Skip to main content
U.S. flag
Back to results

Community Planner (Transportation) (DIRECT HIRE)

Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
This job announcement has closed

Summary

The employee will serve as a Community Planner (Transportation) responsible for overseeing and administering transportation planning programs and activities for the development of transportation plans and work products that lead to implementable transportation projects or programs. Provides guidance to the Agency, State Department of Transportation, Metropolitan Planning Organization(s) (MPO), and local government officials regarding assigned areas of the Transportation Planning program.

Overview

Help
Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
07/29/2022 to 10/28/2022
Salary
$66,214 to - $168,506 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 11 - 14
Locations
Many vacancies in the following locations:
Montgomery, AL
Juneau, AK
Wasilla, AK
Phoenix, AZ
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Travel may or may not be required. The amount of travel required varies by position and location.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—Varies by position. Recruitment, relocation, or retention incentives (PCS) are determined by the hiring agency and may or may not be authorized
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Multiple Schedules - Multiple Schedules - Work Schedules vary depending on position (Full-time, Part-time, Intermittent, etc.).
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
Varies - Promotion potential will be based on the position to which appointed. Salaries reflected on this vacancy announcement will vary based on the duty station of the appointed position.
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Announcement number
FHWA.BIL-2022-0009
Control number
668243600

This job is open to

Help

Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted from any U.S. citizen. 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.

Videos

Duties

Help

As a Community Planner (Transportation), you will:

  • Provide guidance and technical assistance to FHWA staff and state Department of Transportation and MPO staffs on current Federal planning requirements, policies, procedures, and guidance.
  • Oversee the development of transportation planning processes, programs and products and assess the adequacy of State and/or Metropolitan Planning processes to meet Federal transportation planning requirements.
  • Explain requirements, negotiate working agreements, exchange and review information; and resolve problems with state Department of Transportation and/or MPO officials and other interested parties.
  • Promote developing and applying strategic and effective transportation planning management systems and lead in the implementation of new transportation planning program requirements and best practices.
  • Serve as a primary point of contact for planning and system data.

The ideal candidate for this position is an experienced mid-career transportation planning professional who has the skills and abilities to effectively represent the agency to Federal, state and local officials and the general public. This candidate is someone with good communication, negotiation and partnering skills who desires to work in a challenging, complex, innovative environment.

Requirements

Help

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: Travel will vary by position. If the position requires travel, a government contractor-issued travel card will be issued and must be retained for official business only.
  • PCS/RELOCATION/RECRUITMENT: Permanent Change of Station (PCS), Relocation, and Recruitment Incentive authorization varies by position/selection and a service agreement may be required. 
  • PROBATIONARY PERIOD: You must complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed).
  • SUPERVISORY PROBATIONARY PERIOD: This announcement may be used to fill Supervisor or Manager positions. Supervisory or Lead duties may be assigned based on position/selection. Management Level and grade will be determined by the appointing agency.  If selected, you must complete a one-year supervisory probationary period (unless already completed).
  • FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE: Varies by position.  If applicable,  the applicant selected is required to submit a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450) within 30 days of appointment and annually thereafter.
  • TOUR RENEWAL/HOME LEAVE: Tour renewal and home leave may be offered based on location and position/selection and a service agreement may be required.
  • POSITION SENSITIVITY AND RISK: Varies by position and will be based on the position to which appointed.
  • 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.
  • BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: You may be required to complete a background/security investigation and meet preliminary requirements prior to onboarding.

Qualifications

To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must (1) meet the Education Requirement for the series, (2) provide a copy of transcripts for verification, AND (3) meet either the education or experience qualifications for the grade at which you are requesting consideration.

To qualify 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 in transportation planning that entailed consideration of the interplay of various modes of transportation.

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.

To qualify for the GS-12 on Experience, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-11 it must include:

  • Experience in transportation planning that entailed consideration of the interplay of various modes of transportation; and
  • Experience developing and/or evaluating transportation planning and program development processes at a local, regional, state, or national level.

You cannot qualify on education at the GS-12 level; you must have experience.

To qualify for the Grade 13, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-12, it must include:

  • Experience in transportation planning that entailed consideration of the interplay of various modes of transportation;
  • Experience developing, evaluating, and/or overseeing the development of transportation planning and program development processes at a local, regional, state, or national level; and
  • Experience representing the organization during public meetings and conferences and providing guidance to a range of stakeholder groups.

You cannot qualify on education at the GS-13 level; you must have experience.

To qualify for the Grade 14, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-13, it must include:

  • Experience in transportation planning that entailed consideration of the interplay of various modes of transportation;
  • Experience developing, evaluating, and/or overseeing the development of transportation planning and program development processes at a local, regional, state, or national level;
  • Experience representing the organization during public meetings and conferences and addressing programmatic and technical issues and questions raised by a range of stakeholder groups; and
  • Experience improving or assisting others in improving transportation planning processes or programs.

You cannot qualify on education at the GS-14 level; you must have experience.

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:

  • Technical Credibility - Understands and appropriately applies principles, procedures, requirements, regulations, and policies related to specialized expertise.
  • Compliance - Knowledge of procedures for assessing, evaluating, and monitoring programs or projects for compliance with Federal laws, regulations, and guidance.
  • Oral Communication - Expresses 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); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately.
  • Written Communication - Writes in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience.

For all types of consideration, 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

All applicants must meet the qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

Degree: community planning; or 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.

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

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.

Additional information

PLEASE NOTE:

This is not a Bargaining unit position.

TELEWORK ELIGIBILITY:  Telework availability will be based upon the mission requirements and supervisory determination.  If approved for occasional telework, you will be required to report to the office on a regular basis. The number of telework days approved is determined by the agency policy, emergency situations, the approval of your immediate supervisor, and if applicable, approval of additional officials.

REMOTE WORK: This position may be eligible for Remote Work.  Remote work is an arrangement in which an employee works at an alternative worksite (e.g., from home) and is not expected to report to the office to work. Remote work location will be determined upon/after selection and may affect locality pay.  ADD THIS: If selected as a remote work position, must have access to high speed internet and cell phone service meeting current Agency standards from the approved work location within the Contiguous United State and sign a remote work agreement.  The difference in salary is determined by the locality pay in each location. Salaries for all areas are available on the OPM website at:  https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/2022/general-schedule/

Nonforeign Area Cost-of-Living Allowanceshttps://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/pay-systems/nonforeign-areas/#url=COLA-Rates

COVID VACCINATION: 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.

If applicable, the agency has the option of extending a term appointment up to the 4-year limit.

This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if similar vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.

Qualified CTAP/ICTAP candidates receive priority and will be referred to the hiring manager.

Location is negotiable for the duty locations available.

How you will be evaluated

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

  • DIRECT HIRE: All applications will be reviewed to determine if they meet the basic qualifications for this position, specifically the educational and specialized experience requirements. Applicants will not be rated or ranked. Veteran's Preference does NOT apply. All applications that are verified to meet the basic qualifications will be referred to the selecting official. All answers provided in the on-line process must be substantiated by a resume. If, upon review, it is determined that your resume and/or supporting documents do not support your answer choices, your application may be removed from consideration. Applications received under direct hire public notice may or may not result in a referral or selection. Management has the prerogative to select at any grade level.
  • DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE: PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC.  WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.  All answers provided in the on-line process must be substantiated by a resume.  If, upon review, it is determined that your resume and/or supporting documents do not support your answer choices, your application may be removed from consideration.
  • Please ensure that your work history provides enough details to support your answers. 

You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Your session is about to expire!

Your USAJOBS session will expire due to inactivity in 8 minutes. Any unsaved data will be lost if you allow the session to expire. Click the button below to continue your session.