This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/495921900. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
This positon is located in the Office of Railroad Safety, Office of Safety Assurance and Compliance, Operating Practices Staff. The Operating Practices Division examines railroad carrier operating rules, employee qualification guidelines, and carrier training and testing programs to determine compliance with the Railroad Safety Act of 1970; railroad occupational safety and health standards; the Hours of Service Act; and accident and personal injury reporting requirements.
This position is ideal for a senior level professional who is a technical expert with FRA programs and policies related to operating practices and are able to present operating practices issues to a wide variety of internal and external audiences and/or a senior level railroad professional who has experience with FRA's application of the Federal hours of service law and its record keeping and reporting requirements, especially in the creation, monitoring and/or use of electronic record keeping hours of duty programs.
PLEASE NOTE: This vacancy may be used to fill similar positions within 90 days for this location.
04/06/2018 to 04/19/2018
$96,970 - $148,967 per year
GS 13 - 14
3 vacancies in the following location:
75% or less - Travel is required at least 70% of the time.
No
Permanent
Full-time - Full Time
14
No
FRA.S-2018-0016
495921900
Current or former competitive service federal employees.
Federal employees who meet the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee.
Family members of a federal employee or uniformed service member who is or was, working overseas.
As a Railroad Specialist, you will be responsible for identifying unsafe operating practices on railroads, evaluating the effectiveness of railroad operating rules, and assisting in the formulation of regulations governing railroad operating practices and rules. You will receive only general policy guidance from the Staff Director in the performance of your duties. Expertise is required in the railroad physical plant and operations; railroad safety regulations and procedures; and methods and techniques employed by railroads throughout the country in train operations and/or you could serve as the senior analyst concerning the federal hours of service law (HSL) relating to railroad or rail employees.
This position requires a high degree of proficiency in providing accurate and practicable solutions to a wide variety of railroad operating problems associated with operating practices regulations. You must employ a great deal of ingenuity and finesse in coordinating Federal Railroad Administration programs involving national representatives of railroad management and labor organizations.
CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:
Displaced employees may be eligible for ICTAP or CTAP priority consideration. For more information, please review the OPM Employee's Guide to Career Transition.
EEO STATEMENT: The Department of Transportation (DOT) maintains a model federal work environment that is free of discrimination. DOT ensures equal employment opportunity for employees and applicants for employment, regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), genetic information, age, disability, sexual orientation, or protected activity.
SENIORITY RIGHTS - LEAVES OF ABSENCE - RE-EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS: The FRA has determined that seniority rights, leaves of absence, and reemployment rights from prior railroad employment 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. If new employees are permitted to retain such rights, which is generally the case for Railroad Safety positions, the rights must be divested at the end of the one year probationary period which begins with the date of appointment. Divestiture is a requisite to continued employment with the Federal Railroad Administration. No waivers will be granted of the divestiture requirement. 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. If selected, you will be subject to the Standards of Ethical Conduct applicable to all executive branch employees. Selectees will be required to complete a new entrant confidential financial disclosure report (Office of Government Ethics Form 450) within 30 days of hire (except if hired between Nov.15 and Dec. 31). Thereafter, selectees will be required to annually file a confidential financial disclosure report by Feb. 15 of each year, pursuant to instructions issued in early January.
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.
If you meet the qualification requirements, your application will be scored based upon your responses to the vacancy questions. The top rated applications will be reviewed for the quality of your experience, education and training relevant to the position.
Your application will be rated on the extent and quality of your experience, education and training relevant to the position. The answers you select in the on-line process must be substantiated in your application package. If upon review, it is determined that your described work history, competencies, and/or supporting documents do not support your answer choices, your application may be updated or you may not be referred to the selecting official. Please ensure that your work history provides enough details to support your answers. If referred, all relevant documents including performance appraisals and awards submitted with your application package will be forwarded to the hiring official for review. The Automated Staffing Office is ultimately responsible for determining your final rating.
To preview questions please click here.
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.
The following is a list of documents that are only required based on the type of position and consideration for which you are applying.
PERFORMANCE APPRAISALS/INCENTIVE AWARDS: If applicable, performance appraisals and/or Incentive award documentation may be submitted and will be forwarded to the selecting official as support in consideration of your application in the evaluation process. To receive due weight, you must submit a recent performance appraisal (dated within 18 months) showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable (do not submit a performance plan) and/or incentive award documentation dated within the last 18 months (i.e. superior performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increases, etc.).
VETERANS: Your last DD214, Certificate of Release or Discharge From Active Duty, that shows the type of discharge and all dates of active duty is required to verify your eligibility. It need not be official.
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 midnight Eastern Time on the closing date of the announcement.
You may check your application status by logging into USAJobs.com. (Select "My USAJOBS" and click "Applications"). Within two weeks of the closing date, a Human Resources Specialist will evaluate your application. Ratings will be determined based on the documents and information received by the closing date. Qualified candidates will be assigned a category, not including points that may be assigned for veterans' preference. If the vacancy is advertised under status, your application will be scored on a scale between 70 - 100. The most highly qualified candidates are then referred to the hiring manager for further consideration. If the vacancy was advertised under category rating, then the appropriate veteran's preference will be applied. If you are selected for an interview, we 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/495921900. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
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