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Operating Manual for Qualification Standards for General Schedule Positions

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Individual Occupational Requirements for

Engineering Technical Series, 0802


Use these individual occupational requirements in conjunction with the Group Coverage Qualification Standard for Technical and Medical Support Positions.

Series Definition:

This series covers technical positions supervising, leading, or performing work involving applying a practical knowledge of the:

  • methods and techniques of engineering or architecture; and

  • construction, application, properties, operations, and limitations of engineering systems, processes, structures, machinery, devices, and materials.

Basic Requirements:

Specialized Experience (for positions at GS-4 or equivalent and above):

Examples of qualifying specialized experience include technical work in: drafting, surveying construction estimating, physical science, mathematics, aerospace, architecture, chemicals, electrical or mechanical systems, mining, petroleum, or nuclear systems.

Experience in a trade or craft may be credited as specialized experience when the work provided intensive knowledge of engineering principles, techniques, methods, and precedents. Examples are trade positions with substantial developmental, test, or design responsibilities such as:

  • Planner and estimator who analyzed designs for production purposes.

  • Instrument maker or model maker who performed design or development work on devices fabricated.

OR

Education and Training:

For positions at GS-3 (or equivalent):

Successful completion of l year of post secondary study that included at least 6 semester hours in any combination of courses such as engineering, engineering or industrial technology, construction, physics, drafting, surveying, physical science, or mathematics.

For positions at GS-4 (or equivalent):

Successful completion of 2 years of post secondary study that included at least 12 semester hours in any combination of courses such as those shown above for GS-3 (or equivalent). At least 3 of the 12 semester hours must have been in drafting if the position has been designated by a drafting area of specialization.

For positions at GS-5 (or equivalent):

Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree (a) with major study in an appropriate field of engineering, construction, or industrial technology; or (b) that included at least 24 semester hours in any combination of courses such as those shown above for GS-3 (or equivalent). At least 6 of the 24 semester hours must have been in drafting if the position has been designated by a drafting area of specialization.

Certification:

Engineering technicians may be certified by the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies, an organization sponsored by the National Society of Professional Engineers. Certification by the Institute will be helpful as a measure of the technician's quality of experience.

Additional Requirements for Positions with Parenthetical Titles:

In addition to the basic requirements, some positions have additional requirements related to one or more of the following parenthetical titles that must be defined by the employing agency:

  • Aerospace

  • Architecture

  • Chemical

  • Civil

  • Drafting

  • Electrical

  • Materials

  • Mechanical

  • Mining

  • Naval Architecture

  • Nuclear

  • Petroleum