Summary This Research Highway Engineer position is part of the Transportation Enabling Technologies Team located in the Office of Safety and Operations, Research & Development. The purpose of this position is to serve as a project member responsible for performing research and contract oversight of research that identifies new concepts that solve transportation operations problems or takes advantage of new capabilities enabled by advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence. Responsibilities As a Research Highway Engineer, you will: Conduct general engineering research related to the following: connected and automated vehicle applications, cooperative automation, transportation systems management and operations, traffic modeling and simulations techniques. Plan and execute studies, experiments, and system designs; analyze processes; develop study schedules and budgets; publishes results; and gives presentations to agency and department leadership and the public. Serve as a Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) responsible for several administrative contracts and various types of research efforts. The ideal candidate is a mid-level, primary or senior professional who has demonstrated capability to independently conceive, formulate, and conduct research relevant to general engineering. Understands the theories, principles, practices, and techniques of artificial intelligence, connected and automated vehicle systems, transportation engineering, intelligent transportation systems, and traffic modeling and simulation. Possesses knowledge of state departments of transportation, local highway agencies, Metropolitan Planning Organizations or private consultants involved with transportation operations research. Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. citizen & meet specialized experience to qualify Submit application and resume online by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date Required documents must be submitted by the closing date. Direct Hire Authority will be used to fill this position CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT: SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for the Selective Service. BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: You will be required to complete a background/security investigation and meet preliminary requirements prior to onboarding. PCS/RELOCATION/RECRUITMENT: Permanent Change of Station (PCS), Relocation, and Recruitment Incentive authorization varies by position/selection and a service agreement may be required. PROBATIONARY PERIOD: Applicants may be required to successfully complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed). GOVERNMENT TRAVEL CARD: This position involves travel. A government contractor-issued travel card will be issued and must be retained for official business only. TELEWORK ELIGIBILITY: This position may be eligible for occasional and/or regularly scheduled telework. The number of telework days approved will be determined by your immediate supervisor or manager following the agency’s telework policy and guidance. If participating in the telework program, you will be required to sign a telework agreement detailing agency telework policy requirements, working conditions, and expectations for the position. CERTIFICATION: You will be required to obtain and maintain a FAC-COR (Federal Acquisition Certification for Contracting Officer's Representatives) Level II certification. Qualifications To meet the basic qualifications for this position, you must (1) meet the Mandatory Education Requirement for the series, AND (2) provide a copy of your transcripts or other applicable documentation for verification and (3) meet the specialized experience for each grade you are applying to. Please review the following information before proceeding with the application process: (1) All applicants must meet the education requirements under A or B to qualify for applying to an engineering position: 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 the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET); or (2) that included differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced that first year physics and chemistry) in five of the following seven areas of engineering science or physics: (a) statics, dynamics; (b) strength of materials; (c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (d) thermodynamics; (e) electrical fields and circuits; (f) nature and properties of materials; 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 or training: college level education, training and/or technical experience that has 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: Professional registration or licensure - current registration as an Engineer Intern (EI), engineer in Training (EIT), or licensure as a Professional Engineer (PE). 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. Specified academic courses - Successful completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences which included the courses as specified in Paragraph A above. 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 had at least 1 year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance. There should be either an established plan of intensive training to develop professional engineering competence, or several years of prior professional engineering type experience. This must be clearly described in your resume. For additional information, please refer to the OPM qualifications standard for GS-800: All Professional Engineering Positions qualifications at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0800/files/all-professional-engineering-positions-0800.pdf. (2) Upload the appropriate document(s) to your application for verification purposes. (3) Specialized Experience: To determine which grade(s) you may be eligible for, review the following grade specific details. You will be asked a few questions as part of your application but make sure to verify how you meet this experience in your resume. Note: Students enrolled in a qualifying degree program can apply to the GS-12 grade if the anticipated graduation date is within six months of the closing date of this announcement. If selected, the final transcript must be received before your start date. Other applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For the GS-12: On Experience, you must have at least one year of experience, equal or equivalent to the GS-11 grade level, which included: Experience in research, development, and evaluation of emerging and disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence, connected vehicles, smart infrastructure, cooperative automation use cases and algorithms; AND Experience working with or supporting State, local, or Federal practitioners or the private sector on integration and deployment of advanced technologies into standard practice. Or on Education, you must have Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree. You can also have a combination of graduate level education, beyond the second full year, and sufficient specialized experience as described above. This must be fully supported by your resume and transcripts, provided with your application. For the GS-13: You must have at least one year of experience, equal or equivalent to the GS-12 grade level, which included: Experience in research, development, and evaluation of emerging and disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence, connected vehicles, smart infrastructure, cooperative automation use cases and algorithms; AND Experience providing advice and/or technical assistance to State, local, or Federal practitioners or the private sector on integration and deployment of advanced technologies into standard practice. For the GS-14: You must have at least one year of experience, equal or equivalent to the GS-13 grade level, which included: Experience leading research, development, and evaluation of emerging and disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence, connected vehicles, smart infrastructure, cooperative automation use cases and algorithms; AND Experience providing advice and/or technical assistance to State, local, or Federal practitioners or the private sector on integration and deployment of advanced technologies into standard practice; AND Experience in program management (i.e. Developing annual work plans, objectives, priorities, and/or schedules for accomplishments of work plans) on integrating advanced technologies into standard practice. Note: Although you must first meet the mandatory education requirement for this series, you cannot qualify for the GS-13 and GS-14 grades based solely on education, you must meet the specialized experience, which is cited above for each grade. 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: Research - Knowledge of the scientific principles, methods, and processes used to conduct a systematic and objective inquiry; including study design, collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; and the reporting of results. Transportation - Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including costs and limits. Artificial Intelligence - Knowledge of the principles, methods, and tools used to design systems that perform human intelligence functions. 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. Education See the Qualifications section for Mandatory Education Requirements. Additional Information This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if similar vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate. Qualified CTAP/ICTAP candidates receive priority and will be referred to the hiring manager.