General Engineer (Cost Engineer)

The Smithsonian Institution is the world's largest museum, education, and research complex, with 21 museums and the National Zoo. This position is located in the Office of Planning, Design and Construction (OPDC). The OPDC is responsible for the Smithsonian's physical infrastructure, which comprises over 700 buildings, other structures and leased spaces many which are designated as historic and all of which are visited by millions of people each year.

You must meet these Basic Education Requirements: (You must submit a copy of your transcript to show evidence of meeting this requirement in order to receive further consideration) 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:

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.) In addition to the basic qualification requirement above: Experience: You qualify for this position if you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-13 level in the Federal Service. For this position, specialized experience is defined as experience in cost management and estimating; leading a cross-function team to develop project scope, schedules, and costs using forecasting, scheduling techniques and risk analysis; and experience using concepts and principles of the construction industry and procurement strategies. Your resume must be no more than two (2) pages and should clearly demonstrate how your experience aligns with the responsibilities and specialized experience required for this position. Do not copy language directly from the vacancy announcement, as you will be deemed ineligible for consideration. Instead, provide detailed, descriptive information about your actual experience. 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. Part-time and/or unpaid experience related to this position will be considered to determine the total number of years and months of experience. Be sure to note the number of paid or unpaid hours worked each week. Special Instructions for Foreign Education: If you are qualifying by education and/or you have education completed in a foreign college/university described above, it is your responsibility to provide transcripts and proof of U.S. accreditation for foreign study. For instructions on where to fax these documents, see the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. Or a Combination: Education and experience may be combined to meet the basic qualifications; For a full explanation of this option please see the Qualification Standards. In an effort to streamline our hiring process, SI employees whose current position of record is in the same job series (801) and who are in a Federal competitive appointment as this advertised position, are not required to submit a transcript with your application package. However, if selected, you will be required to provide a copy of your transcript before your start date in the position. Time-in-Grade Requirements: Under competitive merit promotion procedures, any individual who is currently holding, or who has held within the previous 52 weeks, a General Schedule position under a non-temporary appointment in the competitive or excepted service, must meet "time-in-grade" requirements (have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade of the grade for which you are applying).

The General Engineer (Cost Engineer) will serve as the senior Cost Estimator with responsibility for providing expert advice and guidance on a comprehensive cost engineering program for the Facilities Capital Program, and the Repair, Restoration, and Alternation of Facilities Program within the Smithsonian Institution. In this position, you will: Provide professional and technical input during the preparation of cost estimates for major and minor construction projects. Participate in, and/or conducts Value Engineering (VE) studies in accordance with Public Law. Review, analyze, and negotiate contractor's proposals and bids to ensure quality and compliance with contract requirements and scope of work, and to arrive at an equitable contract amount. Resolve issues, problems, and complexities related to projects that could affect the project cost, such as incomplete scopes of work; construction schedules; and procurement methodologies. Prepare risk analysis of construction costs to assess the impact of political, economic or other pricing influences on construction projects. Delegate team members responsibilities in accordance with supervisor for accomplishing the goals and objectives of the division.