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Pathways Recent Graduate- Community Planner

Department of Transportation
Federal Transit Administration
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is for RECENT GRADUATES.  For additional information regarding the Recent Graduates program visit: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-information/students-recent-graduates/#url=graduates

 

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
03/20/2019 to 03/29/2019
Salary
$56,233 - $88,450 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 09 - 11
Location
Washington, DC
1 vacancy
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Recent graduates - Recent Graduate - Excepted Service Appiontment for initial period.
Work schedule
Full-time - Full Time - Recent Graduate
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
12
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Announcement number
FTA.TPE-2019-0007
Control number
527930500

Duties

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The Recent Graduate (Community Planner) will:

  • Support the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) as it provides technical assistance, training, and guidance to transit providers, metropolitan planning organizations, and State Departments of Transportation about issues related to transportation planning, metropolitan and statewide planning, and the implementation of performance based planning.    
  • Provide technical assistance and guidance to transit providers and metropolitan planning organizations and State agencies on metropolitan and statewide planning to improve their ability to meet existing statutory and regulatory requirements.
  • Support coordination between the Federal Transit Administration and Federal Highway Administration in the administration of metropolitan and statewide planning, such as webinars, conferences, and other meetings and conference calls.
  • Work with other FTA staff to address technical issues and prepare guidance and correspondence to transit providers, metropolitan, State, and federal agencies. 
  • Contribute to the development and updating of the FTA website, draft guidance, and support the regulations that implement legislative mandates to FTA.

The ideal candidate is a Transportation Program Specialist or Community Planner or equivalent with experience in areas related to planning, environmental, project management, and grant programs related to public transportation.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen and meet Pathways Recent Graduate requirement.
  • Submit application and resume online by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date.
  • Review Required Documents Section as documents are required by closing date

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

Selected participants are on an excepted service appointment under the Recent Graduates Program and required to serve a one year trial period, and will be evaluated for conversion to a term or permanent appointment in the competitive service at the end of one year.

Selective Service: Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for the Selective Service.

Transcript: You must submit a transcript with your application.

Suitability: Subject to a background/suitability investigation.

ADDITIONAL CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

  • Must meet the eligibility requirements for the Recent Graduate Program.
  • Recent Graduates will enter a formal training program with a mentor and execute an Individual Development Plan outlining training requirements and program expectations.
  • Recent Graduates must receive at least 40 hours of formal training directly linked to their employment field.
  • Recent Graduates serve a trial period for the duration of their excepted service appointment.
  • Recent Graduates will be required to sign a Pathways Recent Graduate Participant Agreement.
  • Applicants must provide documentation of completion within the previous 2 years of a qualifying, bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution*.
  • Applicants must meet grade qualifications by start date.
  • Provide all required documents by the closing date of announcement.
  • Selectee is required to complete a Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) to determine suitability for federal employment and to authorize a background investigation.

Qualifications

THIS POSITION HAS A MANDATORY EDUCATION REQUIREMENT. Applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must meet either the education or specialized experience requirements for the grade at which you are requesting consideration.

To qualify for the GS-09 on Experience, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-07 it must include:

  • Experience assisting in the project development activities of planning, environmental and grant programs related to public transportation operations.

To qualify for the GS-09 on Education alone, you must have:

  • At least 2 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or have been awarded a master's or equivalent graduate degree.
  • You can also qualify based on a combination of graduate education and experience.  This must be fully supported by your resume and transcripts, provided with your application.

To qualify on for the GS-11 on Experience, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-09, it must include:

  • Experience analyzing and reviewing the project development activities of planning, environmental and grant programs related to public transportation operations.

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

  • 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree.
  • 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.  

RECENT GRADUATE PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY:
*Applicants must have obtained a qualifying associates, bachelors, master's, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution, within the previous 2 years unless military service interfered with a veterans eligibility to apply during that two year time frame. Veterans meeting the above exclusion may apply within 2 years of discharge or 6 years from the date of receipt of the degree whichever comes first.

(http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/policy/ApplicationOfStds-04.asp) for information on crediting education.

You must provide a copy of ALL of your college/vocational/technical transcript(s). See  "Required Documents" section for additional information.

Applicants may refer to the U.S.Department of Education’s Institutional Accreditation System to determine whether their school/program is accredited: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/Search.aspx.

Education completed outside of the United States must be deemed equivalent to that gained in conventional/accredited U.S. education programs to be acceptable for Federal employment. See OPM's General Policies (http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/policy/ApplicationOfStds-04.asp) for information on crediting education.

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.

Students enrolled in a degree program can apply if the anticipated graduation date is within six months of closing date of this announcement. Graduation transcript must be received before start date.

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

For additional information about the Recent Graduates program, please click on the following link: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-information/students-recent-graduates/#url=Overview

Education

EDUCATION INFORMATION:

In order to qualify for this series, you must meet the following education/experience requirements:

You must have completed a full 4-year course of study at an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree in community planning or a related field such as urban affairs, architecture, landscape architecture, engineering, sociology, geography, economics, political science, or public administration that included at least 12 semester hours in the planning process, socioeconomic and physical elements of planning, urban and regional economic analysis, and development finance, from an accredited college or university.


Note: Applicants with degrees in related fields, such as those listed above, who do not have the 12 semester hours of specified course work must have had at least 1 year of work experience in community planning acquired under
the supervision and guidance of a community planner.


OR


You must have a combination of education and experience--courses equivalent to a major in one of the above disciplines, or a combination of related courses totaling at least 24 semester hours in any combination of the above disciplines of which at least 12 semester hours were in the planning process, and socioeconomic and physical elements of planning, plus appropriate experience or additional education.


The quality of the combination of education and experience must be sufficient to demonstrate that the applicant possesses the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform work in the occupation, and is comparable to that normally acquired through the successful completion of a full 4-year course of study with a major in the appropriate field. In addition to courses in the major and related fields, a typical college degree would have included courses that involved analysis, writing, critical thinking, research, etc. These courses would have provided an applicant with skills and abilities sufficient to perform progressively more responsible work in the occupation. Therefore, creditable experience should have demonstrated similarly appropriate skills or abilities needed to perform the work of the occupation.


College or university education -- Educational course work may be at either the undergraduate or graduate level. Successful completion of graduate level courses will be accepted as evidence that an applicant also possesses the knowledge taught in courses at lower levels in the same field.

Applications can be accepted from students who expect to complete qualifying education within 9 months from the date of application. However, agencies must verify that the education was completed successfully before the applicant can be appointed.  For additional information:  https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-policies/#url=e4

 

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Additional information

-This is a one year appointment in the excepted service which may lead to a term or permanent appointment in the competitive service.

-Recent graduates serve a trial period for the duration of their excepted service appointment.

-Recent graduates will be required to sign a Pathways Recent Graduate Participant Agreement.

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.

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.

Once you complete and submit your application package, a review of your application will be made to ensure you meet the minimum qualification requirements for the job. Qualified students will be referred to the hiring manager in unranked order, and if applicable, by veteran preference status: (1)Preference eligible having a compensable, service- connected disability of 10 percent or more; (2)all other candidates eligible for 10-point veteran preference; (3) candidates eligible for 5-point veteran preference; and (4)candidates not eligible for veteran preference.

You will not be considered for the position if any part of the application or supporting documentation is incomplete. Falsifying your background, education, and/or experience is cause for not hiring you or adverse action after hiring.

 


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Federal Transit Administration

Please see the Agency benefits section.

Agency contact information

Automated Staffing Office
Phone
000-000-0000
Fax
000-000-0000
Email
TRANSJOBS@dot.gov
Address
DOT, FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION
Submit Application and Documents Online
1200 New Jersey Ave SE / HAHR - 50
Washington, District of Columbia 20590
United States

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