Civil Engineer - DIRECT HIRE

The employee is responsible for managing and promoting assigned Federal highway programs within the State or, as a shared resource, in multiple states. Provides engineering stewardship and oversight at various junctures of project and program delivery of Federal aid infrastructure projects within the state(s). The employee has the authority to commit the agency to actions on behalf of the Division Office(s) represented in line with delegations of authority.

Duties

• As a Civil Engineer, you will: Provides review of projects and/or programs in accordance with the Division's standard operating procedures and stewardship and oversight agreement. Provide advice and guidance in conformance with established Federal laws, regulations, and policies applicable to the Federal-aid highway program to State DOT officials and other Federal, State, and local agencies for assigned program areas. Respond to various requests and inquiries seeking information and guidance, in general, or on project-specific requests concerning Federal-aid highway programs within the state. Participate in and contribute to division program management activities including development of stewardship and oversight plans, conducting risk assessments, development of strategic operations and business plans, promotion of the implementation of a performance-based planning and programming process to partner agencies, and identification and tracking of performance measures and the associated reporting processes. Assist in determining if projects are being constructed to a desired quality and whether Federal aid construction funds are being expended in a manner consistent with applicable Federal laws and regulations. The ideal candidate is an engineer with experience monitoring Federally funded highway programs or delivering highway projects from initial scoping through construction support and maintenance; and experience conveying ideas and concepts to persuade others in meetings, discussions, and in writing.

Qualifications

To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must (1) meet the Education Requirement for the series, (2) provide a copy of transcripts for verification, AND (3) meet the specialized experience qualifications for the grade at which you are requesting consideration. To qualify for the GS-11 on Experience, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-09 it must include: Experience in planning, design, or construction of highway or transportation project features (such as roads and bridges) in accordance with engineering design and construction standards, principles and methods. To qualify for the GS-11 on Education alone, you must have: 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree. You can also qualify based on a combination of higher level graduate education and experience. This must be fully supported by your resume and transcripts, provided with your application. To qualify for the GS-12 on Experience, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-11 it must include: Experience in planning, design, or construction of highway or transportation project features (such as roads and bridges) in accordance with engineering design and construction standards, principles and methods. AND Experience in consultation with others, developing alternatives and helping to resolve engineering issues or conflicts that arise with processes or outcomes. You cannot qualify on education at the GS-12 level; you must have experience. KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas: Compliance - Knowledge of procedures for assessing, evaluating, and monitoring programs or projects for compliance with Federal laws, regulations, and guidance. Technical Credibility - Understands and appropriately applies principles, procedures, requirements, regulations, and policies related to specialized expertise. Oral Communication - Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately. Written Communication - Writes in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience. Transportation Engineering - Knowledge of the concepts, principles, theories, and methods applicable to planning, designing, and constructing of transportation systems including traffic analysis, signal analysis, highway capacity, pavement design, bridge construction, planning of transportation projects, environmental analysis of transportation facilities, and transportation network analysis. For all types of consideration, 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 For additional information about applying to Federal positions, please click on the following link: https://www.opm.gov/frequently-asked-questions/employment-faq/federal-hiring/how-do-i-apply-for-federal-jobs/ Students enrolled in a qualifying degree program can apply if the anticipated graduation date is within six months of closing date of the announcement. Graduation transcript must be received before start date. Other applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Announcement details

• Agency: Federal Highway Administration (Department of Transportation)
• Announcement number: FHWA.FO-2026-0029
• Series: 0810 Civil Engineering
• Pay plan and grade: GS 11–12
• Pay: $83,935 – $130,786 Per Year
• Open to: Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL); Open to the public
• Open period: October 23, 2026 to November 6, 2026 (US Eastern)

Apply on the official USAJOBS announcement. Application instructions on USAJOBS take precedence over this summary.