Electronics Engineer

Title: Electronics Engineer

Location: Washington, District of Columbia

Job Description:

Summary

This position is in located at various Bureaus/Offices at Federal Communications Commission (FCC) located in Washington, DC.

RELOCATION EXPENSES WILL NOT BE PAID.  

THIS VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT MAY BE USED TO FILL ADDITIONAL POSITIONS WITHIN 90 DAYS.

SELECTED CANDIDATES MAY BE APPOINTED AT THE WIRELESS TELECOMMUNICATIONS BUREAU (WTB) OR THE OFFICE OF ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY (OET).
 

Duties

• Duties assigned involve a high level of responsibility; require a broad knowledge of technical engineering matters, legal requirements, FCC's mission, policy, and precedent actions; and ability to apply mature judgment, originality, and ingenuity to the resolution of problems.


• Conducts broad and highly technical electronic engineering studies which are used as the basis for resolution of such issues as controversial applications, development of new or revised rules: testimony in enforcement actions, negotiation of treaties, and establishment of government and industry standards and agreements


• Develops electronics engineering reports including factual data and recommendations, or as appropriate, presentation of alternatives.


• Presents and discusses electronics engineering data and proposals representing the FCC's position and works toward mutually acceptable resolution of problems.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

• Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered with Selective Service.


• US Citizenship.


• May serve a one year probationary period (if applicable).


• Suitable for employment as determined by a background investigation.


• If selected, a financial disclosure statement may be required.


• Current/former federal employees must provide SF-50 verifying grade/status.


• Current FCC employees must provide SF-50 verifying grade & status.


• Resume must not exceed two pages and must meet resume format criteria.


• Education-Transcripts Required


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Qualifications

Interested candidates should be passionate about the ideals of our American republic, committed to upholding the rule of law and the U.S. Constitution, and committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government. Hiring decisions will not be based on race, sex, color, religion, or national origin.

Applicants must meet eligibility and qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.  Current Federal employees asking to be considered under Merit Promotion procedures must meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement.  

QUALIFICATION CRITERIA

To be deemed as qualified, candidates must meet the qualification criteria as listed in both Part A & Part B.

PART A. REQUIRED OPM EDUCATION

Candidates must meet the OPM educational qualification standards as listed here: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0800/files/all-professional-engineering-positions-0800.pdf

Applicants are required to submit transcripts (unofficial or official) to confirm attainment of the OPM educational requirements for this position. If transcripts are not submitted, the application will be rated as ineligible.

PART B. ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATION CRITERIA

GS-11

A. Education: 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree

OR

B. Specialized Experience: Candidates must have one year of specialized experience which is equivalent to the GS-9 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as:

1. Experience assisting senior engineers in conducting a broad range of radio frequency (RF) and broadband telecommunications engineering studies or special projects.
2. Experience preparing written summaries and analyses of electronics engineering data and/or developing recommendations for resolution of problems.

OR

C. Combination of both education and specialized experience.

GS-12

Specialized Experience: Candidates must have one year of specialized experience which is equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as:

1. Experience conducting  technical radio frequency (RF) and broadband telecommunications engineering studies.
2. Experience preparing written summaries and analyses of electronics engineering data and/or developing recommendations for resolution of problems regarding spectrum management.
3. Experience researching and obtaining information on electronics engineering equipment, practices, problems, and developments.

GS-13

Specialized Experience: Candidates must have one year of specialized experience which is equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as:

1. Experience conducting broad and highly technical radio frequency (RF) and broadband telecommunications engineering studies.
2. Experience preparing written summaries and analyses of electronics engineering data and/or developing recommendations for resolution of problems regarding spectrum management, including the evaluation of coverage and/or performance of telecommunications systems.
3. Experience researching and obtaining information on electronics engineering equipment, practices, problems, and developments.
4. Experience making recommendations on the types of electronics engineering equipment needed to carry out important electronics engineering functions and project support.

PART-TIME OR UNPAID EXPERIENCE: 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.

SME REVIEW

Subject matter experts will be conducting a competency based, scored structured resume review and will be reviewing resumes to determine if candidates meet the required specialized experience criteria to determine which candidates are eligible to be referred for selection to the selecting official. Candidates must meet the required specialized experience criteria and receive a score of 93 or higher on the scored structured resume review to be eligible for referral to the selecting official.

COMPETENCIES

• Ability to assist senior engineers for the purposes of conducting a broad range of radio frequency (RF) and broadband telecommunications engineering studies or special projects.


• Skill preparing written summaries and analyses of electronics engineering data and/or skill developing recommendations for resolution of problems.


• Skill researching and obtaining information on electronics engineering equipment, practices, problems, and developments.


• Skill making recommendations on the types of electronics engineering equipment needed to carry out important electronics engineering functions and project support


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Other:
-  Before hiring, an agency will ask you to complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment and to authorize a background investigation.  The agency will also ask you to sign and certify the accuracy of all the information in your application.  If you make a false statement in any part of your application, you may not be hired; you may be fired after you begin work; or you may be fined or jailed. If you are a male over age 18 who was born after December 31, 1959, you must have registered with the Selective Service System (or have an exemption) to be eligible for a Federal job.

-  If applicable, you will be required to serve a trial period of one year.

-  In order for you to be employed at the FCC, there are certain Commission and Federal laws governing the financial interests of you and members of your immediate family. If selected for the position, you must submit a financial disclosure statement upon assuming the position.

In compliance with the OPM Merit Hiring Plan requirements, please be advised that candidates will not be evaluated, selected or hired based on race, sex, color, religion, or national origin. 

Optional Four Essay Questions

At the time of application, applicants have the option of answering the following four short, free-response essay questions.

1. How has your commitment to the Constitution and the founding principles of the United States inspired you to pursue this role within the Federal government? Provide a concrete example from professional, academic, or personal experience.
2. In this role, how would you use your skills and experience to improve government efficiency and effectiveness? Provide specific examples where you improved processes, reduced costs, or improved outcomes.
3. How would you help advance the President’s Executive Orders and policy priorities in this role? Identify one or two relevant Executive Orders or policy initiatives that are significant to you, and explain how you would help implement them if hired.
4. How has a strong work ethic contributed to your professional, academic or personal achievements? Provide one or two specific examples, and explain how those qualities would enable you to serve effectively in this position.

Applicants will be required to certify that they are using their own words, and did not use a consultant or AI (such as a large language model [LLM]). The responses to each question cannot exceed 200 words per question.

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.

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.

The FCC offers a wide range of employee benefits, including:

Health Insurance
Life Insurance
Dental & Vision Insurance
Flexible Spending Accounts
Long-Term Care Insurance
Holidays and Leave
Retirement
Thrift Savings Plan
Transit Benefit
Alternative Work Schedule
Telecommuting

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.