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Human Factors Scientist

Department of Transportation
Federal Aviation Administration
Air Traffic Organization (ATO), Human Performance Team (AJI-3420)
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is located in the Air Traffic Organization (ATO), Safety and Technical Training, Policy & Performance Directorate, Safety Performance (AJI-3400). This Group is responsible for creating and managing safety performance metrics and for incorporating human performance management programs, data and efforts to maximize safety performance.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
06/24/2022 to 07/05/2022
Salary
$112,187 to - $173,922 per year

Salary includes 31.53% locality for the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area.

Pay scale & grade
FV J
Location
3 vacancies in the following location:
Washington, DC
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - The job may require travel from time- to-time, but not on a regular basis. The travel may be for training or other work-related duties.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
NA
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Announcement number
AWA-AJI-22-0053YC-79245
Control number
661815800

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Also open to former excepted service federal employees eligible under an interchange agreement. Current or former federal employees must have met a one year probationary period or trial period in the competitive or excepted service. Applications will be accepted from preference eligibles and veterans who are honorably discharged from the Armed Forces after completing at least 3 years of continuous active duty service.

Duties

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As a Human Factors Scientist, he/she applies experience and comprehensive technical knowledge of scientific principles related to human factors, industrial/organizational psychology, safety and training to update and prioritize risk mitigation strategies that integrate human factors into the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). He/she performs multiple, varying and complex assignments under the minimal direction of the manager. This work is a critical area of human performance and directly affects the safe and efficient operation of the NAS.

As a principal scientist, he/she uses experience and comprehensive technical knowledge of human performance related factors such as training standards, human performance safety investigations, human factors taxonomies, safety culture, research requirements development and human performance management. Resolves complex problems and to develop improved technical processes, systems or safety mitigations. He/she conducts extensive research and analyses and leads teams in identifying and assessing issues involving safety culture, training performance and human performance in Air Traffic Control and Technical Operations. He/she plays a lead role in drafting, reviewing, and editing reports for final approval prior to external distribution. He/she develops and recommends innovative changes to NAS systems, equipment and procedures.

Using skill and experience applying program/project management principles, he/she defines, organizes, and assigns resources to accomplish organizational objectives. Allocates resources to accomplish large work activities within established schedules. He/she formulates positions to establish, oversee and develop strategic business plans and tactical work streams for human performance management programs and activities. He/she develops a strategy to facilitate program reviews and to recommend risk mitigation strategies.

He/she investigates, collects and analyzing human factors related to data to identify and assess existing or potential issues, risks, and solutions involving human factors and human performance in civil aviation operations. He/she examines the role of environmental, social, financial, emotional, and other health and wellbeing factors on human performance. He/she prepares results and conclusions; writes reports and presents findings which may address topics from training, selection, change management, ergonomics, industrial organizational psychology, educational psychology, applied cognition. He/she develops and delivers training, manages workshops between conflicted parties, and provides outreach and education. Facilitates workshops, teaching and focus groups to lead and contribute to workshops and programs.

Contacts are internal and external. He/she often represents FAA as a senior technical point of contact for human factors and performance. Communicates results to all levels internally within AJI and externally with other FAA lines of business, other governmental agencies and private industry. He/she presents briefings to obtain consensus/approval on polices. Coordinates significant technical matters with representatives of external organizations. He/she supports the development of Human Performance Standards of Excellence for the Civil Air Navigation Services Organization.

Although broad policies and objectives provide general guidance for addressing issues, he/she is allowed considerable discretion to develop new and innovative approaches. Draws on experience to solve unusual problems and may create new solutions and policy interpretations as the situation requires.

The Team Manager rarely reviews work typically though status reports and at project completion to ensure technical compliance and alignment with requirements of the project or other work activity.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Review the Additional Information Section of this vacancy announcement for important information regarding your COVID vaccine status.
  • US Citizenship is required.
  • Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
  • Must submit an SF50 (See Required Documents)
  • This position has a positive education requirement. Transcript(s) required.

Qualifications

To qualify for the position you must demonstrate in your application that you possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the FV-I or FG/GS-13. This experience is typically related to the line of work of the position to be filled and which has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been at least equivalent to the next lower level in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.

Specialized Experience is defined as:

Experience with scientific work related to human factors, safety culture, training and workplace design to develop improved technical processes or systems.

Experience examining the human performance impact of new systems and procedural and training changes on the physical, behavioral, cognitive, and social characteristics of staff.

You should include relevant examples of the specialized experience in your work history. Errors or omissions may impact your rating or may result in you not being considered.

Answer all questions to the best of your ability. DO NOT ASSUME THAT BECAUSE YOU HOLD, OR HAVE HELD THIS POSITION, YOU WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE FOUND ELIGIBLE. You may be asked to provide evidence or documentation that you have this type of experience later in the selection process. Your responses are subject to verification through job interviews, or any other information obtained during the application process. Any exaggeration of your experience or any attempt to conceal information can result in disqualification.

*Applicants who fail to demonstrate possession of any of the above criteria AND who do not provide the required documentation will receive no further consideration for this position. *

Applicants may be asked to verify information on your application for employment with the FAA.

**All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this vacancy announcement. **

Education

This position has a positive education requirement: Applicants must submit a copy of their college or university transcripts(s) and certificates by the closing date of announcement to verify qualifications. If selected, an official transcript will be required prior to appointment. You may upload these documents with your application in USAJOBS or fax it to fax number provided in the announcement (please include announcement number on each page).

Failure to do so will result in loss of consideration.

Schools must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Accreditation may be verified at the following website: www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html.

Foreign education must be evaluated by a private professional organization specializing in interpretation of foreign education credentials or an accredited U.S. educational institution in terms of equivalence to a degree acquired at an American college or university. A copy of the evaluation results must be included, otherwise your foreign education will not be considered.

Degree: behavioral or social science; or related disciplines appropriate to the position.

Preview job questionnaire

Make sure your resume includes detailed information to support your qualifications and answers to the job questionnaire.

Additional information

We may use this vacancy to fill other similar vacant positions.
Position may be subject to a background investigation.
A one-year probationary period may be required.

The person selected for this position may be required to file a financial disclosure statement within 30 days of entry on duty. FAA policy limits certain outside employment and financial investments in aviation-related companies. www.faa.gov/jobs/working_here/financial_disclosure_requirements

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.

If selected, you will be required to provide information regarding your COVID-19 vaccination status for the purposes of implementing workplace safety protocols, such as protocols related to masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine.

1. This position is covered by the FAA Core Compensation plan. Additional information about core compensation is available on the following website: http://iobs.faa.gov/FAACoreCompensation.htm.

2. As a part of the Federal-Wide Hiring Reform Initiative (streamlining the hiring process), the FAA is committed to eliminating the use of Knowledge, Skills and Ability (KSA) narratives from the initial application in the hiring process for all announcements. Therefore, as an applicant, you are NOT required to provide a narrative response in the text box listed below each KSA.

3. Eligible applicants meeting the minimum qualification requirements and/or selective placement factor(s) (SPF) may be further evaluated on the Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA) and/or Quality Ranking Factor (QRF) listed in the announcement. Based on this evaluation, applicants will be placed in one of the following categories: (I) score order; (2) category grouping; (3) alphabetical; or (4) priority grouping, and referred to the selecting official for selection consideration.

4. Some, all, or none of the applicants may be interviewed.

5. This Level I (Low Risk) position requires favorable adjudication of a National Agency Check and Inquiries (NACI) background investigation prior to appointment.



This is not a bargaining unit position.

Links to Important Information: Locality Pay , COLA

How you will be evaluated

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



IMPORTANT: Applicants may be rated on the extent and quality of experience, education, and training relevant to the duties of the position(s). All answers provided in the on-line process must be substantiated. Ensure that your application package/resume supports your responses.

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