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Community Planner - DIRECT HIRE

Department of Transportation
Federal Transit Administration
This job announcement has closed

Summary

The Office of Civil Rights within the Federal Transit Administration is seeking a Community Planner interested in working closely with transit agencies, state departments of transportation, and metropolitan planning organizations to help ensure equity and accessibility are incorporated throughout the transportation planning process and to advance the development of public transit plans, projects and services that meet the needs of all community members.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
06/05/2024 to 06/18/2024
Salary
$117,962 to - $153,354 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 13
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Washington, DC
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Some travel will be required.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time - Full Time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
13
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Announcement number
FTA.TCR-2024-0004
Control number
794110000

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 a Bargaining unit position represented by local 2694.

Duties

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The Community Planner:

  • Advise transit agencies on promoting equity and meeting civil rights requirements in project planning, development, and administration, including in the areas of long-range plans, transportation improvement programs, environmental reviews, corridor and feasibility studies, facility siting and planning, and service planning.
  • Conduct technical evaluations of planning documents and assess project compliance with civil rights policies, procedures, and requirements.
  • Develop qualitative and quantitative evaluative techniques and strategies to improve equity in transit service, programming, and decision-making.
  • Draft detailed written products, including memos, reports and proposals that present evaluation approaches, regulatory and other interpretations, findings, and recommendations, along with policies and guidance to support equity and accessibility in transportation planning.
  • Develop technical assistance and training to advance integration of civil rights and equitable transportation priorities in all phases of the planning and project development process.
  • Represent FTA on workgroups, at conferences, and other high-profile events and communicate complex, technical civil rights information tailored to meet the audience’s needs and advance agency objectives.

The Ideal Candidate is an experienced professional in the area of transportation planning who can proactively anticipate and resolve technical and operational issues and has excellent problem-solving, analytical, and communication skills.

NOTE:  If selected to interview for this position, candidates will participate in a structured interview process and will be given a topic to use to draft a writing sample.

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.
  • 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.
  • 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: Applicants may be required to successfully complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed).

Qualifications

To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must meet the mandatory education and specialized experience requirements.

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 developing, evaluating, and/or overseeing transportation plans or transportation planning processes.
  • Experience applying laws, regulations, or other requirements to transportation programs, plans, or projects.

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 goal sand 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 limits.


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/frequently-asked-questions/employment-faq/federal-hiring/how-do-i-apply-for-federal-jobs/


All 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

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.

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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