KEY REQUIREMENTS



• You must be a U.S. citizen
• Submit application and resume online by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date
• Provide all required documents by closing date
• This is a TERM position not-to-exceed three (3) years in the SES

As the Senior Project Manager for California High-Speed Rail Corridor, you will:
Provide project management guidance, oversight, training and technical assistance in support of grantees and other rail stakeholders that are responsible for the development and construction of California's High Speed Train System; one of the largest public works projects undertaken in the United States.  The System is an 800-mile high-speed rail between the Bay Area, the Central Valley, Sacramento, and Southern California that will be grade-separated from road vehicle traffic and operated almost exclusively on separate, dedicated tracks with operating speeds of up to 220 mph in rural areas and 90-125 mph in urban areas.  

You will lead FRA's coordination and oversight of the project management life-cycle ensuring efficient systems planning and development, satisfaction of environmental requirements, development of comprehensive financial and operating plans, best practices in project delivery - including scope, schedule and budget compliance - and effective integration among projects.  You will provide executive supervision and guidance over the performance of duties and responsibilities of FRA staff and will serve as the principal advisor to the Administrator and other senior-level officials on issues related to mega project management and oversight of the California High Speed Rail Corridor.

You must provide evidence of progressively responsible leadership experience that is indicative of senior executive level management capability; and that is directly related to the skills and abilities outlined under the Technical Qualifications (TQs) and Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) listed below.

TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS(TQs): Below are descriptions of the technical qualifications that you will be presented with once you have applied to this announcement.  You must clearly demonstrate in your responses how your experience supports each of the TQs.

1. Demonstrated ability to develop and execute mega transportation projects, especially in the railroad industry.
   
2. Demonstrated knowledge of project finance, including innovative financing, such as public/private partnerships.
   
3. Demonstrated ability to coordinate activities and communicate project goals, metrics and outcomes between local, state and Federal government, as well as within the rail and intercity ground transportation communities to improve efficient transportation systems and/or projects.

EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS (ECQs):  Below are descriptions of the ECQs that you will be presented with once you have applied to this announcement.

Please Note:  Current career SES members, former career SES members with reinstatement eligibility, and SES Candidate Development graduates who have been certified by OPM do NOT need to address the ECQs.

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, as well as the ability to establish an organizational vision and to implement it in a continuously changing environment.  

ECQ 2 - LEADING PEOPLE:  This core qualification involves the ability to lead people toward meeting the organization's vision, mission, and goals, as well as the ability to provide an inclusive workplace that fosters the development of others, facilitates cooperation and teamwork, and supports constructive resolution of conflicts.

ECQ 3 - RESULTS DRIVEN:  This core qualification involves the ability to meet organizational goals and customer expectations, as well as the ability to make decisions that produce high-quality results by applying technical knowledge, analyzing problems, and calculating risks.

ECQ 4 - BUSINESS ACUMEN:  This core qualification involves the ability to manage human, financial, and information resources strategically.

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.

You are strongly encouraged to review OPMs Guide to SES Qualifications for specific examples and guidance on writing effective ECQ narrative statements.



CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:
If selected for this position, you will be required to:


• Obtain and retain a Government contractor-issued travel card to be used for official business as a condition of employment.  If unable to obtain and/or retain a card, you may be subject to removal. Those who fail to meet this condition of employment will have our offer of employment rescinded.
  
• Complete a Public Confidential Financial Disclosure report, OGE-278 within 30 days of entry on duty. You will need to provide the information annually.

In addition, please note:

• 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.

HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED:

Your resume and responses to the ECQs and TQs are an integral part of the process for determining your basic and specialized qualifications for the position. Responses to the qualification statements that are not supported by your resume and/or supporting documentation may eliminate you from highly or well-qualified status and/or result in non-referral.

An SES rating and ranking 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.  

We recommend you preview the questions for this announcement before you start the applicantion process.
To preview questions please click here.

Benefits include health and life insurance, annual and sick leave, and retirement benefits.  Explore the major benefits offered to most Federal Employees here.

OTHER INFORMATION:

Veterans preference does not apply to the Senior Executive Service.

You must submit a complete online application package (including resume, vacancy questions and supporting documents) no later than midnight Eastern Time on the closing date of the announcement.

• To begin, click the Apply Online button on the job announcement posting.


• Follow the directions to register, submit all required documents and complete the assessment questionnaire.


• You may review your saved application(s) at https://my.usajobs.gov.

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 (202) 366-1298.  You may also email us at Transjobs@dot.gov.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:

The following documents must be provided by the close date:

• RESUME - showing relevant experience and education.  Please do not include pictures in your application package.
  
• COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRE - Responses to the Technical and Executive Core Qualifications are limited to 4,500 characters per question.  Do NOT include your answers in the body of your USAJOBS resume, since they will be asked separately.
  
• SF-50 - Current & former federal employees should submit an SF-50 which shows your current (or most recent grade.)
  
  • Current Career Senior Executives and individuals with SES reinstatement eligibility must submit a copy of an SF-50 which shows career SES status
  
  
• CANDIDATE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM CERTIFICATE - individuals who have successfully completed an Office of Personnel Management (OPM) approved SES Candidate Development Program, submit a copy of your OPM certificate.

Failure to submit any of the required documents by the closing date of the announcement will result in your removal from consideration for this position.

AGENCY CONTACT INFO:

WHAT TO EXPECT NEXT:

You will receive online confirmation that your application package has been received.

Please Note: We will perform interim reviews of all applications received by midnight on Dec. 12th and Dec. 23rd.  All applications must be completed and submitted electronically no later than midnight ET of the closing date.  Final reviews will be perfomed after the announcement closing, and timely notice of the status of your application will be emailed to you.