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Summary This position is located in the Architect of the Capitol (AOC), Office of the Chief Engineer, Energy and Design Services Division, Fire Protection and Mechanical Engineering Branch. The selectee will serve as a Fire Protection Engineer providing expertise in the design, construction and/or modification of fire protection systems, equipment, assemblies or buildings coming under the jurisdiction of the AOC. Responsibilities This is a career ladder position. The incumbent performs assignments progressively more difficult until the full performance level is reached. MAJOR DUTIES: New Construction and Renovation Planning and Evaluation Manages fire protection engineering portions of major new construction and/or renovation projects and incorporates fire protection design practices into all phases of design and construction; Ensures adequate fire protection and life safety requirements are incorporated into all segments of the project. Specifies and analyzes project design including a wide variety of fire protection systems for fire detection, containment, extinguishment, smoke control and evaluation. Participates in intermediate tests of fire protection systems and equipment in facilities and property. Develops innovative and economically satisfactory solutions to fire protection problems. Interprets guidelines, standards, policies and engineering criteria as established by national organizations. Plans and conducts advanced work in areas where fire protection criteria are not established. Investigates new developments in fire protection systems and applies them to existing facilities and new projects. Prepares designs for installation of or modifications to, fire alarms, fire detection and fire suppression and egress systems, to bring the systems into or maintain them in code compliance. Provides oversight and direction to associate architects and engineers performing surveys, studies, designs, etc., for the AOC. Data Analysis and Technical Guidance Makes field surveys of existing fire protection, mechanical or electrical installations when required for a specific hazard or project. Records and reviews field data in the form of sketches, drawings, calculations or other manner for the purpose of assessing and evaluating existing or proposed fire protection systems, equipment, assemblies or buildings and their conformance to nationally recognized and organizationally adopted codes, standards or directives with jurisdictional adopted codes, specifically in the code editions adopted by the AOC. Uses information from many engineering disciplines (e.g., fire protection, mechanical, electrical, civil, structural) to determine levels of safety. Helps prepare documents for a wide range of engineering products, either in the form of an invitation for bid or a purchase requisition. Prepares comprehensive technical reports, bulletins, and issuances for agency guidance, reflecting the results of research studies and tests of new fire protection equipment. Problem Resolution Uses advanced technical knowledge of the limitations of proven concepts and practices of fire prevention/protection systems, equipment and/or hardware to correctly evaluate problem resolution alternatives or the risk associated with using or replacing a nonconforming component. Ascertains proper performance on completed projects, as required during the investigative portion of a project or as assigned, performing thorough system testing in the form of airflow measurement and/or balance, heat transfer measurement, sound level testing and temperature measurement as applicable. Identifies, investigates and reports hardware, procedural and documentation problems, anomalies and discrepancies and monitors corrective action. Project Management Undertakes varied and complex project management duties in conjunction with coordinating project teams and making decisions affecting areas of responsibility that are controversial and precedent setting. Functions as a technical authority and staff specialist for fire protection projects of major size and complexity and for fire prevention/protection info. Reviews or directs the review of fire protection features of plans, specifications and analyses of design, as submitted by contracted and/or in-house engineers for accuracy and technical competency and approves such plans, specifications and analyses as appropriate and required. Acts as a Project Manager or Task Leader on assigned projects. Designs or directs the development of fire protection equipment or systems to meet specific requirements and coordinates with the appropriate personnel to ensure compliance with design schedules, material deliveries and construction schedules and inspects job progress and conformance to specifications as required. Contractor Oversight Examines plans, specifications, and cost estimates for technical adequacy. Reports progress and/or problems. Guides and evaluates contractor efforts and assesses technical progress in relation to the established schedule and resources allotted. Checks the submissions developed by and the performance of contractors to ensure compliance with contract documents and coordinates and negotiates with contractors as necessary when disputes arise. Accepts, adapts or declines completed A&E contractor work and evaluates overall performance. Performs other related duties as assigned. Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be able to pass a drug test. Your resume and question responses must demonstrate the job-related KSAs. You must meet the definition of specialized experience. You must meet the education required for Engineers 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. Qualifications 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 http://www.opm.gov/qualifications. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you 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. For the GS-13: Candidates for the GS-13 grade level must have at least 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower (GS-12) grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience must demonstrate at least 4 of the following: Managing the development and design of fire protection and life safety systems for a wide variety of building construction and renovation projects; Preparing designs for installation and/or modification of fire protection systems (e.g., detection, alarm, suppression, egress systems etc.); Reviewing drawings and specifications for building construction and renovation projects to ensure compliance with fire protection design standards, national and local codes, and industry standard design practices; Performing tests of fire protection systems and equipment in facilities and property; and Providing technical advice and guidance to management officials, engineers, external agencies and private industry personnel in the field of fire protection and life safety (e.g., design, modernization, operation, repair and maintenance systems and equipment etc.). For the GS-14: Candidates for the GS-14 grade level must have at least 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower (GS-13) grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience must demonstrate all of the following: Managing the development and design of fire protection and life safety systems for a wide variety of building construction and renovation projects; Preparing designs for installation and/or modification of fire protection systems (e.g., detection, alarm, suppression, egress systems etc.); Reviewing drawings and specifications for building construction and renovation projects to ensure compliance with fire protection design standards, national and local codes, and industry standard design practices; Performing tests of fire protection systems and equipment in facilities and property; and Providing technical advice and guidance to management officials, engineers, external agencies and private industry personnel in the field of fire protection and life safety (e.g., design, modernization, operation, repair and maintenance systems and equipment etc.). Education In addition to the required specialized experience, you must meet the following: Education Required for Engineers: 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: A thorough knowledge of the physical and mathematical sciences underlying engineering, and 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 For additional information on General Schedule Qualifications Standards for professional engineering positions, please visit: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0800/files/all-professional-engineering-positions-0800.pdf 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. Additional Information Welcome Veterans. The Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) gives veterans' preference rights in the legislative branch to certain veterans as applied by the Congressional Accountability Act. Veterans' preference is applied on this vacancy announcement. If you are a veteran and have been separated under honorable conditions, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 or other proof of eligibility; SF-15, if applicable; and Department of Veterans Affairs documentation of disability, if applicable. For more information, please visit OPM vet guide If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System. If you are exempt from registration under Selective Service Law, you must provide appropriate proof of exemption. Please visit the Selective Service System website for more information. DRUG TESTING: The Architect of the Capitol (AOC) is a Drug Free Workplace. As part of the AOC’s suitability assessment, a candidate tentatively selected for a position who is not currently an AOC employee is required to submit to screening for illegal drug use. Satisfactory completion of a drug test is a condition of employment with the Agency. A candidate must test negative prior to being eligible for appointment into a position. We will schedule, provide and cover the cost for the drug test. The selectee(s) under the vacancy announcement for this position is subject to a criminal record check by the U.S. Capitol Police and satisfactory adjudication to be eligible for employment at the Architect of the Capitol. The Architect of the Capitol is an E-VERIFY Participant. E-VERIFY is an Internet-based system that compares information from an employee's Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to data from U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Social Security Administration records to confirm employment authorization in the United States. If you are selected for this position, the documentation that you present for purposes of completing the DHS Form I-9 will be verified through the DHS "E-VERIFY" electronic system. For more information on E-Verify, please visit http://www.dhs.gov/files/programs/gc_1185221678150.shtm The Architect of the Capitol is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information and/or disability. This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. Moving expenses are not authorized. Relocation expenses are not authorized. Probationary Period - A newly appointed selectee is subject to the completion of a one-year trial/probationary period, regardless of whether or not a trial/probationary period has been completed previously with the Architect of the Capitol or another Federal agency. This vacancy announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies in any of the jurisdictions of the Architect of the Capitol. All application materials become the property of the Architect of the Capitol. Note: Please be advised that federal retired annuitant candidates may only be considered as a temporary employee if the role can be filled in that capacity.