About This Position
Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), Office of the Assistant Secretary for Export Administration (EA), National Security and Controls (BIS/EA/ONSC) is seeking to fill a General Engineer position serves as a senior technical advisor, within the Department of Commerce. If interested in this opportunity, you are encouraged to apply!
Qualifications
Basic Education Requirement: 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) 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). Specialized Experience Requirement: To qualify at the GS-15 grade level, you must possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-14 in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as: Applied engineering expertise to independently evaluate complex dual-use exports, assess technology transfer risks, and develop technical policy guidance.
Led interagency and industry working groups, providing technical and policy advice on dual-use items and national security concerns. Analyzed and adjudicated export license applications and commodity classifications, ensuring technical accuracy and compliance with the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). Served as liaison with industry and federal stakeholders on export control issues, influencing policy development and regulatory decisions.
Qualification requirements in the vacancy announcements are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook, which contains federal qualification standards. This handbook is available on the Office of Personnel Management's website located at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/#url=Occupational-Series Applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the next lower grade level in the Federal Service.
Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular competencies/knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. This experience need not have been in the federal government. 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.
Major Duties
As a General Engineer, you will perform the following duties: Using engineering skills and technical expertise, develops and formulates regulatory policy, evaluation of proposed exports, and remediation of technical and policy disputes between interested parties and the areas of semi-conductor manufacturing. Provides leadership and expert technical and policy advice to inter and intra agency groups such as the Advisory Committee on Export Policy (ACEP), and Wassenaar Arrangement Expert Group (WAEG) on matters pertaining to area of expertise. Analyzes and processes U.S. export control license applications and commodity classification requests for items that are controlled for national security reasons in accordance with the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) using electronic databases.
Coordinates meetings of government and industry experts to solve issues and develop proposals for the control and decontrol of dual use items. Addresses the most complex and detailed questions from varying audiences to include peers, representatives from federal agencies or professional organizations or industries, and the public, utilizing engineering skills and knowledge gleaned from Export Administration Regulations (EAR).
This Job Opportunity Announcement may be used to fill other General Engineer GS-0801-15 full performance level, GS-15 positions within the Department of Commerce in the same geographical location with the same qualifications and specialized experience.
Conditions of Employment
You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.
This position requires a TOP SECRET/SCI CLEARANCE.
You must be able to obtain and maintain the required clearance.
You must successfully pass a background investigation. This may include a credit check, a review of financial issues, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use of possession of drugs. A supervisory probationary period may be required.
Selective Service: Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see https://www.sss.gov/). If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application. All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
Bargaining Unit Position: No Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE form 450): Yes Permanent Change of Duty Station (PCS) Expense: will not be paid License required: No Drug Test Required: You will be required to submit to a pre-appointment drug test screening for illegal drug use prior to appointment IF you are not currently in a position that requires drug testing; and random drug testing at any time after appointment. Pre-employment physical required: No Two-Page Resume Limit: Resumes must not be more than two standard single-sided pages (or one page if submitting a front and back and back, hard-copy). Time-in-grade/band requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.
Education
There is a positive education requirement for this position. See the Qualifications, section above, and the Required Documents section regarding transcripts.
NOTE: Special Instructions for Foreign Education: Qualifying education from colleges and universities in foreign countries must be evaluated in terms of equivalency to that acquired in U.S. colleges and universities. Applicants educated in whole or in part in foreign countries must submit sufficient evidence, including transcripts, to an accredited private organization for an equivalency evaluation of course work and degree.
You MUST provide a copy of the letter containing the results of the equivalency evaluation with a course by course listing along with your application. Failure to provide such documentation when requested will result in lost consideration.
How You Will Be Evaluated
We will review your resume, optional cover letter, and supporting documentation (such as transcripts) to determine whether you meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position. If you meet the minimum qualifications stated in the vacancy announcement, your two-page resume will undergo a structured resume review. During this process, subject matter experts will evaluate your resume using standardized criteria to assess the extent to which your experience demonstrates the specialized experience required for the position.
Applicants who demonstrate the required specialized experience during the structured resume review will be advanced to the next stage of the assessment process and invited to participate in a structured interview. During the interview, candidates will be asked a standardized set of job-related questions designed to assess competencies important for the position. The hiring manager will make the final selection from among candidates who successfully complete the evaluation process and are referred.
The scored occupational questionnaire will evaluate you on the following competencies; please do not provide a separate written response: Technical Competence (General Engineer) Leadership Compliance Influencing and Negotiating Communication If applicable, performance appraisals and/or Incentive award documentation may be submitted and will be forwarded to the selecting official as support in consideration of your application in the evaluation process. To receive due weight, you must submit a recent performance appraisal (dated within 18 months) showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable (do not submit a performance plan) and/or incentive award documentation (i.e. superior performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increases, etc.). Due weight shall be given to performance appraisals and awards in accordance with 5 CFR 335.103(b)(3), during the interview/selection process conducted by the hiring manager.
Do NOT include the following types of information in your resume/application. If any are included, you will be deemed INELIGIBLE for consideration. Classified or government sensitive information Social Security Number (SSN) Photos of yourself Personal information, such as age, gender, religious affiliation, etc.
We recommend that you preview the online questions for this announcement before you start the application process. To preview the questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12905441
Additional Information
The following links provide information on various hiring authorities that do not fall under competitive examining procedures; however, they may enable you to apply through merit assignment procedures, or be eligible for a non-competitive appointment. Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) CTAP Eligibles: CTAP will be eligible if it is determined that they have exceeded the minimum qualifications for the position by attaining at least a rating of 85 out of 100. Information about CTAP eligibility is on the Office of Personnel Management's Career Transition Resources website at: Employee Guide to Career Transition Reasonable Accommodations (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application.
Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments.
You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.
How to Apply
Your complete application, including required documents, must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement. To apply on-line, you must complete and submit an application by accessing the USAJOBS website at http://www.usajobs.gov.
To begin, click the Apply button and follow the prompts to register/sign-in into your USAJOBS account, answer the questions, and submit all required documents. To return to your saved application, log in to your USAJOBS account at http://www.usajobs.gov and click on "Application Status." Click on the position title, and then select Apply to continue. For instructions on submitting your application in an alternate format, please contact the Agency Contact listed in this vacancy announcement.
Required Documents
A complete application consists of the following: Resume showing relevant experience; cover letter optional.
Your resume should list your educational and work experience including the dates (mm/dd/yy) of each employment along with the number of hours worked per week.
Your resume may be used to validate your responses to the scored occupational questionnaire.
Your resume should also indicate your citizenship and if you are registered with the Selective Service System if you are a male born after 12/31/59. Refer to the "How you will be Evaluated' section for types of information not to include in your resume/application. SF-50, "Notification of Personnel Action," supporting your eligibility, showing tenure code, position occupied and highest grade and step.
If applicable, performance appraisals and/or Incentive award documentation may be submitted and will be forwarded to the selecting official as support in consideration of your application in the evaluation process. To receive due weight, you must submit a recent performance appraisal (dated within 18 months) showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable (do not submit a performance plan) and/or incentive award documentation (i.e. superior performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increases, etc.) Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), if applicable (see the Additional Information section). Education.
This position requires proof of higher education.
You must submit an unofficial or official transcript or a list of courses that includes the following information: name of accredited institution, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. Please refer to http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/policy/ApplicationOfStds-04.asp for more information.
Are you a current or former political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee? Submit a copy of your applicable SF-50, along with a statement that provides the following information regarding your most recent political appointment: Position title; Type of appointment (Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee); Agency; and Beginning and ending dates of appointment. You are not required to submit official documents at this time; copies are sufficient.
Failure to provide such documents when requested may result in lost consideration. Special Instructions for Foreign Education: Qualifying education from colleges and universities in foreign countries must be evaluated in terms of equivalency to that acquired in U.S. colleges and universities. Applicants educated in whole or in part in foreign countries must submit sufficient evidence, including transcripts, to an accredited private organization for an equivalency evaluation of course work and degree.
A listing of these accredited organizations can be found on the Department of Education's website - http://www.ed.gov/international/usnei/us/workrecog.doc.
You MUST provide a copy of the letter containing the results of the equivalency evaluation with a course by course listing along with your application. Failure to provide such documentation when requested will result in lost consideration.