About this role
Job SummaryThis vacancy is to fill multiple General Engineer positions at the Department of Commerce, in the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), within the Export Administration (EA) in either of the these two offices: (1) Office of National Security Controls; or (2) Office of Nonproliferation and Foreign Policy Controls If interested, you are encouraged to apply!
QualificationsBasic 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: 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) 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). Specialized Experience Requirement: In addition to the education requirement described above, applicants must also 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. To qualify at the GS-13 grade level, you must possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as: Applying engineering experience to analyze policies associated with commodities or technologies relevant to one or more of the following areas: advanced computing; advanced engineering materials; advanced gas turbine engine technologies; advanced and network sensing and signature management; advanced manufacturing; artificial intelligence; biotechnologies; clean energy generation and storage; data privacy, data security, and cybersecurity; directed energy; highly automated, autonomous, uncrewed systems, and robotics; human-machine interfaces, hypersonics, integrated communication and network technologies, position, navigation and timing (PNT) technologies; quantum information and enabling technologies; semiconductors and microelectronics; sensors, lasers systems, optics, or space technologies and systems; Collaborating with engineering and program management personnel on engineering projects that integrate technologies or disciplines across a wide range of commodities and engineering areas; and Preparing technical analyses, summaries, or reports and communicating technical information to any of the following: leadership, internal stakeholders, external stakeholders, or other relevant audiences to explain engineering concepts, assessment results, or policy-related considerations. The specialized experience must be demonstrated in the resume. 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 DutiesAs a General Engineer, you will perform the following duties: Serves as a technical expert applying engineering methods to evaluate Machine Learning (ML) systems, including algorithms, data pipelines, evaluation metrics, and technical specifications of computing chips, advanced computers, encryption, cloud services, semiconductor manufacturing equipment, sensors, lasers systems, optics, and AI systems. Analyzes and processes U.S. export control license applications and commodity classification requests for items controlled for national security purposes under the EAR; reviews prior case decisions, including license history, approvals, and denials, to support determinations. Monitors technology transfer developments and conducts analysis to develop recommendations that strengthen export control policy and maintain a sound technical foundation; proposes options to senior officials to resolve complex interagency issues. Provides technical guidance and responds to detailed inquiries from internal and external stakeholders, including federal agencies, industry representatives, and the public, using expertise in export control regulations and related technical domains. Establishes and maintains professional relationships with exporters and manufacturers to provide technical advice on transactions and remain informed of developments in relevant technologies and industries. This Job Opportunity Announcement may be used to fill other General Engineer GS-0801-13, full performance level GS-14 positions, the Department of Commerce in the same geographical location or local commuting area with the same qualifications and specialized experience.RequirementsYou must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position. This position requires a TOP SECRET/SCI CLEARANCE. 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 or possession of drugs. A 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 Education Requirement: Yes (See the Qualifications section of this announcement.) Drug Test Required: This position is subject to pre-employment drug testing and random drug testing thereafter. Pre-employment physical required: No