"FEMA-20-EMM-323956-CORE" Vacancy Details

About

Overview

Hiring Path:

• Open to the public

Who May Apply/Clarification From the Agency:

This announcement will close at 11:59 pm Eastern Time (ET) on 10/16/19 OR at 11:59 pm ET on the date the 200th application is received, whichever comes first.

This Job is open to:

U.S. Citizens

Security Clearance Required:

Other

Appointment Type

Term appt, NTE 4 yrs

Appointment Type Details:

Temporary - Not to Exceed 4 Years

Marketing Statement:

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is calling on those who want to help protect American interests and secure our Nation. DHS Components work collectively to prevent terrorism; secure borders and our transportation systems; protect the President and other dignitaries; enforce and administer immigration laws; safeguard cyberspace; and ensure resilience to disasters. We achieve these vital missions through a diverse workforce spanning hundreds of occupations. Make an impact; join DHS.

Summary:

This position is being announced under FEMA's Cadre of On-call Response/Recovery Employee (CORE) Program.  This is a temporary appointment in the Excepted Service, not to exceed 4 years, with the option to extend based on workload and funding availability. Veterans Preference does not apply to the CORE selection process.

View common definitions of terms found in this announcement.

Supervisory Position:

No

Relocation Expenses Reimbursed:

No

Travel Required:

Occasional Travel

Occasional non-emergency travel may be required.

Duties

When disaster strikes, America looks to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Now FEMA looks to you. Join our team and use your talent to support Americans in their times of greatest need. FEMA prepares the nation for all hazards and manages Federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. We foster innovation, reward performance and creativity, and provide challenges on a routine basis with a well-skilled, knowledgeable, high performance workforce. Please visit www.fema.gov for additional information.

EMERGENCY ASSIGNMENT: Every FEMA employee has regular and recurring emergency management responsibilities, though not every position requires routine deployment to disaster sites. All positions are subject to recall around the clock for emergency management operations, which may require irregular work hours, work at locations other than the official duty station, and may include duties other than those specified in the employee's official position description. Travel requirements in support of emergency operations may be extensive in nature (weeks to months), with little advance notice, and may require employees to relocate to emergency sites with physically austere and operationally challenging conditions.

In this position, you will develop designs, scopes of work, and estimate costs in addition to providing Architectural expertise in the grant development process. Typical assignments include:

• Developing cost estimates and scopes of work for repairs and reconstruction of damaged facilities;


• Utilizing Architectural expertise to provide technical assistance on construction related policies, procedures and principles;


• Reviewing submissions from other Architects (internal and external) to ensure they are reasonable, accurate and in compliance with applicable standards;


• Serving as an expert for Architectural compliance requirements such as ADA, flood proofing and historical preservation;


• Identifying missing information and coordinating with counterparts to resolve;


• Identifying potential eligibility issues and addressing those issues in coordination with leadership in field and Consolidated Resource Center offices.

Promotion Potential: Positions filled under Stafford Act regulations generally do not have documented promotion potential; however, dependent on an employee’s ability to perform higher level duties, the continuing need for an employee to perform work associated with a higher level position, and administrative recommendation and approval, promotions may be earned by CORE employees.

Qualifications and Evaluations

Requirements:

Please ensure you meet the qualification requirements described below.

Key Requirements:

You must be a U.S. citizen to be considered for this position.

You must successfully pass a background investigation.

Travel will be required.

You must be able to obtain and maintain a Government credit card.

Selective service registration is required for males born after 12/31/59.

Please review "Other Information" section for additional key requirements.

Education Requirements:

Evaluations:

To determine if you are qualified for this job, a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the occupational questionnaire. If you are qualified, you will be referred to a selection panel for consideration.

We recommend that you preview the online questions for this announcement before you start the application process.

Interview Requirement.  Interviews are required for this position.  Failure to complete the interview may result in removal from further consideration.

Qualifications:

The qualification requirements listed below must be met within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement.

You qualify for this position at the IC-12 level (starting salary $ 80,103), if you possess the following: One full year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade (IC-11) in the Federal Service.  This experience may have been gained in the federal government, a state or local government, a non-profit organization, the private sector, or as a volunteer; however, your resume must clearly describe at least one year of specialized experience.  Examples of specialized experience would typically include but are not limited to:

1. Developing designs and generating construction cost estimates;


2. Reviewing and validating design proposals to ensure they are accurate, complete, and within compliance guidelines; and


3. Collaborating with internal or external stakeholders to resolve issues.
   
   

You qualify for this position at the IC-13 level (starting salary $95,253), if you possess the following: One full year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade (IC-12) in the Federal Service.  This experience may have been gained in the federal government, a state or local government, a non-profit organization, the private sector, or as a volunteer; however, your resume must clearly describe at least one year of specialized experience.  Examples of specialized experience would typically include but are not limited to:

1. Providing guidance in the development of designs and cost estimates in compliance with applicable codes and standards;


2. Evaluating architectural design proposals from other parties to ensure they are accurate, complete, and within compliance guidelines; and


3. Coaching and/or mentoring teammates to achieve organizational objectives or resolve issues.

 

Selective Placement Factor:  In addition to the minimum qualifications described above, you must meet the following requirement(s) to be considered qualified for the position:

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:

1. Related Curriculum: Degree in architectural engineering may be accepted as satisfying in full the basic requirements, provided the completed course work in architectural engineering provided knowledge, skills, and abilities substantially equivalent to those provided in the courses specified in paragraph A. The curriculum for a degree in either architecture or architectural engineering covers function, esthetics, site, structure, economics, mechanical-electrical, and other engineering problems related to the design and construction of buildings primarily (but not exclusively) intended to house human activities. The courses required for a degree in architecture generally place emphasis upon planning, esthetics, and materials and methods of construction, while the courses for an architectural engineering degree place equal or greater weight on the technical engineering aspects such as structural systems, mechanical systems, and the properties of materials. Because of this difference in emphasis, persons with degrees in architecture may have a preference for work assignments that offer greater opportunities for them to express their artistic and creative abilities. As a result, they may be more concerned with planning and design aspects of architecture, and persons with degrees in architectural engineering may be more engaged in aspects emphasizing technical engineering considerations.


2. 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.

 

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 provides valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Your application must show that you meet all requirements for this position. You may be found “not qualified” if you do not possess the minimum competencies required for the position.

NOTE: Qualifications are based on breadth/level of experience. In addition to describing duties performed, applicants must provide the exact dates of each period of employment (from MM/DD/YY to MM/DD/YY) and the number of hours worked per week if part time. As qualification determinations cannot be made when resumes do not include the required information, failure to provide this information may result in disqualification. Applicants are encouraged to use the USAJOBS Resume Builder to develop their federal resume. For a brief video on How to Create a Federal Resume, click here.

Current or former FEMA Reservists/DAE employees: To accurately credit your experience for these intermittent positions, make sure to list the dates (from MM/DD/YY to MM/DD/YY) of each deployment, along with the job title and specific duties you were responsible for during each deployment.  Failure to provide this information may result in disqualification.

Benefits and Other Info

Benefits URL:

Review our Benefits

Agency Benefits:

DHS offers competitive salaries and an attractive benefits package, including: health, dental, vision, life, and long-term care insurance; retirement plan; Thrift Savings Plan [similar to a 401(k)]; Flexible Spending Account; Employee Assistance Program; personal leave days; and paid federal holidays. Other benefits may include flexible work schedules; telework; tuition reimbursement; transportation subsidies; uniform allowance; health and wellness programs; and fitness centers. DHS is committed to employee development and offers a variety of employee training and developmental opportunities. For more information, go to the DHS Careers website and select “Benefits.” Disabled veteran leave will be available to any Federal employee hired on or after November 5, 2016, who is a veteran with a service-connected disability rating of 30 percent or more.

Other Information:

• To ensure the accomplishment of our mission, DHS requires every employee to be reliable and trustworthy. To meet those standards, all selected applicants must undergo, successfully pass, and maintain a background investigation for Public Trust clearance as a condition of placement into this position. This may include a credit check after initial job qualifications are determined (Mythbuster), review of financial issues, such as delinquency in the payment of debts, child support and/or tax obligations, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs. For more information on background investigations for Federal jobs please visit the OPM website at https://www.opm.gov/faqs/topic/investigate/?cid=56d6e92e-6e27-4b6a-8969-4a7a1bfba76d.


• If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application, prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, fine, or imprisonment.


• DHS uses E-verify, an internet based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities.


• This announcement may be used to fill one or more vacancies.


• STAFFORD ACT EXCEPTED SERVICE APPOINTMENTS: Cadre On Call Response Employee (CORE) is an appointment type granted under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, Section 306 (b), which authorizes FEMA to appoint such temporary employees as necessary to accomplish work authorized under the Act. Appointments under this authority within FEMA are made to the excepted service and are nonpermanent in nature.


• All candidates must be able to deploy with little or no advance notice to anywhere in the United States and its territories for an extended period of time. Deployments may include working in excess of eight hours a day, or in excess of 40 hours per week, including weekends and holidays, and under stressful, physically demanding, and austere conditions. When activated and deployed, you serve in a federal travel status and are entitled to lodging, transportation and per diem reimbursements for authorized expenses in accordance with federal travel regulations.


• If selected for this position, and you have not previously completed these requirements, you are subject to (1) completion of a 2 day onboarding program at your primary duty location; and, (2) completion of a subsequent, multiple day orientation program within 90-120 days of hire, at a location to be determined.  Travel associated with the orientation portion of this requirement may be at FEMA’s expense.

How to Apply

How to Apply:

To begin your online application, click the Apply Online button and follow the prompts to register or sign into USAJOBS, take the online questionnaire, and submit the required documents. See Required Documents section for more detail.

We strongly encourage you to apply online. If you cannot apply online or do not have access to the internet (e.g., applicant experiencing documented system issues, applicant does not have access to the internet, etc.), you may be able to submit a paper application and the required forms.  To do so, please contact the Human Resources Specialist listed in the Agency Contact Information prior to the close of this announcement.

Required Documents:

1. Your resume.


2. Your responses to the job questionnaire - You will be directed to the online job questionnaire once you begin the application process for this position.


3. Are you a current or former federal employee? Submit a copy of your most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, that verifies the Federal service indicated on your resume e.g., length of time you have been in your current/highest grade (examples of appropriate SF-50s include promotions or within-grade/range increases); your current promotion potential; proof of permanent appointment, etc.


4. Are you qualifying based on education?  Submit a copy of your college transcript (unofficial is acceptable) or a list of coursework with hours completed. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet Federal qualification requirements if you can show that your foreign education is comparable to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States. For example, specific courses accepted for college-level credit by an accredited U.S. college or university, or foreign education evaluated by an organization recognized for accreditation by the Department of Education as education equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. college or university. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence with your application. See Recognition of Foreign Qualifications for more information.

Next Steps:

Once you submit your application, we will assess your experience and training, identify the qualified applicants, and refer those applications to the hiring manager for further consideration and interviews. We will notify you by email after each of these steps has been completed. We expect to make a final job offer within 30 days after the deadline for applications.

View more information on applying for federal employment.

Any offers of employment made pursuant to this announcement will be consistent with all applicable authorities, including Presidential Memoranda, Executive Orders, interpretive U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) guidance, and Office of Management and Budget plans and policies concerning hiring.  These authorities are subject to change.

Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions.