General Engineer

Washington, District of Columbia
Full-time Security Clearance: Not Required
Application Deadline:
2026-09-01
Posted:
2026-08-15

About 2 weeks left

Salary: $102,415 – $158,322 per year (GS-12/13)

Salary context

Based on 164 annual-salary jobs in the same occupational series. This role pays around the middle of similar positions.

Job Details

Position Overview

This position is located in the Architect of the Capitol (AOC); Office of the Chief Operating Officer, Executive Director of Facilities Operations, House Office Buildings (HOB); Tenant Services Division. The incumbent serves as a General Engineer, assisting the Director, Tenant Services Division in managing and administration of engineering projects in the HOB. Manages construction and renovation projects for HOB from planning to execution.

 

Duties

Tour of Duty: Monday - Friday; 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Duties are stated at the GS-12 level; this is a career ladder position requiring the employee to perform progressively more responsible duties and responsibilities on a gradual basis to develop skills in General Engineering to the GS-13 level.

Duties include, but are not limited to:

  • Plan various complex project management functions with project teams and make decisions affecting areas of responsibility that are precedent setting.
  • Serve as a technical specialist and a key source of information for assigned areas of accountability. 
  • Perform assessments to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of operations and recommend improvements to management.
  • Provide professional engineering expertise in evaluating the effectiveness and efficiency of operations and recommend improvements to management.
  • Prepare and update schedules for project delivery efforts, implementing a system for review, control and reporting.
  • Provide information for dissemination to Congress and other Capitol complex building occupants informed of the status of the various projects as required.
  • Provide technical design and management guidance to professional Architect/Engineers (A/E) firms.
  • Serve as the Contracting Officers Representative (COTR) for review of compliance with A/E contract specifications.
  • As a COTR, guide and evaluate contractor efforts and assess technical progress in relation to the established schedule and resources.
  • Review and evaluate shop drawings and progress schedules for conformance to technical specifications.
  • Assist in negotiating contracts and design changes with organizational elements of the agency, client, consultants and contractors.
  • Facilitate the resolution of project related issues and concerns that arise at the Jurisdiction Executive Director level.
  • Provide leadership of the project scope, schedule and budget concerns.
  • Develop or review overall specifications and costs for construction projects. 

Perform other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications & Requirements

You must meet the United States Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) qualification requirements (including specialized experience and/or educational requirements) for the advertised position. You must meet all eligibility and qualifications requirements by the closing date of the job announcement. Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualifications Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions. It is available for your review on the OPM web site at General Schedule Qualification Standards.

Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level.
 
Candidates for the GS-12 grade level must have at least 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as:

(1) Managing engineering projects from the preliminary planning stage through the design and construction phases;
(2) Performing project management and monitoring for new construction, renovations and improvements to facilities; and 
(3) Conducting studies to develop criteria for situations encountered during field inspections.

Candidates for the GS-13 grade level must have at least 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as:

(1) Serving as a Project Manager with responsibility for directing the development and managing the design and construction of a number of multi-million-dollar new construction and renovation projects;
(2) Providing guidance, technical advice and consultation on project administration; and 
(3) Directing the development and managing the design and construction of a number of multi-million-dollar new construction and renovation projects.

Education

In addition to meeting the specialized experience requirements for this position, applicants must possess the following:

1. Bachelor's degree in professional engineering: To be creditable, the curriculum must: (1) be in a school of engineering with at least one curriculum accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) as a professional engineering curriculum; 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: -- statics, dynamics; -- strength of materials (stress-strain relationships); -- fluid mechanics, hydraulics; -- thermodynamics; -- electrical fields and circuits; -- nature and properties of materials (relating particle and aggregate structure to properties); and -- any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics.

--OR--

2. 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 professional 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: (a) current registration as a professional engineer by any State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico; (b) evidence of having successfully passed the Engineer-in-Training (EIT) examination or the written test required for professional registration; (c) successful completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences that are fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of a professional engineering curriculum; or (d) successful completion of a curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree in engineering technology or in an appropriate professional field.

Special Instructions for Foreign Education

Education completed outside of the United States must be deemed equivalent to that gained in conventional/accredited U.S. education programs to be acceptable for Federal employment.

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 of 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 if selected

http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0800/general-engineering-series-0801/

 

Requirements

To be employed by the Architect of the Capitol in a paid position, an individual must meet one of the categories below:

  • A citizen of the United States;
  • A person who is lawfully admitted for permanent residence and is seeking citizenship as outlined in 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)(B);
  • A person who is admitted as a refugee under 8 U.S.C. 1157 or is granted asylum under 8 U.S.C. 1158 and has filed a declaration of intention to become a lawful permanent resident and then a citizen when eligible;
  • A person who owes allegiance to the United States (nationals of American Samoa, Swains Island, and the Northern Mariana Islands, and nationals who meet other requirements described in 8 U.S.C. 1408); or
  • A person who is currently an officer or employee of the Government of the United States.

Evaluations

Review your resume and responses carefully. Your eligibility for consideration and qualifications for the position will be determined based upon a review of your detailed resume and your responses to job specific self-assessment questions. 

Your resume will be evaluated based on evidence of your ability to demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) for this position, possession of any specialized experience, and how well your background and experience relate to the self-assessment questions in the job announcement. The self-assessment questions relate to the following knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies:

  • Technical knowledge of professional engineering concepts, principles, and practices of General, Civil, Mechanical, Chemical, Electrical, Fire Protection or Industrial disciplines.
  • Project Management - Knowledge of engineering design techniques, construction materials and methods, project management concepts and quality control.
  • Problem Solving - Skill in managing contractor oversight; i.e., evaluating plans, conditions and cost estimates for technical suitability.
  • Oral Communication- Write in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience.

Your responses to the self-assessment questions serve as the basis for your initial rating. You will receive a numerical score based on your responses to these questions. Next, your responses will be evaluated by a Human Resources Specialist and/or a subject matter expert against the information provided in your resume and optional cover letter. Your resume must support your answers to the self-assessment questions. 

Falsifying your background, education, and/or experience is cause for not hiring you or disqualification for further consideration.
Please note that a complete application is required for consideration. (Please review the “Required Documents” section of this job announcement to see what must be included in a complete application).


You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Required Documents

The Architect of the Capitol's (AOC) job application process is designed to ensure you only provide information necessary to evaluate your qualifications and eligibility for the position vacancy.

To apply for this position, you only need to submit: a) your resume and b) answers to the online vacancy assessment questionnaire. The online questionnaire contains eligibility and screening questions and other relevant information. No additional The Architect of the Capitol's (AOC) job application process is designed to ensure you only provide information necessary to evaluate your qualifications and eligibility for the position vacancy.

To apply for this position, you only need to submit: a) your resume and b) answers to the online vacancy assessment questionnaire. The online questionnaire contains eligibility and screening questions and other relevant information. No additional documentation or attachments are required at the time of application.

Your resume should list your education, training and work experience including job titles, employment dates, duties and accomplishments.

Nothing further is required until it is requested by AOC’s Human Capital Management Division. If additional documentation is required for the position, you will be asked to provide it during the interview or selection process. At that time, you may be asked to submit documentation to support statements made in your resume.

For example, you may be asked to provide a copy of your diploma, college transcripts, or proof of Federal employment status. If the position requires licensure or certification, you will be asked to provide proof at the time of selection.

If Veterans’ preference is claimed, you will be asked to submit proof (DD-214, and, if claiming a 10-point preference, a SF-15 and the proof required by that form).

Failure to provide the required documents will end further consideration and/or result in the withdrawal of any tentative job offers.

  • RESUME

How to Apply

You MUST apply online. FORMS RECEIVED BY FAX, EMAIL OR U.S. POSTAL SERVICE DELIVERY WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

If you are a new user to the USAJOBS Site and have never registered for an account; you will first need to create an account profile with your basic contact information and a resume to begin applying. You must be a registered USAJOBS user AND you must be signed-in to your account in order to apply for this position. For help with setting up an account or for general assistance in using USAJOBS, go to USAJOBS Help Page.
 
NEED HELP?
If you experience any difficulties with the application site, help is available! If you have problems completing your on-line application, contact the Monster Hiring Management Help Desk at 1-866-656-6831 or by e-mail at [email protected]. The help desk is available Monday - Friday 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time.  You may call and leave a voice mail message at all other times.

All required supporting documents will be collected electronically via the USAJOBS “Saved Documents” feature.

If you are unable to apply on-line, you may visit our Employment Center for technical assistance in entering your application. The Employment Center is located at 441 Second & D Streets S.W., Washington, D.C., Room H2-178, and is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. You may call (202) 226-7000 for directions.

You will receive a notice generated by the USAJOBS System when you have successfully submitted your application. We will review your application and transcript(s) (if you are qualifying based on education) to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements.  
 
You can check the status of your application by logging into http://www.usajobs.gov. You may also sign up to receive automatic emails anytime the status of your application has changed by logging into your USAJOBS Account, editing your profile and changing the ‘Notification Settings’ to indicate that you want to be notified by email when the status changes. Information regarding the status of your application should be updated in the system within two (2) weeks after the closing date of this vacancy announcement.