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This position is located in the Office of Railroad Development (RRD), Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). You will serve as a Transportation Industry Analyst in one of the offices in RRD. The mission is to improve railroad safety, efficiency, service, and capacity through stewardship of all rail-related Federal investment programs and projects.
Learn more about this agency10/20/2023 to 02/19/2024
$72,553 - $158,860 per year
Salaries for all areas are available on the OPM website at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/2024/general-schedule/
GS 11 - 14
MANY vacancies in the following location:
No
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Occasional travel - Travel will vary by position and location.
No
Permanent
Multiple Schedules - Work Schedules vary depending on position (Full-time, Part-time, Intermittent, etc.).
Competitive
00 - Promotion potential varies by the office to which appointed. Salaries reflected on this vacancy announcement will vary based on the duty station of the appointed position.
No
No
FRA.DH-2024-0001
756015000
Applications will be accepted from any U.S. citizen. Direct Hire Authority will be used to fill this position. The 'Rule of Three', Veterans Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants does not apply to this vacancy. Bargaining unit for this position varies. Some positions are represented by AFGE, local 2814.
At the full performance level of a Transportation Industry Analyst (TIA), you may provide counsel to FRA management and colleagues regarding:
This position could be located in the following offices:
The specific duties of this position that will be filled through this announcement differ depending on the Office and may include:
Office of Amtrak and Northeast Corridor Program Delivery
TIAs support the agency's (1) review of long-term and annual capital, operating, and financial plans for investment in Amtrak-owned and other passenger rail assets and (2) development of policy and planning objectives for Northeast Corridor growth, Amtrak oversight, and state-supported and long-distance service. TIAs have a variety of duties, and depending on the team, TIAs may assess passenger rail and Amtrak service and financial performance; advise on and develop policy; engage with railroads, states, and other stakeholders in advancing passenger rail policy and performance; monitor and oversee federally funded capital projects; serve as subject matter experts on project planning and delivery; analyze data from reports; manage and mitigate risk; advise on quality assurance processes; assist with grant administration, coordinating with other teams to do so; assess Amtrak’s and other grantees’ financial, operational, and asset performance. TIAs often use data analysis and visualization tools to inform the Agency's policymaking and oversight of Amtrak, and to evaluate the health and performance of the national passenger rail transportation system.
(Continued under Benefits and Other Information)
The ideal candidate for this position is a highly motivated early- to mid-level transportation professional who can function independently and demonstrate leadership in team environments. Candidates must have the skill and experience working collaboratively and productively with individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences; organizational skills; and the ability to handle multiple competing priorities, issues, and projects simultaneously. Applicants must have strong analytical and communication skills, with the ability to analyze data, draw conclusions, and develop recommendations to present to a variety of audiences and knowledge in the areas of transportation or passenger rail infrastructure, policy, operations, project development or grant administration.
PLEASE NOTE: This announcement establishes an open continuous (3 month) vacancy announcement. Given our continuing need for top professionals in this field, we will review applications on an as needed basis. We will give equal consideration to all applications we receive. Duty locations will vary. The difference in salary is determined by the locality pay in each location. Salaries for all areas are available on the OPM website at:https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/2024/general-schedule/.
CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:
To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you MUST meet the specialized experience qualifications for the grade at which you are requesting consideration. For the 2110 series, specialized experience that demonstrated a knowledge of the transportation function(s) of the position to be filled is required.
To qualify for the GS-11, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equal or equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in the following:
To qualify for the GS-11 on Education alone, you must have:
You can also qualify based on a combination of higher level graduate education and experience. This must be fully supported by your resume and transcripts, provided with your application.
To qualify for the GS-12, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equal or equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the following:
To qualify for the GS-13, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equal or equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the following:
To qualify for the GS-14, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equal or equivalent to the GS-13 grade level in the following:
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas:
Customer Service: Anticipates and meets the needs of both internal and external Delivers high-quality products and services; is committed to continuous improvement.
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.
For additional information about applying to Federal positions, please click on the following link: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-policies/#url=e4
Students enrolled in a qualifying degree program can apply if the anticipated graduation date is within six months of closing date of the announcement. Graduation transcript must be received before start date.
Applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study -- accounting, business administration, business or commercial law, commerce, economics, engineering, finance, industrial management, statistics, traffic management, transportation, motor mechanics, or other fields related to the position.
or
Experience
Specialized Experience (for positions above GS-5): Experience may have been gained with a carrier or shipper, carriers' or shippers' associations, transportation consulting organizations, State, local, or Federal regulatory bodies, or similar groups or organizations. Some positions may require specialized experience in a particular mode of transportation (e.g., air, railroad, motor carriers), or in a particular kind of traffic (e.g., passenger, freight), or both.
The duties of this position that will be filled through this announcement differ depending on the Office and may include:
Office of Rail Program Development, TIAs may analyze rail policy, legislative and appropriation proposals, and Congressional activities related to rail transportation matters and within the Office of Railroad Development's jurisdiction. TIAs may also participate in drafting notices of funding opportunities, providing technical assistance to prospective applicants, evaluating applications submitted for review, and presenting briefing materials for Departmental leadership to review during selection briefings. TIAs establish performance measures to assess the effectiveness of national rail policies, plans and programs, including support to the Office of the Chief Financial Officer in development of priority performance goals and other performance measurement deliverables to DOT, OMB and Congress. TIAs oversee multi-million-dollar technical assistance programs, including development of policies, procedures, and operating procedures. The position may also lead the development of processes, procedures, technical guidance, and training materials for the Office.
Office of Regional Outreach and Project Delivery, TIAs support implementation of project delivery and provide oversight of through both the pre-award and post-award phases associated with DOT/FRA’s financial assistance programs. This may include evaluating applications submitted for review, monitoring Federal project progress and providing subject matter expertise in project oversight to mitigate risk, maintain quality assurance processes, solve issues, and ensure proper discretionary grant administration, execution, and compliance. TIAs oversee, within a regional, multidisciplinary team structure, the planning, design, project development, environmental analysis, construction and operations of all projects that involve Federal financial assistance or where there is a Federal interest to ensure effective delivery of projects. The position may also oversee regional customer outreach to foster effective multi-state compacts, and integrated network plans, projects, and programs; and leads development, capacity-building, and relationships with regional stakeholders.
RAILROAD STOCK: Pursuant to 5 C.F.R. Parts 2635.403 and 6001.104, all 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.
This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if similar vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.
Qualified CTAP/ICTAP candidates receive priority and will be referred to the hiring manager.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
For this announcement, all applicants will be reviewed to determine if they meet the basic qualifications for this position, specifically the educational requirements. Applications that are verified to meet the basic qualifications will be referred to the selecting official.
Applicants will not be rated or ranked. Veteran’s Preference does NOT apply.
DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE: PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. All answers provided in the on-line process must be substantiated by a resume. If, upon review, it is determined that your resume and/or supporting documents do not support your answer choices, your application may be removed from consideration.
Please ensure that your work history provides enough details to support your answers.
ALL Applicants must provide a resume that fully supports the required specialized experience and was created within USA Jobs Resume Builder and respond to the vacancy questions by the closing date of the vacancy. Formatted resumes can be uploaded when you arrive at the DOT application system. For assistance with the resume builder, please visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/account/documents/resume/build/
TRANSCRIPTS - Transcripts are REQUIRED if you are substituting education for experience at the GS-11 level. The transcripts need not be official, but must show that you meet the stated education requirements, including specific major or class requirements.
DISPLACED EMPLOYEES: If requesting consideration under the Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or Interagency CTAP program (ICTAP), you must meet the well qualified standards for this vacancy (meeting minimum requirements for position and scoring at least an 85) and provide all of the following documents:
Displaced employees may be eligible for ICTAP or CTAP priority consideration.
For more information, please review the OPM Employee's Guide to Career Transition.
Failure to submit any of the required documents by the closing date of the vacancy will result in your removal from consideration for this position. Please review your application prior to final submission and ensure you have submitted all appropriate documents. Uploading documents to USA Jobs does NOT ensure inclusion with your application to our system. You must verify that the documents are in the system with your application prior to final submission.
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.
You must submit a complete application package (including resume, vacancy questions and supporting documents) no later than 11:59 pm (EST) on the closing date of the announcement.
If you are having difficulty applying online, please contact the DOT Automated Staffing Office via email at: Transjobs@dot.gov
You may check your application status by logging into USAJobs.com (Select "My USAJobs" and click "Applications". As needed, a Human Resources Specialist will evaluate your application. Qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager. If you are selected for an interview, the hiring agency will contact you directly. Once the position is filled, we will notify all applicants of their final status.
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/756015000. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
Learn more about
The Federal Railroad Administration’s mission is to enable the safe, reliable, and efficient movement of people and goods for a strong America, now and in the future.
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) promulgates and enforces rail safety regulations; consolidates government support of rail transportation activities; administers financial assistance programs; conducts research and development in support of improved railroad safety and efficiency, and national transportation policy, including improved intercity passenger service.
The U.S. Department of Transportation strives to ensure that equity, transparency, accountability, collaboration, and communication permeate all that we do for the betterment of the Department, the traveling public, and our nation. As such, DOT values a highly diverse workforce of persons who promote a culture of belonging by respecting the personal dignity and worth of each individual and fostering a positive environment where all feel safe and welcome. If these commitments coincide with your personal ideals and professional aspirations, please consider joining the DOT family.
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