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

Highway Safety Specialist (State Programs Specialist)

Department of Transportation
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is located within a Field Division Office of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. You will serve as the State Programs Specialist within a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Field Division Office, with responsibility for oversight, promotion, and review of highly technical projects and programs of the agency.

 

Overview

Help
Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
09/19/2024 to 09/30/2024
Salary
$103,409 to - $134,435 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 13
Locations
2 vacancies in the following locations:
Jackson, MS
Columbia, SC
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
25% or less - Occasional 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
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
Yes - The Ethics in Government Act of 1978 requires the applicant selected for this position to submit a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450) within 30 days of appointment and annually thereafter.
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
FMCSA.FO-2024-0091
Control number
810313300

Duties

Help

As a Highway Safety Specialist (State Programs Specialist), you will be:

  • Responsible for administering the Commercial Drivers License (CDL) Program in the State. This responsibility requires that the incumbent take all necessary actions to ensure that the State complies with established laws, regulations, policies, and guidelines.
  • Responsible for planning, coordinating, and conducting a program review at least once every three years, along with a follow-up process review each year until all outstanding issues identified in the program are resolved.
  • Responsible for administering the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program (MCSAP). This includes providing information, guidance, and assistance to the State commercial motor vehicle safety program; and conduct first level reviews of the annual Commercial Vehicle Safety Plan (CVSP) and
    grant applications.
  • Responsible for administering the Intelligent Transportation System/Commercial Vehicle Operations (ITS/CVO) programs within the Division.
  • Responsible for the implementation of the Performance and Registration Information System Management (PRISM) in the State.
  • Represent the FMSCA in interactions with persons outside the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, such as owners of major motor carriers and their employees, contractors, state and federal agency leaders and their key representatives to include the Commissioner of the Department of
    Public Safety, senior officials of the Highway Patrol, the Director of the state Department of Transportation and key senior officials involved in transportation safety.

This position is perfect for a mission focused highway safety professional with knowledge of highway safety programs including road safety. Demonstrated ability to relate to all types of personalities in challenging and, at times, contentious circumstances is essential to success. This
is a good and important management position within Division for a person who wants to be challenged, who possesses leadership skills, and who wants to advance within the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

The safety professional should be able to provide training to State Partners and Division Staff and provide extensive monitoring to the State and Federal Investigators. The candidate will serve in a supportive role with Federal Programs and the Certified Investigative Staff with
obtaining crash reports, vehicle registrations and licensing records requests from our State Partners in their conducting motor carrier compliance reviews and inspections.

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S.Citizen and eligible for consideration.
  • You must meet specialized experience to qualify.
  • Required documents must be submitted by the closing date.
  • Submit application and resume online by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date.

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 and a service agreement may be required.
  • 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.
  • PROBATIONARY PERIOD: You must complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed).
  • TIME-IN-GRADE: Federal applicants must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade in the competitive or excepted service in the executive branch to satisfy time-in-grade restrictions contained in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F.
  • DEU REQUIREMENTS: Applicants selected under delegated examining procedures 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 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 analyzing and applying regulations, precedent decisions, interpretations and issues related to motor carrier safety and Federal compliance enforcement programs, including the management of Federal grants to state partners.
  • Experience planning, managing, and/or evaluating complex motor carrier safety programs, including grant programs.

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:

  • Grants Management - Knowledge of requirements, practices, and procedures for soliciting, receiving, reviewing, and processing proposals, and awarding and administering grants and agreements.
  • Interpersonal Skills - Treats others with courtesy, sensitivity, and respect. Considers and responds appropriately to the needs and feelings of different people in different situations.
  • Partnering - Develops networks and builds alliances; collaborates across boundaries to build strategic relationships and achieve common goals.
  • Performance Measurement - Knowledge of the principles and methods for evaluating program or organizational performance using financial and non-financial measures, including identification of evaluation factors (for example, workload, personnel requirements), metrics, and
    outcomes.
  • Reading Comprehension - Understands and interprets written material, including technical material, rules, regulations, instructions, reports, charts, graphs, or tables; applies what is learned from written material to specific situations.


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 all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Additional information

The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Transportation and its Operating Administrations from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to the Department of Transportation by email at, FairChanceAct@dot.gov. To learn more, please visit our page at: The Fair Chance to Compete Act | US Department of Transportation

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

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. 

To compete with U.S. Citizens:  If you meet the qualification requirements, your application will be placed in one of two categories: Qualified and Well Qualified which is based upon your responses to the vacancy questions. Within these categories, applicants eligible for veteran's preference that have provided supporting documents will receive selection priority over non-veterans. The top rated applications will be reviewed for the quality of your experience, education and training relevant to the position.

To compete with other competitive status government employees: If you meet the qualification requirements, your application will be scored based upon your responses to the vacancy questions. The top rated applications will be reviewed for the quality of your experience, education and training relevant to the position. If referred, all relevant documents including performance appraisals and awards submitted with your application package will be forwarded to the hiring official for review.

Eligible Federal employees also seeking consideration for noncompetitive reassignment for this position must indicate interest in the assessment. Noncompetitive federal candidates must have competitive status on a SF-50, meet minimum qualifications, have served at the same grade or higher, and held or exceeded the promotion potential of this position.

All applicants:  Your application will be rated on the extent and quality of your experience, education and training relevant to the position. The answers you select in the on-line process must be substantiated in your application package.  If upon review, it is determined that your described work history, competencies, and/or supporting documents do not support your answer choices, your application may be updated on your behalf or you may not be referred to the selecting official. Please ensure that your work history provides enough details to support your answers. The Automated Staffing Office is ultimately responsible for determining your final rating.


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.