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Community Planner- DIRECT HIRE

Department of Transportation
Federal Transit Administration
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This is a public notice for FTA authorized Community Planner (0020) positions open to U.S. Citizens.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
10/23/2023 to 11/06/2023
Salary
$70,103 to - $183,500 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 11 - 14
Locations
MANY vacancies in the following locations:
Los Angeles, CA
San Francisco, CA
Denver, CO
Washington, DC
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—Telework Eligible
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Some travel required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—Relocation incentive may be authorized.
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time - Full Time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
14
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
FTA.RO-2024-0001
Control number
756174600

This job is open to

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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. This is not a Bargaining unit position.

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Duties

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As a Community Planner, you will:

  • Serve as resource on FTA procedures and guidance related to transportation planning and Federal laws, regulations, Executive Orders, and directives for one or more of the following: tribal, urban, suburban, and/or rural public transportation systems.
  • Keep current as to recent or emerging changes affecting FTA programs and projects.
  • Develop regulations, position papers, and instructions related to community planning aspects of FTA programs.
  • Review office programs related to community planning for technical and program management effectiveness; make reports and offer suggestions for improvement based on findings.
  • Provide technical advice and coordinates planning or related problems or projects with stakeholders.
  • Review regulations, reports, procedures, and techniques pertaining to community planning matters and provide comments or recommendations. Participate in the investigation of complaints and inquiries and prepare responses as necessary.

The ideal candidate for this position is a transportation planning professional skilled in managing transportation planning programs or technical areas. This candidate is someone who has the skills and abilities to effectively represent the agency to Federal, state and local officials and the general public. The candidate is also someone with good communication, negotiation, and partnering skills, who desires to work in a challenging, complex, and innovative environment.

Requirements

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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: This position involves 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.
  • PROBATIONARY PERIOD: Applicants may be required to successfully complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed).
  • TELEWORK ELIGIBILITY: This position may be eligible for occasional and/or regularly scheduled telework. The number of telework days approved will be determined by your immediate supervisor or manager following the agency’s telework policy and guidance. If participating in the telework program, you will be required to sign a telework agreement detailing agency telework policy requirements, working conditions, and expectations for the position.

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 planning, coordinating, or monitoring planning projects or studies or carrying out operating assignments.

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.

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 planning, coordinating, or monitoring planning projects or studies or carrying out operating assignments.
  • Experience developing and/or evaluating transportation planning and program development processes at a local, regional, state, or national level; 
  • Experience developing reports and presentations for meetings and conferences.

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 and it must include:

  • Experience planning, coordinating, or monitoring grants, planning projects or studies, and/or carrying out operating assignments.
  • 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 an organization during public meetings and conferences and addressing programmatic and technical issues and questions raised by stakeholder groups; 
  • Experience improving or assisting others in improving transportation planning processes or programs with an emphasis on emerging areas.

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 and it must include:

  • Experience leading coordination efforts and promoting transportation planning best practices with Federal, state, local agencies and other professional transportation organizations.
  • Experience developing, evaluating, and/or overseeing the development of transportation planning and program development processes at a local, regional, state, or national level.
  • Experience in technical writing; preparing briefing papers to convey results of options, interpretation, analysis, guidelines, recommendations, and advice; and conveying transportation planning policies with stakeholders on behalf of an agency at national conferences, workshops, or meetings.
  • Experience developing and implementing laws, regulations, policies, and initiatives as they relate to transportation planning or project development processes at a local, regional, state, or national level.

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:

Public Planning: Knowledge of functions, principles, methods, and techniques related to community planning, outdoor recreation planning, and natural resource management, such as demand forecasting, environmental impact analysis, financial forecasting, and land use planning and zoning.

Planning and Evaluation: Organizes work, sets priorities, and determines resource requirements; determines short- or long-term goals and strategies to achieve them; coordinates with other organizations or parts of the organization to accomplish goals; monitors progress and evaluates outcomes.

Oral and Written communication: Makes clear and convincing oral presentations. Listens effectively; clarifies information as needed. Writes in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience.

Transportation: Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including costs and limit

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

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

Other applicants must meet all 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

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.

How you will be evaluated

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

For this announcement, all applicants will be reviewed to determine if they meet the basic qualifications for this position, specifically the educational requirements.  Applications that are verified to meet the basic qualifications will be referred to the selecting official.

Applicants will not be rated or ranked.  Veteran’s Preference does NOT apply.

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. 


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