Summary

You will serve as the Director of Shipyards and Marine Engineering within the Maritime Administration (MARAD), providing executive leadership and technical oversight for programs supporting U.S. shipbuilding, shipyard modernization, and marine engineering initiatives. Lead strategic planning, engineering evaluations, construction oversight, and stakeholder engagement while advancing innovative solutions that strengthen the nation's maritime industry and support agency priorities.

Duties

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The Director of Shipyards and Marine Engineer:

• Serves as MARAD'sprincipal technical advisor on shipbuilding, shipyard modernization, and marine engineering matters, providing expert guidance on complex projects and initiatives affecting the U.S. maritime industry.
• Evaluates ship designs, shipyard modernization proposals, and maritime infrastructure projects submitted in support of loan guarantees, grants, and other federal financial assistance programs.
• Directs the review of ship construction schedules, contract delivery milestones, and shipbuilder performance to assess progress, identify risks, and support informed decision-making.
• Provides executive oversight of vessel construction, shipyard modernization, and related engineering activities, including cost evaluations, progress verification, and technical assessments.
• Leads the evaluation of shipyard grant applications and recommends project funding priorities that advance national maritime capabilities and industry competitiveness.
• Represents MARAD in engagements with industry leaders, regulatory organizations, and government partners while providing strategic leadership for programs that strengthen U.S. shipbuilding and marine engineering operations.

The ideal candidate is an accomplished engineering executive with extensive experience in naval architecture, marine engineering, shipbuilding, or shipyard operations. They possess a proven ability to lead complex technical programs, advise senior leaders, manage multidisciplinary teams, and collaborate with internal and external stakeholders. The candidate excels at strategic planning, problem solving, and advancing Initiatives that enhance maritime capabilities and operational effectiveness.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S.Citizen and eligible for consideration.
• You must meet specialized experience to qualify.
• Required documents must be submitted by the closing date.
• Submit application and resume online by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date.

Qualifications

To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must meet the mandatory education and specialized experience requirements.

To qualify for the Grade 15, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equal or equivalent to the GS-14, it must include:

• Experience applying advanced naval architecture, marine engineering, and shipyard operations principles to evaluate ship designs, oversee vessel construction or modernization projects, conduct engineering analyses, and provide technical recommendations on maritime programs or initiatives.
• Experience leading and managing engineering or maritime programs involving strategic planning, project oversight, resource management, policy implementation, and the supervision of technical personnel to achieve organizational objectives.
• Experience providing authoritative technical advice and recommendations to senior executives, government officials, industry representatives, or other stakeholders; including presenting findings, negotiating solutions to issues, and preparing written reports, analyses, or policy recommendations.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): our qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas:

• Architecture - Knowledge of the concepts, principles, theories, and practices used in the planning, design, construction, and maintenance of buildings or other structures, taking into consideration aesthetic and functional concerns.
• General Engineering - Knowledge of the concepts, principles, and theories of engineering and their practical applications.
• Leadership - Influences, motivates, and challenges others; adapts leadership styles to a variety of situations.
• Oral Communication - Makes clear and convincing oral presentations. Listens effectively; clarifies information as needed.
• Written Communication - Writes in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience.

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/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-policies/#url=e4

All 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.

TRANSCRIPTS are REQUIRED as there is a stated education requirement for the series. The transcripts need not be official, but must show that you meet the stated education requirements, including specific major or class requirements.

ENGINEERS:If you are applying to an engineering position and are qualifying based on possessing a current Professional Engineer (PE) license, or passing the Engineer in Training (EIT) exam, please provide a copy of PE license or written documented proof of passing the EIT.

Additional information

This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if similar vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.

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Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.