Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted from any U.S. citizen. Due to the potential of a high volume of applicants, not all applicants may receive consideration. 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.

As a Transportation Industry Analyst, you will:

At the full performance level of a Transportation Industry Analyst (TIA), you may provide counsel to FRA management and colleagues regarding:

• Assessing the performance of passenger rail, Amtrak and freight rail service, including important, extensive, novel, and controversial issues.
• Promoting the stewardship of passenger and freight rail assets that are critical to Amtrak and other rail operations through the management of the Department’s, including FRA, various financial assistance programs, and participation in planning activities for rail infrastructure improvement.
• Developing, analyzing, and preparing internal and external communications regarding rail policy, and legislative and budget proposals which may be vague, complex or uncommon.
• Providing technical assistance and support to high level officials at the federal, state, and local level, railroads, and other stakeholders in advancing high-performance passenger and freight rail policy objectives and plans.
• Serving as a Contractor Officer’s Technical representative (COTR) on assigned contracts, with authority to monitor and provide technical and programmatic direction to contractors.

Th ideal candidate is a highly motivated early to mid-level transportation professional who can function independently & demonstrate leadership in team environments. Experience working collaboratively with individuals of diverse backgrounds and experiences; handle multiple competing priorities & projects simultaneously; analyze data, draw conclusions, and develop recommendations. Knowledge in the areas of transportation or passenger rail infrastructure, policy, operations, project development or grant administration.

This position could be located in the following offices:

Office of Amtrak and Northeast Corridor Program Delivery

Office of Railroad Planning and Engineering

Office of Rail Program Development

Office of Regional Outreach and Project Delivery

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.

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.

(CONTINUED in the HOW TO APPLY)

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen & meet specialized experience to qualify
• Submit application and resume online by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date
• Required documents must be submitted by the closing date.
• Direct Hire Authority will be used to fill this position

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

• SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for the Selective Service.
• GOVERNMENT TRAVEL CARD: This position involves travel.  A government contractor-issued travel card will be issued and must be retained for official business only.
• BACKGROUND NVESTIGATION: You may be required to complete a background/security investigation and meet preliminary requirements prior to onboarding.
• SECURITY CLEARANCE: Varies by position.  If applicable, you must be able to obtain and maintain the appropriate security clearance of the position to which appointed.
• PCS/RELOCATION/RECRUITMENT: Permanent Change of Station (PCS), Relocation, and Recruitment Incentive authorization varies by position/selection.
• PROBATIONARY PERIOD: Applicants may be required to successfully complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed).
• POSITION SENSITIVITY AND RISK: Varies (Moderate Risk to High Risk) by position and will be based on the position to which appointed.
• ETHICS/CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT: All employees are subject to the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch, set out in the Title 5 of the Code of Regulations, section 2635 including restrictions on owing financial interest they may conflict with performance of their duties. Some employees, like those involved in contracting or regulating non-Federal entities are subject to Executive Branch Financial Disclosure requirements set out in Title 5 of the Code of Federal Regulation, section 263. Please note that you may required to fila an annual financial disclosure.
• REMOTE WORK: This position may be eligible for remote work, which does not require reporting to the agency worksite location on a regular basis. If selected for a remote work location, you will be required to sign a remote work agreement detailing agency remote work policy requirements, working conditions, and expectations for the position. You must have access to high-speed internet and cell phone service meeting current Agency standards from the approved work location within the Contiguous United States.

Qualifications

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 on Experience, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equal or equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in the following:

• Experience with assisting in the analysis of transportation policy and management; AND
• Experience providing management advice, implementing policies, procedures, explaining problems related to analytical work and program management activities, processes, and systems to employees and managers; AND
• Experience fostering working relationships with contacts and staff members at all levels within/outside the organization.

To qualify for the GS-11 on Education alone, you must have:

• Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree (See Education Requirements section for applicable fields).
• 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree
• A LL.M., if related

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:

• Experience applying public policy initiatives, program activities, interpreting laws, and regulations to provide factual/analytical information related to transportation industry policies and regulations.
• Experience developing and presenting recommendations for program and public policy initiatives to decision makers or other officials.
• Experience providing guidance on transportation or infrastructure development issues.

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:

• Experience with a range of methodologies and techniques for developing comprehensive analyses and projections of transportation industry requirements and performance; AND
• Experience developing policy and demonstrating understanding of the inter-dependency of various operational, financial, economic, regulatory, and legal aspects of the transportation industry.

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:

• Experience performing analytical, evaluative, advisory, or comparable work, developing policy positions relating to multi-modal transportation AND
• Experience articulating those policy positions before multilateral organizations, industry groups, and/or foreign government officials as a regular and recurring part of your job with minimal supervision.

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:

1. Technical Competence - Knowledge of regulations and policies within the transportation industry in order to advise on the departmental formulation, direction, and/or implementation of foreign and/or domestic policy of the United States involving the transportation industry to include the political or politico-economic nature of the United States with other governments to move people and goods.
2. Influencing/Negotiating - Persuade others to accept recommendations, cooperate, or change their behavior; work with others towards an agreement; negotiate to find mutually acceptable solutions.
3. Communications - Express information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); make clear and convincing oral presentations; listen to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately; and write in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner using correct English grammar, punctuation, and spelling in a succinct and organized manner for the intended audience.
4. Administration and Management - Knowledge of planning, coordination, and execution of business functions, resource allocation, and production.
5. Customer Service - Anticipate and meet 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.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE: PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume/application does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s). Your resume must contain sufficiently detailed information upon which to make a qualification determination. Please ensure that your resume contains specific information such as position titles, beginning and ending dates of employment for each position, average number of hours worked per week, and if the position is/was in the Federal government, you should provide the position series and grade level. 

All applicants:  For this announcement, applicants may 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 may be referred to the selecting official.

Applicants will not be rated or ranked.  Veteran’s Preference does NOT apply.

Please ensure that your work history provides enough details to support your answers.