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Summary This position is located in the Architect of the Capitol (AOC), Office of the Chief Engineer, Planning and Project Development Division. The selectee will be responsible for performing project identification and development duties with emphasis on projects involving work derived from the facility condition assessment database and new or existing facilities and other requirements from the master plan. Responsibilities This position is being advertised as an Architect/General Engineer (Planning and Program Manager) which means you may be placed into an Architect position or an Engineer position based on your educational background and/or qualifications. Please refer to the "Qualifications" section of this announcement for additional information. MAJOR DUTIES: Project Development Prepares the initial planning and documentation for a number of multi-million dollar renovation and new construction projects. Develops or reviews initial project requirements, specifications, rough order of magnitude costs and timeline for construction projects. Plans various complex project development functions with project teams and makes decisions affecting areas of responsibility that are precedent setting. Provides professional architectural or engineering expertise in evaluating the effectiveness and efficiency of plans and recommends improvement to management. Assists in the preparation and update to cost models and schedules for project delivery efforts, implementing a system for review, control and reporting. Consultant/Contractor Oversight Provides technical design and management guidance to professional Architect/Engineers (A/E) Firms. Serves as the Contracting Officers Representative (COTR) for review and compliance with the Architect-Engineer contract specifications. Monitors A/E contractors for effectiveness in meeting contractual, functional and technical requirements. Recommends action in cases of programming and planning deficiencies. Recommends use of resources and efforts related to the implementation of projects. Exercises specified contracting officer authority for execution and administration of person and professional services contracts. Independently supervises indefinite delivery contracts for planning/programming, studies and designs when needed. Assists in negotiating contracts and contract changes with organizational elements of the agency, client, consultants and contractors. Technical Advice and Guidance Contributes to the resolution of technical difficulties that are amenable to changes in approach, criteria or requirements. Facilitates the resolution of project-related issues and concerns that arise at the Jurisdiction Superintendent level. Provides leadership of the project scope, schedule and budget concerns in the programming phase. Aids project managers in the commencement of their duties when project funding is enacted through facilitating internal meetings to review project requirements. Requirements Conditions of Employment Your resume and question responses must demonstrate the job-related KSAs. You must meet the definition of specialized experience. Must meet educational requirements for Architect or Engineer You must be able to pass a drug test. ** Professional license, certification, and LEED AP desired, but not required. 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 OPM qualification standards 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 for this position must demonstrate the following: Coordinating and providing oversight of project lifecycles, including planning, design, construction, commissioning and close-out. Developing project requirements and specifications for new construction, renovations, and improvements to facilities. Evaluating studies, plans, design specifications and progress reports for architectural, engineering and construction processes and projects. Serving as a Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (COTR) or equivalent for construction projects. 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 for this position must demonstrate the following: Serving as the planning and program manager of major projects, from the planning/programming stage through the design, construction and equipment installation stages, to the checkout and commissioning stage or other project completion milestone. Developing project requirements and specifications for new construction, renovations, and improvements to facilities. Evaluating studies, plans, design specifications and progress reports for architectural, engineering and construction processes and projects. Coordinating and overseeing assigned project work elements in the project contract. Serving as Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (COTR) or equivalent for construction projects. Education In addition to meeting the specialized experience requirements for this position, applicants must possess the following: Education Required for Architects: Degree: architecture; or related field that included 60 semester hours of course work in architecture or related disciplines of which at least (1) 30 semester hours were in architectural design, and (2) 6 semester hours were in each of the following: structural technology, properties of materials and methods of construction, and environmental control systems. --OR-- Combination of education and experience -- college-level education, training, and/or technical experience that furnished: (1) a thorough knowledge of the arts and sciences underlying professional architecture, and (2) a good understanding, both theoretical and practical, of the architectural principles, methods, and techniques and their applications to the design and construction or improvement of buildings. The adequacy of such background must be demonstrated by at least one of the following: Related Curriculum: Degree in architectural engineering may be accepted. Experience: An applicant lacking a degree in architecture must have had l year of experience in an architect's office or in architectural work for each year short of graduation from a program of study in architecture. In the absence of college courses, 5 years of such experience is required. This experience must have demonstrated that the applicant has acquired a thorough knowledge of the fundamental principles and theories of professional architecture. For a detailed explanation of the related curriculum or experience, please visit the following website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0800/architecture-series-0808/ Education Required For Engineers: 1. Bachelor's degree in professional engineering: To be creditable, the curriculum must: (1) be in a school of engineering with at least one curriculum accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) as a professional engineering curriculum; 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: -- statics, dynamics; -- strength of materials (stress-strain relationships); -- fluid mechanics, hydraulics; -- thermodynamics; -- electrical fields and circuits; -- nature and properties of materials (relating particle and aggregate structure to properties); and -- any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics. --OR-- 2. 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 professional 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: (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 a detailed explanation of the related curriculum or experience, please visit the following website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0800/general-engineering-series-0801/ Transcripts are required upon selection. 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 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.