Summary This position is in the National Center of Excellence for LNG Safety (Center) in the Office of Pipeline Safety, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). Responsibilities The General Engineer (Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) will: Directly support the Center’s mission in furthering the expertise of the Federal government in the operations, management, and regulatory practices of LNG facilities; acting as a repository of information on best practices for the operation of LNG facilities; and facilitating collaboration among LNG sector stakeholders. Implement the Center’s knowledge management, research, and innovation program, including identifying best practices in consultation with LNG stakeholders and enhancing LNG training opportunities with PHMSA’s Training and Qualifications Center. Manage and update the LNG best practices program and lead interagency standards reviews and collaborate with cross-functional teams and regulators. Conduct technical safety analyses, track emerging LNG technologies and regulatory changes, and engage in industry forums to inform and enhance technical standards development. Develop and deliver supplemental LNG safety training, coordinate with regulators to enhance inspector readiness, and facilitate knowledge sharing on LNG. Monitor LNG regulations across all jurisdictions, circulate updates, and identify compliance gaps. Recommend audit and inspection improvements, and coordinate with regulators and interagency groups. Lead R&D initiatives on LNG technology and safety, collaborating with industry and federal partners to identify and test innovative solutions. Analyze findings to generate actionable reports, integrate outcomes into regulations and training, and continuously evaluate project impact. The ideal candidate for this position would be self-starter with a thorough understanding of LNG operational principles, industry standards, and federal regulatory requirements and proven skill in analyzing complex technical information to develop and implement national-scale LNG safety programs. As an engineer, the ideal candidate is adept at identifying innovative best practices, managing multiple concurrent initiatives using advanced project and data-management tools, and leading interagency and industry working groups. With excellent written and verbal communication, the ideal candidate will effectively brief senior officials, draft program guidance, and liaise with regulatory authorities, internal teams, and external stakeholders. The ideal candidate's background should include hands-on LNG operations or regulatory programs, oversight of R&D projects, and the development and delivery of supplemental training curricula in partnership with key stakeholders. 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: As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will 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. 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). 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. 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 requirements for the grade at which you are requesting consideration. 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 applying engineering concepts, principles, and practices applicable to Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) industry standards and best practices. Experience developing Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) training and facilitating knowledge sharing. Experience utilizing and researching the principles of risk management to identify and test technology-based processes and activities to determine critical Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) safety and reliability. You cannot qualify on education at the GS-12 level; you must have experience. To qualify for the GS-13 on Experience, 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 Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) facilities operations in accordance with safety regulations, industry standards, and/or best practices. Experience developing and delivering Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) training. Experience utilizing and evaluating LNG risk management data and documentation to identify and test technology-based processes and activities to determine critical LNG safety and reliability impacts. You cannot qualify on education at the GS-13 level; you must have experience. To qualify for the GS-14 on Experience, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-13 it must include: Experience analyzing Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) pipeline codes, standards, policies, and safety regulatory initiatives in order to resolve problems, draw conclusions, and develop recommendations to improve program operations, program effectiveness, and to meet program objectives. Experience developing and delivering LNG training and facilitating knowledge sharing through technical working groups. Experience analyzing Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) risk management data and documentation to develop actionable recommendations and reports on technology-based processes and activities for critical safety improvements and operational advancements. You cannot qualify on education at the GS-14 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: Technical Competence - Uses knowledge that is acquired through formal training or extensive on-the-job experience to perform one's job; works with, understands, and evaluates technical information related to the job; advises others on technical issues. Planning and Evaluating - Organizes work, sets priorities, and determines resource requirements; determines short- or long-term goals and strategies to achieve them; coordinates with other organizations or parts of the organization to accomplish goals; monitors progress and evaluates outcomes. Safety Engineering - Knowledge of the concepts, principles, theories, and methods to identify, control, mitigate, and eliminate safety hazards in the design and use of facilities, equipment, operations, and work processes. Problem Solving - Identifies problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives, and to make recommendations. 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. 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/ Other applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement. Education MANDATORY EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS: 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 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 B. 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: 1. 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. 2. 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. 3. 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. 4. 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). All applicants must meet the education requirements under A or B to qualify for applying to an engineering position. Transcripts are required for this position. Additional Information The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Transportation and its Operating Administrations from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to the Department of Transportation by email at, FairChanceAct@dot.gov. To learn more, please visit our page at: The Fair Chance to Compete Act | US Department of Transportation 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.