Civil Engineer

THIS IS A TEMPORARY EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
Position Summary
The Civil Engineer assesses the physical damage impacts to buildings and facilities operated by Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Administration for Children and Families (ACF) grantees following disasters or emergency events. The engineer conducts onsite assessments to determine site, structural, utility, infrastructure and access impacts to these buildings and facilities.
The Civil Engineer is part of an interdisciplinary team that includes human services specialists, social workers and safety personnel. While the Civil Engineer focuses on physical damage, the team as a whole supports rapid evaluation of facility conditions, operational impacts, safety concerns, and recovery needs to help grantees quickly and safely return to operations. This is an intermittent position to be staffed as-needed after a disaster or emergency event. This is a deployable position.

Major Responsibilities
The Civil Engineer shall:

• Participate in disaster impact assessment operations which require deployment as part of a multidisciplinary field team supporting disaster response and recovery missions.
• Perform onsite, building and facility assessments to determine physical damage and accessibility impacts resulting from disaster or emergency events.
• Identify and document observed damage to structural, architectural, civil/site, building envelope, and basic utility-related systems, including roofs, walls, foundations, floors, drainage, access routes, and exterior areas.
• Evaluate habitability concerns, including unsafe structural conditions, blocked egress, fire/life safety impacts, water intrusion, mold indicators, electrical or mechanical hazards, sanitation issues, and accessibility barriers.
• Evaluate site, structural, utility, and infrastructure components of buildings and facilities to determine the extent of damage for each component.
• Evaluate site, building and facilities accessibility based on damages.
• Identify any specific hazards that are visible (e.g., debris, downed power lines) at the site at the time of the inspection.
• Work within the multidisciplinary team to determine how physical damage affects operational limitations and any potential safety concerns.
• Use approved tools and platforms to collect and submit assessment data, including photographs, measurements, sketches, damage observations, GPS/location information, and interview notes.
• Work within the multidisciplinary team to determine actions needed to support rapid return to operations.
• Develop cost estimates for repairs and rehabilitation of damaged facilities and sites. 
• Operate in austere, disaster affected environments while maintaining a commitment to safety.
• Participate in training to enhance and maintain readiness for deployment.
• Work as part of the field team to collect, validate, and report assessment information in a timely, accurate, and consistent manner.
• Provide content for situation reports, assessment summaries, and decision-support information to Office of Human Services Emergency Preparedness and Response (OHSEPR) leadership, program managers, federal staff, and contractor personnel.
• Support after-action reviews, lessons learned, and continuous improvement activities related to disaster impact assessment operations.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
The successful candidate shall demonstrate the ability to:

• Have a strong working knowledge of structural and civil engineering principles related to building damage, load paths, foundations, roofs, walls, and utilities 
• Demonstrate an understanding of building codes and standards including applicable state/local building codes, accessibility requirements, and, ideally, occupancy-specific considerations for HHS ACF grantee facilities (e.g., childcare facilities, community-based service facilities, shelters)
• Work within an interdisciplinary team to translate facility damage assessment findings into actionable information to support restoring building and facilities functions.
• Clearly communicate including explaining engineering observations to non-engineers, facility operators, emergency managers, and social workers
• Develop technical documentation, including clear field notes, photographs, sketches, damage descriptions, location references, and recommended follow-up actions
• Understanding of cost estimating principles and tools
• Exercise sound professional judgement in uncertain, time-sensitive, and potentially hazardous field conditions

• Work safely in damaged environments including using appropriate PPE and following site safety protocols
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare reports, briefings, operational summaries, and stakeholder updates.
• Ability to coordinate effectively with federal, state, local, nonprofit, contractor, and grantee stakeholders.
• Ability to deploy within 48 hours of notification for a minimum of a few days or up to 30 days with the opportunity to extend.

Required Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, architecture, construction management, or a related field.
• Experience working with multidisciplinary staff as part of project teams.
• Experience working disaster response, recovery, facility assessment, infrastructure assessment, or emergency management operations.
• Knowledge of facility damage assessment practices, building systems, field data collection, operational reporting, and disaster recovery processes.

Preferred Qualifications

• Professional Engineer or Registered Architect license.
• Experience supporting federal disaster response or recovery programs.
• Experience working with HHS, OHSEPR, ACF grantees, FEMA, or other federal emergency management or human services programs.
• Experience assessing occupied facilities, childcare facilities, nonprofit facilities, community-based service facilities, shelters, or human services facilities.
• Experience using mobile data collection platforms, GIS-enabled tools, dashboards, assessment databases, or quality control workflows.
• Knowledge of post-disaster damage assessment methods, including rapid visual screening, preliminary damage categorization, habitability concerns, and documentation protocols
• Experience with cost estimating for buildings, facilities and sites related to repairs and rehabilitation using nationally recognized resources
• Proficiency or fluency in a second language including but not limited to Spanish, Mandarin or Cantonese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, or French.

Work Environment and Travel
This position may require travel to disaster-affected areas, grantee facilities, field offices, emergency operations centers, or other mission locations. Work may be performed in office, remote, hybrid, or field environments depending on operational requirements. During disaster activations, the position may require extended hours, weekend work, surge operations, and deployment on short notice.

Job Description Disclaimer
This position description incorporates the job's core responsibilities. It recognizes that other related duties not specifically mentioned might also be performed and that not all responsibilities may be carried out depending on operational needs.


All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position. Upon hire, secondary employment and other employment restrictions must be disclosed and approved.


Tidal Basin Holdco, LLC, and its subsidiaries and affiliated companies, which include Tidal Basin Government Consulting, LLC, are an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer.
 

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