General Engineer
What you'd do
The Structures and Propulsion Branch conducts research to advance scientific knowledge to establish an operational environment that is free of accidents and fatalities. This is achieved by continuously improving the scientific understanding of aviation propulsion systems, atmospheric hazards such as aircraft icing, new structural materials in aircraft, and the necessary support to maintain older aircraft for safe operations.
Major duties
- Provide programmatic and technical support to the Aircraft Icing Research Program. This program conducts research on structural airframe icing in flight, ground deicing, and anti-icing prior to takeoff, and engine compressor icing due to the ingestion of ice particles into the engine core. - Perform experimental and analytical research to provide data and information that can be used in the development of physical models that represent the trajectory, impact, adhesion, accretion, and the release of ice crystal icing within a turbine engine compressor. - Works with other FAA colleagues to advance the safety of civil aviation in related propulsion areas. - Performs computational modeling in support of the Aircraft Icing Program and other research programs within the Aviation Research Division. This includes working on division-wide research initiatives by leading cross organizational teams and applying computational modeling, predictive analytics, data science, advanced statistical methods, aerospace and/or system engineering, and any multi-disciplinary scientific approach as needed by the Aviation Research Division. Called upon to provide leadership for highly complex and challenging activities under the minimal direction of a manager or executive. May act as a technical expert to develop new and innovative concepts, approaches, methodologies, techniques, and policies, or as a senior project manager or team leader for large, challenging work activities. Applies experience and comprehensive knowledge of general engineering principles, theories, and concepts, as well as an understanding of new technologies and methodologies, to perform critical tasks which require the development of new concepts or innovative approaches. Identifies and resolves highly complex problems or issues which often cross organizational boundaries and impact on the accomplishment of FAA's strategic objectives. Also predicts potential issues and proposes recommendations for preventive action. Typical assignments may include: system design and integration; extensive research; and direct responsibility for project program management. Applies knowledge of FAA's policies and objectives to identify, define, and organize work for multiple work activities. Acquires and allocates resources to accomplish work activities within established schedules. Contacts are internal and external. Often represents FAA as the primary technical authority for major projects, programs, and other areas of FAA responsibility. Formulates and recommends organizational reports or policies for internal and external audiences. Broad policies and objectives provide general guidance for addressing issues, but almost always require the development of new and innovative approaches. Often develop new policies, procedures, and approaches taking into consideration FAA policies, government-wide rules and regulations, and industry standards. Develops innovative approaches to attain organizational objectives and optimize resources. Conceives, plans, and conducts studies involving complex issues and unique problems. Seeks to continually learn from these duties and work with supervisor to ensure processes, methods, and systems applied are improved upon for future phases and shares with colleagues and other collaborators. Work is reviewed rarely, typically though status reports and at project completion, to ensure technical compliance and alignment with the requirements of the project or other work activity, final work is typically reviewed for success in achieving planned results.
What you need to qualify
To view the complete OPM qualification standard for the Group Coverage Qualification Standard for General Engineer, Series 801, please refer to: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0800/general-engineering-series-0801/ BASIC 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: 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.) To qualify for this position you must demonstrate in your application that you possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to FV-I, FG/GS 13. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. Specialized experience is: Experience leading experimental and analytical research on structural airframe icing in flight, ground deicing, and anti-icing prior to takeoff, and engine compressor icing due to the ingestion of ice particles into the engine core. Qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this vacancy announcement. The selecting official may decide to interview all, some or none of the candidates referred for consideration.
Before you apply
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