Electrical Engineer.
Smithsonian InstitutionRole Overview
Smithsonian Institution is hiring a mid-level Electrical Engineer.. This is a full-time role in Washington. Full responsibilities, required qualifications, and the apply link are listed in the description below.
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Job Description
Duties
The Electrical Engineer serves as Design Manager in the OPDC, EDD, planning, leading and controlling designated design projects and has an overall responsibility for design project development, implementation and evaluation.
In This Position You Will
- Serve as an electrical engineering consultant for the design and construction of new buildings or renovation of existing facilities.
- Administer A/E contracts as required for the successful completion of projects and is responsible for review and approval of all A/E payment requests and deliverables.
- Function as the building plan reviewer or examiner, evaluating construction documents and corresponding specifications.
- Assure that the work is appropriate with respect to functionality, maintainability, durability, cost, and aesthetics.
- Prepare correspondence, studies, technical reports, design analyses, specifications, and similar materials associated with the work assignments.
- Participate in conferences with institution staff and management, A/E personnel, client representatives, suppliers, contractors, and others.
- Develop original designs and prepares the associated sketches, drawings, design analyses, specifications for the electrical features of design work accomplished in-house.
Requirements
Conditions of employment
- Pass Pre-employment Background Investigation
- May need to complete a Probationary Period
- Maintain a Bank Account for Direct Deposit/Electronic Transfer
- Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered with Selective Service.
Conditions of Employment
Qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.
For information on qualification requirements, see Qualification Standards Handbook for General Schedule Positions on
Qualifications
Basic Qualifications: (You must submit unofficial school transcripts)
- Degree: professional engineering. To be acceptable, the curriculum must: (1) be in a school of engineering with at least one curriculum accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) as a professional engineering curriculum; 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
- 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 professional 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 -- Current registration as a professional engineer by any State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico. 2. Written Test -- 3. Specified academic courses. 4. Related curriculum
In Addition To The Basic Qualification Requirement Above
GS-12 Experience: You qualify for this position if you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 level in the Federal Service or comparable pay band system. For this position specialized experience is defined as participating in the planning and design of electrical engineering systems of building projects such as: residential housing, office, retail and other similar commercial type buildings. This includes power distribution, arc flash calculations, protective selective coordination, load calculations, emergency power, and short circuit analysis, defining scope of work and managing the work of the project teams and contracted building design professionals.
GS-13 Experience: You qualify for this position if you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 level in the Federal Service or comparable pay band system. For this position specialized experience is defined as leading the planning and design of engineering systems of building projects such as laboratories, hospitals, museums, and similar complex building types. This includes power distribution, arc flash calculations, protective selective coordination, load calculations, emergency power, and short circuit analysis, defining scope of work and managing the work of the project teams and contracted building design professionals.
Your resume must be no more than two (2) pages and should clearly demonstrate how your experience aligns with the responsibilities and specialized experience required for this position. Do not copy language directly from the vacancy announcement, as you will be deemed ineligible for consideration. Instead, provide detailed, descriptive information about your actual 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.
Part-time and/or unpaid experience related to this position will be considered to determine the total number of years and months of experience. Be sure to note the number of paid or unpaid hours worked each week.
Important Note
Your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses to the occupational questionnaire or other assessment tool for consistency. If a determination is made that you have rated yourself higher than is supported by your resume, you will be assigned a rating commensurate to your described experience. Your resume should provide sufficient information regarding how your education and experience relate to this position, including the major duties and qualifications criteria listed.
Education
(You must submit unofficial school transcripts)
- Degree: professional engineering. To be acceptable, the curriculum must: (1) be in a school of engineering with at least one curriculum accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) as a professional engineering curriculum; 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
- 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 professional 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 -- Current registration as a professional engineer by any State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico. 2. Written Test -- 3. Specified academic courses. 4. Related curriculum.
Additional information
- This position is not included in the bargaining unit.
Recruitment Incentive: Recruitment incentive(s) may be authorized for this position. However, approval for incentives are contingent upon various availability. If authorized, certain incentives will require the incumbent to sign a service agreement to remain in the Federal government for a certain time period.
Note: This statement does not imply nor guarantee an incentive will be offered and paid.
Selections may be made for vacancies across the Smithsonian Institution (SI). By applying to this position, you agree to allow your application and other personal information to be shared with one or more SI hiring officials for employment consideration for same/similar positions within the location(s) identified in this announcement.
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.
The Smithsonian offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, vacation and sick leave, holidays, health/life insurance, accident insurance, and excellent retirement program options.
Please see Benefits at
Flexible Spending Accounts -
Health Insurance -
Leave -
Life Insurance -
Long Term Care Insurance -
Retirement Program -
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I apply for the Electrical Engineer. position at Smithsonian Institution?
Use the Apply button above to submit your application directly to Smithsonian Institution. Most applications take less than 5 minutes if your resume and contact details are ready, and you'll be routed to the employer's official application system to finish.
Where is the Electrical Engineer. position at Smithsonian Institution located?
This position is based in Washington. Smithsonian Institution has not indicated remote or hybrid options for this role, so candidates should plan for on-site work.
What does a Electrical Engineer. at Smithsonian Institution earn?
Smithsonian Institution has not disclosed a salary range in this posting. Many employers share specifics later in the interview process; you can also ask during a recruiter screen if compensation transparency is important to you.
When was the Electrical Engineer. role at Smithsonian Institution posted?
This role was posted on April 8, 2026 (66 days ago). It's still listed as actively hiring; we re-confirm openings against the source system multiple times per day and remove closed roles.
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