General Engineer

Direct‑Hire position in the Food and Drug Administration, Center for Tobacco Products, Office of Science, Division of Product Science. The position of General Engineer falls under the 0801 occupational series. To qualify at grade GS‑11, applicants must meet all requirements by 11:59 pm EST on 05/13/2026.

• Degree in Engineering. To be acceptable, the program must:
  • Lead to a bachelor's degree in a school of engineering with at least one program accredited by ABET; or
  • 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:
    • Statics, dynamics
    • Strength of materials (stress–strain relationships)
    • Fluid mechanics, hydraulics
    • Thermodynamics
    • Electrical fields and circuits
    • Nature and properties of materials (relating particle and aggregate structure to properties)
    • Any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics (e.g., optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, electronics)
• Combination of education and experience. College‑level education, training, and/or technical experience that furnishes:
  • A thorough knowledge of the physical and mathematical sciences underlying engineering; and
  • A good understanding, both theoretical and practical, of the engineering sciences and techniques and their applications to one of the branches of engineering.
  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.
  • Written test – Evidence of having successfully passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) examination or any other written test required for professional certifications.
  • Specified academic courses – Successful completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences that include the courses specified in the basic requirements under 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, geology) accepted in lieu of a bachelor's degree in engineering, provided the applicant has had at least one year of professional engineering experience under professional engineering supervision.

Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. The specialized experience must demonstrate one year of full‑time work experience, or the equivalent if part‑time. Experience may have been obtained in the federal service or its equivalent with state or local government, the private sector, or nongovernmental organizations.

To qualify for the GS‑11: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS‑09 in the federal service, which includes:

• Researching engineering principles and practices to solve practical engineering problems;
• Analyzing and determining the adequacy of design and manufacturing information;
• Reviewing engineering and/or scientific data to determine project technical needs.

• Three years of progressively higher‑level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree;
• A combination of specialized experience and graduate education as described above, with the two equal 100 % of the total requirement.

All qualification requirements must be met by 11:59 pm (Eastern Time) on 05/13/2026.

Experience includes paid and unpaid work, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, Ameri Corps) and other organizations. Volunteer work helps build critical competencies and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. Credit for qualifying experience, including volunteer experience, will be given.