Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to: U.S. Citizens and Civilian federal employees currently at the GS/GG-13 level, equivalent, or those who want to take a Voluntary Change to Lower Grade

The NRO will make selections at the GG-13 level for this position

FOR CURRENT CIVILIAN FEDERAL EMPLOYEES APPLYING PLEASE SEE THE QUALIFICATIONS SECTION BELOW.

As a GENERAL ENGINEER you will be responsible for the following duties:

• Prepares, provides, and evaluates conventional plans, designs, design specifications, and related documentation.
• Determines and/or executes actions for a wide range of assignments involving combinations of complex features.
• Provides findings and recommendations to senior colleagues and/or agency officials responsible for broad program operations.
• Serves as an authoritative expert and consultant on a broad program, a highly specialized field, or for assignments which affects national or international interests.
• Manages issues and risks to balance lifecycle cost, schedule, and technical performance.
• Makes decisions and executes and/or directs actions exploring, reconciling, and resolving major uncertainties, unique situations, obscure problems, or conflicting objectives typically resulting from the abstract nature of the concepts or the existence of serious conflicts among scientific requirements, technological developments, standards, program direction, and administrative requirements; Evaluates the value and applicability .of new or improved technology, strategies, trends, or applications.
• Plans, develops, advises on, and implements crucial projects and/or segments of NRO programs, projects, or activities.

Conditions of employment

• Must be a US citizen
• Male born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service http://www.sss.gov
• Resume and supporting documents received by 11:59PM EST will be considered
• This is a Drug Testing designated position
• Position is a (DCIPS) position in the Excepted Service under U.S.C. 1601
• Must obtain/maintain Critical Sensitive TS/SCI clearance w/polygraph
• WORK SCHEDULE: Full Time
• OVERTIME: Occasionally
• TOUR OF DUTY: Flexible
• PCS (Permanent Change of Station): Not Authorized.
• FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT (FLSA): Exempt
• FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE: Required
• TELEWORK ELIGIBILITY: This position is NOT telework eligible
• SELECTIVE SERVICE REQUIREMENT: For more information please visit: https://www.sss.gov/
• DAWIA: This is a Defense Acquisition Work Improvement Act (DAWIA) position.

Qualifications

This position is a Senior Level DCIPS position. DCIPS Senior level positions include GG-13. The NRO is only accepting applications from both Federal Government employees and non-Federal Government employees for this position. Federal government employees, who currently are GS/GG-13 or equivalent, may only apply for lateral reassignment at their current grade level and step.

***Federal applicants who exceed the advertised grade may voluntarily request acceptance at the lower grade IAW DoDI 1400.25 Volume 2006.

This position has a Basic Requirement 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:
1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

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 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.)

NOTE: An applicant who meets the basic requirements as specified in A or B above, except as noted under B.1., may qualify for positions in any branch of engineering unless selective factors indicate otherwise.

*NOTE: Failure to provide transcripts will result in you being rated ineligible for this position.

The experience described in your resume will be evaluated and screened from the Office of Personnel Management's (OPMs) basic qualifications requirements. See: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0800/general-engineering-series-0801/ for OPM qualification standards, competencies and specialized experience needed to perform the duties of the position as described in the MAJOR DUTIES and QUALIFICATIONS sections of this announcement by 02/24/2020

Applicant must have directly applicable experience that demonstrates the possession of the knowledge, skills, abilities and competencies necessary for immediate success in the position. Qualifying experience may have been acquired in any public or private sector job, but will clearly demonstrate past experience in the application of the particular competencies/knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to successfully perform the duties of the position. Such experience is typically in or directly related to the work of the position to be filled. Experience must be reflected in your resume.

Specialized experience required for this position is:

• Comprehension of multidisciplinary engineering or related engineering/technical discipline, concepts, principles, practices, standards, methods, techniques, materials, and equipment sufficient to apply experimental theories, principles, and concepts to project development, execution, and advisory services.
• Demonstrated interpersonal, organizational, and management skills to conceptualize and effectively lead complex analytic projects with limited supervision.
• Ability to prepare analytical assessments and other written products with emphasis on clear organization, concise, logical presentation to include an assessment or recommendation supported by data and research; Prepares analytic, diagnostic, and qualitative techniques sufficient to produce authoritative analytical products (such as test plans and final reports), and the ability to employ new methodological approaches to analyze information.
• Assesses issues and risks to balance lifecycle cost, schedule, and technical performance
• Familiarity with systems engineering (space and ground systems) principles and architecture; Skilled Program or technical management expertise (i.e., cost, performance, schedule, and technical reporting) to accomplish the duties and responsibilities of the position.

1. Organizational Awareness
2. General Engineering
3. Design and Development Engineering
4. Project/Program Management
5. Systems Acquisition
6. Test and Evaluation
7. Oral Communication

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Once the application process is complete, a review of your application will be made to ensure you meet the job requirements. To determine if you are qualified for this job, a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the occupational questionnaire. The numeric rating you receive is based on your responses to the questionnaire. The score is a measure of the degree to which your background matches the knowledge, skills and abilities required of this position. If, after reviewing your resume and or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, your score can and will be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating.