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Position Summary
This position is located in the Office of Railroad Safety within the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). If selected, you will serve as the Director, Office of Safety Analysis and support the Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety and the Deputy Associate Administrator in advancing the mission of FRA regarding railroad safety.
07/09/2019 to 08/26/2019
$127,914 - $184,600 per year
ES 00
No
Occasional travel - Requires occasional travel (less than 10%).
Yes—Relocation expenses authorized.
Permanent - Career
Full-time - Permanent
Senior Executive
XX
Yes
Yes
FRA.SES-2019-0003
538902000
The Director, Office of Safety Analysis serves as the primary advisor for the FRA safety regulatory program and assists the Associate Administrator and the Deputy Associate Administrator in formulating program and technical policies, monitoring integrated programs, establishing program goals for organizational components, and tracking the progress of projects and programs.
As the Director, Office of Safety Analysis the candidate:
• Provides leadership for the Office of Safety Analysis. Directs planning and evaluation of Office systems and activities; ensures Office programs reflect Departmental goals, Congressional, Administration, and transportation industry goals; and provides routine progress and status reports to the Associate Administrator for the Office of Railroad Safety, the Deputy Administrator, and the Administrator.
• Coordinates across FRA to ensure an integrated, consistent approach to analyzing and recommending safety legislative proposals, including reauthorization proposals, policy input to the President’s annual budget submission to Congress, and other DOT policy proposals related to railroad safety.
• Provides leadership for the development of cost-benefit analyses, reports, rulemakings and benchmarks required by legislation. Directs analysis of proposed policy changes in terms of cost and benefits. Directs the review of proposed legislation to determine its impact on rail safety and advises the Administrator, and Associate Administrator of those findings. Coordinates with, and provides information to the Chief Counsel on legislative and regulatory matters.
• Oversees the development and implementation of analytical models and databases for managing resources and regional operations, designed to achieve improvements in the safety and efficiency of national rail transportation systems. Directs development of analytical models and tools for performing complex statistical analysis for inspector resource utilization.
• Manages operations research analysis programs to measure accident rates and identify safety measurement criteria for comparing railroads using nationwide statistical data. Responsible for the development and tracking of safety performance goals under the Government Performance and Results Act.
• Provides administrative and technical direction to multiple divisions including, but not limited to, Regulatory Analysis, Railroad Safety Information Management, Highway-Rail Grade Crossing and Trespass Prevention Programs, Risk Reduction, Human Performance, and Passenger Rail Security Preparedness and Accident Investigation, consisting of approximately 75 professional and support employees.
CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:
As a basic requirement for entry into the Senior Executive Service (SES), you must clearly articulate and describe within your resume evidence of progressively responsible supervisory, managerial, or professional experience which involved management of a program or organization of significant scope and complexity. The experience must have been sufficiently responsible to show clearly your ability to perform the duties of this position and meet the mandatory Technical Qualifications and Managerial Executive Core Qualifications listed below.
TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS (TQs): Below are descriptions of the Technical Qualifications that must be clearly evident in your resume.
1. Comprehensive knowledge of and demonstrated management experience leading data analysis processes that support the development of transportation safety program goals, objectives and requirements and formulation of recommendations on alternative courses of action to meet regulatory and industry goals.
2. Demonstrated experience leading the development and execution of cost benefit analyses to support transportation safety programs.
DESIRABLE QUALIFICATION (DQ):
1. Demonstrated experience and knowledge related to the required technical qualifications that pertains specifically to the nation’s railroad infrastructure, industry and its ancillary components.
EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS (ECQs): Below are descriptions of the ECQs that must be clearly evident in your resume.
ECQ 1 - LEADING CHANGE: This core qualification involves the ability to bring about strategic change, both within and outside the organization, to meet organizational goals. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to establish an organizational vision and to implement it in a continuously changing environment. Leadership Competencies: Creativity and Innovation, External Awareness, Flexibility, Resilience, Strategic Thinking, Vision
ECQ 2 - LEADING PEOPLE: This core qualification involves the ability to lead people toward meeting the organization's vision, mission, and goals. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to provide an inclusive workplace that fosters the development of others, facilitates cooperation and teamwork, and supports constructive resolution of conflicts. Leadership Competencies: Conflict Management, Leveraging Diversity, Developing Others, Team Building
ECQ 3 - RESULTS DRIVEN: This core qualification involves the ability to meet organizational goals and customer expectations. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to make decisions that produce high-quality results by applying technical knowledge, analyzing problems, and calculating risks. Leadership Competencies: Accountability, Customer, Decisiveness, Entrepreneurship, Problem Solving, Technical Credibility
ECQ 4 - BUSINESS ACUMEN: This core qualification involves the ability to manage human, financial, and information resources strategically. Leadership Competencies: Financial Management, Human Capital Management, Technology Management
ECQ 5 - BUILDING COALITIONS: This core qualification involves the ability to build coalitions internally and with other Federal agencies, State and local governments, nonprofit and private sector organizations, foreign governments, or international organizations to achieve common goals. Leadership Competencies: Partnering, Political Savvy, Influencing/Negotiating
FUNDAMENTAL COMPETENCIES: The following competencies are the foundation for success in each of the Executive Core Qualifications: Interpersonal Skills, Oral Communication, Written Communication, Integrity/Honesty, Continual Learning, and Public Service Motivation.
Additional information about the SES and Executive Core Qualifications can be found on the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) SES Website.
You are strongly encouraged to review OPMs Guide to SES Qualifications for specific examples and guidance on writing effective ECQ narrative statements and executive resumes.
Retirement/Pension Plan - You will be covered by a defined benefit, contributory Federal retirement system that provides benefits for both normal retirement (with as few as 5 years of civilian service) and for circumstances that might occur earlier, such involuntary retirement because of disability.
Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) - You may participate in a retirement savings investment plan that offers before-tax savings and tax-deferred investment earnings. For more details, please visit the TSP website
Employee Assistance - Employees and their immediate families can take advantage of free confidential counseling with health professionals as part of the Federal Employees Assistance Program.
Transit Benefits - We subsidize up to $265 of mass transit commuting costs each month.
Telework - This position is NOT telework eligible.
Information related to performance, suitability, and security will be verified.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 subject to fine imprisonment, or other disciplinary action.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
An SES reviewing panel will evaluate your application based on the quality and extent of your total accomplishments, experience, and education. Applicants determined to be highly qualified may undergo an interview and a reference check. If you are contacted for a second-round interview, you may be asked to submit a written narrative statement addressing each of the ECQ areas (Leading Change, Leading People, Results Driven, Business Acumen, Building Coalitions). If selected, your written narrative statement addressing the ECQs must be certified by an OPM Qualifications Review Board (QRB), unless you are a current SES executive or have successfully participated in an OPM approved SES Candidate Development Program. You must receive certification before you can be appointed to the position.
All applications must be completed and submitted electronically no later than midnight ET of the closing date. Final reviews will be performed after the announcement closing, and timely notice of the status of your application will be emailed to you. You may check the status of your application for this position at any time by logging into your USAJOBS account and selecting Application Status.
The FRA has determined that seniority rights, leaves of absence, and reemployment rights with or from a railroad generally constitute an actual or an appearance of a conflict of interest. New employees may be required to divest themselves of such rights immediately upon hire if these rights are determined to constitute an actual or appearance of a conflict of interest. No waivers of this requirement will be granted.
FRA employees (or spouses or minor children of FRA employees) are specifically prohibited from holding railroad stock (including shares of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc., which owns 100% of BNSF), whether held outright, in an IRA, or in a 401(k) or other plan. Employees may hold a mutual fund which invests in railroad stocks, so long as the mutual fund does not invest more than 30% of its assets in such prohibited investments. Employees having a prohibited financial interest must divest themselves of railroad stock within 90 days after their appointment to their positions. Neither the rule against holding railroad stock, nor the divestiture period, is in any way affected by the
existence of re-employment rights which employees might have with railroad companies. Nor is there any monetary threshold for applicability of the rule against ownership of railroad stock; all dollar amounts are prohibited.
The following documents must be provided by the closing date:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
The application process used to recruit for this position is RESUME ONLY. Within your resume, you should address all the ECQ's and the technical qualifications.
Application packages must be received online no later than 11:59pm Eastern Time on the closing date of the announcement.
If submitting a cover letter, it can only be one page in length; all other pages WILL NOT be considered.
To begin, click the Apply Online button on the job announcement posting.
Create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account.
If you are having difficulty applying online, please contact the DOT Automated Staffing Office during regular business hours (8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET) at Transjobs@dot.gov.
If you have opted to receive account status updates via USAJobs, you will receive online confirmation that your application package has been received. All applicants will receive a notification email of the final outcome regarding the hiring decision.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/538902000. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
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