Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted from any U.S. Citizen. Due to the potential of a high volume of applicants, not all applicants may receive consideration. Direct Hire Authority will be used to fill this position. The 'Rule of Many', Veterans Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants does not apply to this vacancy.

As a General Engineer (Inspector), you will:

• Conduct pipeline safety program review and inspection of gas and liquid pipeline systems by traveling to a field location and working to apply Federal regulations to the facilities with specific focus on control room and leak detection system operations and maintenance while seeking to recognize discrepancies or inconsistencies between information reported or made available to the Office of Pipeline Safety and the true nature of the activity under review.
• Conduct safety oversight inspections and provide assistance with incident investigations for a rapidly changing industry to increase compliance with Federal pipeline safety standards by gas and liquid operators at all types of pipeline facilities transporting natural gas and hazardous liquids, including intrastate and interstate transmission of natural gas and hazardous liquids, intrastate distribution of natural gas, offshore transportation of hazardous liquids and natural gas, deep water ports, liquefied natural gas and underground natural gas storage.
• Prepare enforcement for regulatory compliance through written documents, verbal conversation, records review, and operations and maintenance observation which requires judgments on the accuracy and credibility of large volume of data from pipelines operators and identifying the significance of and interrelationships among particular facts or records found in that volume of data while working to apply legal interpretations and precedents.
• Work within assigned teams and effectively communicate both verbally and through written means with individuals at all levels within many stakeholder communities including that of the public, Federal sector, pipeline industry, and state and local officials.
• Conduct investigations of pipeline incidents to determine if there are violations of Federal regulations/laws, which can require conducting interviews of witnesses, reviewing hardware and software controls, collecting and evaluating related data, and follow-up to ensure corrective actions are taken, as necessary by pipeline operators.
• Participate in industry and technical conferences, symposiums, meetings, etc., representing Office of Pipeline Safety as directed by supervisory personnel.

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/SME will be used to fill this position

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance the organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

• SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for the Selective Service.
• GOVERNMENT TRAVEL CARD: This position involves travel. A government contractor-issued travel card will be issued and must be retained for official business only.
• DRUG TEST: This position has been determined to be a critical safety/security position as defined in the Department of Transportation (DOT) Order, DOT 3910.1D entitled "Drug and Alcohol-Free Departmental Workplace." Therefore, if selected for the position you will be required to submit to a pre-employment/pre-appointment drug test, you will also be subject to Random Drug Testing.
• BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: A background security investigation is required for all selected individuals. Appointment will be subject to the applicant’s successful completion of the security investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to meet these requirements will be grounds for termination.
• DRIVER'S LICENSE: The applicant must be able to obtain and retain a valid state-issued driver’s license.
• PROBATIONARY PERIOD: Applicants may be required to successfully complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed).

Qualifications

To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must meet the mandatory education and specialized experience requirements.

To qualify for the Grade 13, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-12, it must include:

• Experience conducting safety program reviews, engineering analyses, and evaluations of natural gas or hazardous liquid pipelines Supervisory and Control Data Acquisition or associated Operational Technology systems in accordance with safety regulations.
• Experience providing technical determinations, and resolutions of compliance issues arising from pipeline safety inspections and specific to control room and leak detection system operation and maintenance.
• Experience working in a team setting and working to implement collaborative within policy decisions.

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 Inspection: Ability to direct an enforcement program to determine probable violations, assess preliminary civil penalties, issue proposed compliance orders, issue corrective action order, act as a senior official at enforcement hearings, evaluate response material, recommend final enforcement actions and issue written letters especially as relevant to control room operations and leak detection systems.
• Technical Competence: Skill in assuring that field actions comply with national policies, objectives, and regulations, as well as ensuring those regional programs relevant to control rooms and other types are compatible with environmental, social, and economic goals and needs.
• General Engineering: Knowledge of the concepts, principles, and theories of engineering and their practical applications.

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/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-policies/#url=e4

All applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

For this announcement, applications will be reviewed to determine if the applicant meets the basic qualifications for this position. The applications of individuals who meet the basic qualifications will be assessed to validate that the applicant possesses the Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) at the level of proficiency needed to perform the job successfully. Applicants who are found to possess the necessary KSAs to perform the job may be referred to the selecting official for further consideration.

This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if similar vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.

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