General Engineer (Recent Graduate)

Summary

This position is part of the EDF Office of Energy Dominance Financing, Department of Energy. The Recent Graduates Program is a dynamic, one-year developmental program that promotes careers in the Federal Government to recent graduates. Recent Graduates who successfully complete Program requirements may be eligible for non-competitive conversion to a term or permanent position in the civil service.

Duties

The EDF Office of Energy Dominance Financing office works to secure and strengthen American energy assets; boost American energy innovation and technologies; expand affordable, reliable, and secure energy for all Americans; create American jobs; and bolster national security. The following are the duties of this position at the GS-12. Since you are being selected at a lower grade level, you will have the opportunity to learn to perform all these duties and will receive training to help you grow in this position. As a General Engineer, you will: Plan, prioritize, and execute engineering projects and initiatives, managing their sequence, direction, progress, and overall implementation. Research and analyze engineering data and conditions to address technical uncertainties and determine practical, cost-effective solutions. Evaluate and resolve engineering problems, develop sound recommendations for improving programs or methods, and implement actions to resolve unique technical conflicts and policy issues. Evaluate program needs to prepare essential project management and technical documentation, including budgets and technical specifications. Serve as a technical point of contact to collaborate and negotiate with diverse internal and external organizations, contractors, and individuals on technical engineering matters in diverse technologies including nuclear, fossil, geothermal, critical minerals, advanced manufacturing, and transportation technologies. Prepare and deliver comprehensive technical reports and presentations to senior leadership.

Qualifications and evaluation

Applicants will be evaluated based on the materials and assessments required for the position. This may include: Responses to the application questionnaire. Online assessments, including USA Hire when required. Review of transcripts and supporting documents. Resume review. If you are minimally qualified for this job, you will be placed into one of two pre-defined quality categories. These categories are "Highly Qualified" and "Qualified". Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics): Attention to Detail Decision Making Flexibility Influencing/Negotiating Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Reading Comprehension Reasoning Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork Application of Veterans' Preference: If you are a preference eligible candidate, you will be listed at the top of whichever quality category your rating places you in. CP/CPS veterans are placed at the top of the highest category for all positions except professional and scientific positions at GS-9 and higher. Application questionnaire: Applicants must complete a questionnaire as part of the application process. To preview the Assessment Questionnaire, click here https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13033829 Online assessments: Applicants must complete the online USA Hire Assessments measuring critical general competencies required to perform the job. Examples used in the assessments include general scenarios addressing the underlying competencies required for this position. The USA Hire Assessments include a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment. Applicants who complete the online assessments and meet or exceed the cut score will move on to the next phase of the assessment process. Pathways eligibility/Transcripts review: HR Specialists will review your transcripts or certificate of completion to determine your eligibility based on Pathways Recent Graduate Program requirements and qualifications for this position based on any education substituted, as described in the Qualifications and Education sections above. Applicants passing the Pathways eligibility/transcripts review will move on to the next phase of the assessment process. Resume review: HR Specialists will review your resume to determine your technical qualifications for this position based on the specialized experience. Resumes submitted for Federal positions may not exceed two pages. Be sure you address the specialized experience within the two-page resume limit. HR will not review additional information beyond your resume (e.g., cover letter, links embedded in your resume). Applicants passing the resume review will move on to the next phase of the assessment process. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

Education

You must meet the following Basic Education Requirement listed below in order to qualify for the 0801 series: 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 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 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)1, or licensure as a Professional Engineer (PE) by any State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico. Absent other means of qualifying under this standard, those applicants who achieved such registration by means other than written test (e.g., State grandfather or eminence provisions) are eligible only for positions that are within or closely related to the specialty field of their registration. For example, an applicant who attains registration through a State Board's eminence provision as a manufacturing engineer typically would be rated eligible only for manufacturing engineering positions. Written Test -- Evidence of having successfully passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE)2 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 and that included the courses specified in the basic requirements under paragraph A. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program as described in paragraph A. 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 has had at least 1 year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance. Ordinarily there should be either an established plan of intensive training to develop professional engineering competence, or several years of prior professional engineering-type experience, e.g., in interdisciplinary positions. (The above examples of related curricula are not all-inclusive.) FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. You must show proof the education credentials have been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in a conventional U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education and a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, see the Department of Education website. If you are qualifying on foreign education, you MUST submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. Refer to OPM Instructions. What constitutes a valid certificate program: The Pathways Programs regulation (see 5 CFR 362.102) defines certificate program as post-secondary education at either: A qualifying educational institution (trade or vocational school, 2-year or 4-year college or university, or graduate or professional school) equivalent to at least one academic year of full-time study that is part of an accredited college-level, technical, trade, vocational, or business school curriculum.; OR A qualifying career or technical education program of at least one year that awards a recognized postsecondary credential. What types of programs would meet the eligibility criteria for a qualifying career or technical education program? Three types of programs meet these criteria: Federally administered educational programs that provide rigorous academic content, technical skill proficiency, and a recognized postsecondary credential to prepare the individual for further education and/or a career in a current or emerging profession.; Registered Apprenticeship Programs; and Federally administered local, state, national, or international volunteer service programs. What is a Federally administered career or technical education program? A Federally administered career or technical education program is subject to programmatic oversight by a federal agency that includes: The nature and scope of work to be performed by participants, The type(s) and scope of training to be provided to participants, The types of skills participants will acquire or develop during the program (e.g., teaching, environmental, business, scientific, public health/health care, languages), The level and extent of mentoring participants will receive, and The metrics for successful completion of the program. Programmatic oversight may be reflected in partnership or cooperative agreements.

How to apply

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section. A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the announcement closing date to receive consideration. The application process is as follows: Read all instructions before you begin. Click "Apply Online." Complete the application and attach all required documents. Submit by 11:59 PM ET on the 08/26/2026. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. Set aside about two (2) hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link. The online assessments must be completed within 48 hours following the closing date of this announcement. Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused. Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us. Managing Your Application: Update: Edit your application in USAJOBS before the closing date. Status: Log into USAJOBS to view your application status. Learn more here: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/. Support: USAJOBS Help: Visit https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/ for login.gov or USAJOBS assistance. Application Issues: If you have difficulty applying online, contact the Agency Contact listed in this announcement during business hours. Take screenshots of any system errors. Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire CompetencyBased Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. (https://appsupport-usastaffing.opm.gov/hc/en-us/sections/45063131363475-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information)

Required documents

To apply for this position, you MUST provide a complete application package which includes: A resume of no more than two pages which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, with dates specified in month and year, and indicates hours worked per week. If military or a civilian Federal employee, you must include your rank and/or grade. Resumes must be legible so they can be reviewed for eligibility, minimum qualifications, and other position requirements listed in the job announcement. Your resume must be 5MB or less. We recommend saving and uploading your resume as a PDF to maintain formatting and number of pages. We also accept GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, TXT, PDF, ODT or Word (DOC or DOCX). We do not accept PDF portfolio files. We recommend using a sans-serif font style such as Lato, Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, or Open San Source Sans Pro. The USAJOBS resume builder can help you create a resume using these recommendations and uses the information in your USAJOBS profile to help you get started. A complete application questionnaire and online USA Hire Assessments. If you are requesting a reasonable accommodation to the USA Hire Assessments, you can find the Reasonable Accommodation process here. Proof of eligibility for the Pathways Recent Graduate Program. This may include college transcripts or other proof of having completed a qualifying program, as described in the Qualifications and Education sections above. You may need to submit multiple transcripts to show how you meet all requirements for this position (e.g., Recent Graduate eligibility versus meeting minimum qualifications). For career or technical education programs where transcripts are not available you can submit a copy of the partnership or cooperative agreement that outlines the program requirements. Other supporting documents, if applicable: College transcripts (See Qualifications and Education sections above for more detail.) Are you claiming veterans' preference? If you are a disabled veteran, Purple Heart recipient, or parent or spouse of a disabled or deceased veteran, you must submit all additional proof required by the SF-15, and if applicable, a completed SF-15. You may request a copy of your Department of Veterans Affairs letter from www.ebenefits.va.gov or call 1-800-827-1000 to establish proof of disability. If you are a veteran within 120 days of discharge (from when you apply to this announcement), you must submit signed documentation from the Armed Forces certifying: 1) your expected release/retirement date from active duty, 2) your discharge will be under honorable conditions, 3) your pay grade/rank/rate at time of discharge, 4) dates of active duty service, 5) any campaign or expeditionary medals received, and 6) your separation date from active duty service. If you are a discharged, non-disabled veteran, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 showing character of service (Member 4 copy), or other documentation of service and separation under honorable conditions, as listed on the SF-15. If you don't have your DD-214, you may request it after discharge from the National Archives. For more information visit the USAJOBS Help Center & OPM CHCOC website for VOW information. Are you a current or former political Schedule A, Schedule C, non-career SES, or Presidential appointee employee? Submit a copy of your applicable SF-50, along with a statement that provides the following information regarding your most recent political appointment: Position title; Type of appointment (Schedule A, Schedule C, non-career SES, or Presidential appointee); Agency; and Beginning and end dates of appointment. Failure to submit any of the above-mentioned required documents may result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted. Do not submit photographs with your application package. Documents with photographs may not be seen by hiring officials. You must remove your image from any badges, licenses, etc. or you may be removed from consideration.

Additional information

We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional similar vacancies across DOE. For general information on government-wide Telework polices visit: www.opm.gov/telework/ EEO Policy: www.energy.gov/justice/eeo-complaint-process Employees or applicants may request Reasonable Accommodation (RA) for assistance, when applying or competing for a job or performing a job due to their medical condition or to exercise their religious beliefs. If you need reasonable accommodation in the application or selection process, please contact the Staffing Specialist listed on this vacancy announcement. Reasonable Accommodation Policy: https://www.energy.gov/hc/articles/reasonable-accommodation-and-personal-assistance-service-procedure Veterans Information: https://help.usajobs.gov/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/veterans Selective Service Registration: http://www.sss.gov/ Advance in Hire (Superior Qualifications) may be available. Creditable Service may be available. This position is Nonexempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Management has the prerogative to select at any grade level. The Fair Chance Act prohibits specific inquiries concerning an applicant's criminal or credit background unless the hiring agency has made a conditional offer of employment to the applicant. An applicant may submit a complaint to the agency within 30 calendar days of the date of alleged noncompliance by completing the Fair Chance Act Intake Form and submitting it to the Administrative Investigations Program at AdministrativeInvestigations@hq.doe.gov. Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, non-career SES, or Presidential appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office. CONVERSION REQUIREMENTS: DOE has the option to non-competitively convert a Recent Graduate to a permanent or term position upon successful completion of program requirements. This is not automatic, nor guaranteed. Conversion is at the discretion of the hiring manager and employing office. To be eligible to be converted to a permanent or term position you must: Be a US Citizen or National Be recommended for conversion by your manager or supervisor. Complete all training and development requirements within the 1-year appointment period. Successful completion of 1 year of continuous service. Demonstrate successful job performance of at least a "Fully Successful" or equivalent on performance appraisal. Meet the Office of Personnel Management's qualification standards for the position to which the Recent Graduate will be converted. General Engineering Series 0801 A Recent Graduate may be converted to the highest General Schedule (GS) grade level qualified for at time of conversion. Recent Graduates converted to a term position in the competitive service may subsequently be non-competitively converted to a career or career-conditional appointment without further competition. WHERE CAN I FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE PATHWAYS PROGRAM? For additional information regarding the Pathways Program, please refer to the following website: USAJOBS Help Center | Students & recent graduates