. For information, visit: Recruitment Incentive. If otherwise eligible and qualified, you may request consideration for a Superior Qualifications Appointment. For information, visit: OPM Fact Sheet. DOI uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including applicant rights and responsibilities, please visit https://www.e-verify.gov/ This position is designated as a LOW RISK position. It requires a fully completed and favorably adjudicated SF85 Background Investigation (T1 or equivalent) that is current (within the last 5 years). This is a condition of employment. Male applicants born after December 31, 1959 must certify registration with the Selective Service System or that the applicant is exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. Go to: https://www.sss.gov This is a non-bargaining unit position. Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement.