Job summary

The PALACE Acquire Program offers you a permanent position upon completion of your formal training plan. As a Palace Acquire Intern you will experience both personal and professional growth while dealing effectively and ethically with change, complexity, and problem solving. The program offers a 3-year formal training plan with yearly salary increases. Promotions and salary increases are based upon your successful performance and supervisory approval.

Major duties

GS Series 0801/0806/0830/0840/0850/0854/0855/0861/0893/0896 Performs (general, material, computer, mechanical, electrical, electronics, aerospace) engineering tasks of limited scope and difficulty which are screened by a higher-grade engineer. Performs general engineering work of limited scope and complexity in support of projects assigned to higher grade engineers. Uses engineering manuals, standard publications and technical material to obtain information and pertinent data to be used by higher level engineers, contractors and/or customers. Keep abreast of emerging technologies and professional development to maintain current in the field and for application to work assignments. GS Series 0858 Uses professional knowledge of biomedical engineering to perform difficult, but well-precedented assignments which are normally minor phases of a broader project assigned to a higher-grade engineer. Participates with senior personnel in planning, monitoring, and conducting special studies, projects, and initiatives. uses computer/computer software such as information management programs, computer aided design and drafting (CADD) programs, and tracking programs to assist senior personnel in solving engineering or scientific problems and facilitate the work. Uses engineering manuals, standards publications and technical material to obtain information and pertinent data to be used by higher level engineers, contractors and/or customers.

Qualification

BASIC REQUIREMENTS for GS-7 and GS-9: Degree: Professional engineering. To be acceptable, 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: (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. You may qualify if you meet one of the following: 1. GS-7: You must have completed a 4 year course of study leading to a bachelor's from an accredited institution AND must have documented Superior Academic Achievement (SAA) or one of the following: a) Class Standing - upper third of the graduating class based on completed courses in the college, university, or major subdivision; b) Grade Point Average - 2.95 or higher out of a possible 4.0 as recorded on your official transcript or as computed based on 4 years of education or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of curriculum; OR 3.45 or higher out of a possible 4.0 based on the average of the required courses completed in your major field or the required courses in your major field completed during the final 2 years of your curriculum. If more than 10 percent of total undergraduate credit hours are non-graded, i.e. pass/fail, CLEP, CCAF, DANTES, military credit, etc, you cannot qualify based on GPA; c) Election to membership in a national scholastic honor society (note: freshman honor society cannot be used to meet the requirements of this position). (If qualifying based on class standing or honor society membership, provide appropriate documentation). OR 2. You have one full year (18 semester hours or the equivalent) of graduate level study, or possess a master's or higher degree, e.g., LL.B., J.D., LL.M., Ph.D., in a field that provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities to do the work of this position. Such fields include business administration, industrial management, industrial engineering, industrial psychology, public administration, political science, or government.(Submit copy of transcripts). 2. GS-9: You must have completed 2 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or equivalent graduate degree: a) Grade Point Average - 2.95 or higher out of a possible 4.0 as recorded on your official transcript or as computed based on 4 years of education or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of curriculum; OR 3.45 or higher out of a possible 4.0 based on the average of the required courses completed in your major field or the required courses in your major field completed during the final 2 years of your curriculum. If more than 10 percent of total undergraduate credit hours are non-graded, i.e. pass/fail, CLEP, CCAF, DANTES, military credit, etc. you cannot qualify based on GPA. 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: GS series 0801/0806/0830/0840/0850/0854/0855/0861/0893/0896 Performs general engineering tasks of limited scope and difficulty which are screened by a higher-grade engineer. Some knowledge of work processes, and the capability to apply standard general engineering practices, required to directly apply varied rules, procedures and precedents to the assignments. Performs engineering work of limited scope and complexity in support of projects assigned to higher grade engineers. Plans work procedures and selects standard practices and data to be applied to work projects and identified problems. Uses accepted engineering work processes to search for information to bear on a problem and recognizes situations which may require referral to others. Uses engineering manuals, standard publications and technical material to obtain information pertinent data to be used by higher level engineers, contractors and /or customers. Keeps abreast of emerging technologies and professional developments to maintain current in the field and for application to work assignments. Uses computers/computer software such as analysis tools and project tracking programs to solve engineering problems and facilitate work. GS series 0858 Professional knowledge of biomedical engineering concept, theories, and principles and standard engineering practices, methods, and techniques to perform difficult, but well-precedented assignments which are normally minor phases of a larger project. Knowledge of automated technology and practices used to prepare engineering designs/drawings. Skill in analyzing problems, identifying significant factors, gathering and interpreting pertinent data, and applying established rules and procedures in order to recommend solutions. Skill in gathering and interpreting pertinent data, preparing recommendations, and making calculations by applying standard formulas; preparing graphs, curves, or tables; and recording factual data or information from studies. Ability to communicate clearly, concisely, and with technical accuracy, both orally and in writing, as well as work in a professional manner with peers and management. Ability to learn and apply analytical investigate techniques to accomplish work in the subject-matter field. PART-TIME OR UNPAID EXPERIENCE: Credit will be given for appropriate unpaid and or part-time work. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week. VOLUNTEER WORK EXPERIENCE: Refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service Programs (i.e., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student and social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge and skills that can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Education

This position has an education requirement. You MUST provide transcripts to support your educational claims. Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. http://www2.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html Please submit copies of all Transcripts to include Transferred hours - Official copies are not required at time of application. If selected, you will be required to provide official copies of all Transcripts. ***NOTE***Degree Audits are not accepted. If you qualify based on undergraduate education and you have not graduated prior to applying to this position. You may be offered a position contingent upon your final grade point average or class ranking. IF USING EDUCATION TO QUALIFY: You MUST provide transcripts to support your educational claims. Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. 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 conventional U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying.

Evaluations

For DHA Positions: These positions are being filled under Direct-Hire Authority for the DoD for Post-Secondary Students and Recent Graduates. The Secretary of the Air Force has delegated authority by the Office of the Secretary of Defense to directly appoint qualified students and recent graduates directly into competitive service positions; positions may be professional or administrative occupations and located Air Force-Wide. Positions may be filled as permanent/term with a full-time/part-time work schedule. Pay will vary by geographic location. *** The term "Current post-secondary student" means a person who is currently enrolled and in good academic standing at a full-time program at an institution of higher education; and is progressing toward a baccalaureate or graduate degree; and has completed at least 1 year of the program. *** The term "recent graduate" means a person awarded a degree by an institution of higher education not more than 2 years before the date of the appointment of such person, except in the case of a person who has completed a period of obligated service in a uniform service of more than 4 years. Your latest resume will be used to determine your qualifications. Your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine your eligibility, qualifications, and quality ranking for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment. Your responses to the questionnaire may be compared to the documents you submit. The documents you submit must support your responses to the online questionnaire. If your application contradicts or does not support your questionnaire responses, you will receive a rating of "not qualified" or "insufficient information" and you will not receive further consideration for this job. Applicants who disqualify themselves will not be evaluated further.