Foreign Service Construction Engineer

**Duties**:
The following are typical duties, performed at various grade levels, in the course of a career as a Construction Engineer (CE).

**OVERSEAS ASSIGNMENTS**

Although specific assignments vary, most overseas assignments will involve the following major responsibility areas and example tasks:
**Project Direction and Coordination**
- Establishes and manages field office.
- Administers contracts.
- Negotiates and liaise with host country.
- Oversees regional operations.
- Coordinates visitors and neighbors.
- Acts as liaison between post management and senior management.

**Project Management**
- Manages project activities and schedules.
- Ensures proper inventory control.
- Manages claims.
- Manages records.
- Learns and uses information technology.
- Replaces contractors when necessary.
- Manages risk and balance competing priorities.

**Quality Assurance**
- Approves quality programs.
- Ensures quality inspection.
- Ensures contractor’s work off-site is properly inspected.
- Hires and manages quality assurance staff.
- Approves testing laboratories.
- Ensures corrective actions take place.
- Ensures trades qualifications.
- Ensures material compliance with contract requirements.

**Financial Management**
- Plans resource requirements.
- Manages budgets and financial controls.
- Approves contractor schedule of values.
- Approves progress payment requests.
- Prepares estimates.
- Evaluates impact of proposed project changes.
- Ensures financial controls.
- Controls costs.

**Safety**
- Approves safety program.
- Ensures safety training and equipment.
- Monitors safety.

**Security**
- Ensures security awareness and protection.
- Coordinates the management of security staff.
- Ensures document security.

**Preconstruction**
- Performs design review.
- Performs constructability review.
- Evaluates host-country conditions.

**Commissioning and Close-Out**
- Coordinates commissioning of systems.
- Coordinates close outs.
- Coordinates final inspections.
- Provides warranty support.
- Coordinates with the commissioning agent.
- Ensures hand-over of spare parts and materials.
- Coordinates schedule of other installation tasks.
- Ensures commissioning training.
- Supports transition from construction to operations.
- Participates in relocation.
- Ensures proper demobilization.
- Provides contractor performance ratings.

**DOMESTIC ASSIGNMENTS**

Although specific assignments vary, most overseas assignments will involve the following major responsibility areas and example tasks:
**Project Development**
- Participates in design of new construction.
- Develops construction general requirements.
- Participates in planning.
- Recommends procurement and execution strategies.
- Informs project schedule and support requirements.
- Advocates for operability concerns.
- Ensures security management plans developed.
- Participates in technical evaluation panels to evaluate bids.
- Assists in prequalifying bidders.
- Provides guidance to contractors.

**Project Support**
- Coordinates construction projects team mobilization.
- Coordinates procurement.
- Coordinates with security.
- Travels to project sites.
- Makes recommendations to contracting officer.
- Prepares progress information.
- Provides temporary supervision of projects when needed.

**Administrative Support**
- Performs administrative tasks to support overseas projects.
- Supports data management.
- Participates in recruiting and hiring.
- Receives training.

**PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS**

Some of the essential functions of the job have a physically demanding component. In the execution of the duties and tasks listed above, Construction Engineers MUST have the ability to:

- Work in confined areas such as crawl spaces, attics, utility pits, tunnels, utility access holes, and other confined spaces;
- Work from heights such as rooftops, ledges, scaffolding, including climbing extension ladders and scaffolding;
- Move and handle heavy objects (up to 50 pounds of weight) such as equipment, tools, and other building materials;
- See objects that are near, far, in color, or at night, possibly including depth perception; and
- Hear speech or other sounds, possibly including sufficient sensitivity to hear sounds of low volume or in noisy environments;
- Manage periodic work that requires regular and recurring periods of prolonged standing, bending, and stretching.

**Requirements**:
**Conditions of Employment**:

- Be a U.S. citizen and accept assignments based on the needs of the FS.
- Be able to obtain a Top Secret Security Clearance.
- Be able to meet the minimum medical qualification standard.
- Be able to obtain a favorable Suitability Review Panel determination.*
- Be at least 20 years old to apply; at least 21 years old to be appointed.
- Be appointed prior to age 60 (preference eligible veterans excepted).**

The Department’s Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations’ (OBO) Office of Construction Management is responsible for managing the Department of State