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Senior Compliance Investigator - SME

Department of Transportation
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

Summary

This position requires extensive experience managing multiple complex programs simultaneously using structured project management methodologies such as planning, scheduling, risk management, and performance tracking. Experience conducting inspections at facilities that manufacture hazardous materials packaging regulated by the Department of Transportation (DOT), the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), or the United Nations (UN).

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
01/13/2026 to 01/27/2026
Salary
$106,382 to - $138,296 per year

Salary will be determined by the locality pay: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/2024/general-schedule.

Pay scale & grade
GS 14
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Anywhere in the U.S. (remote job)
Remote job
Yes - This position will be eligible for remote work, which does not require reporting to the agency worksite location on a regular basis. If selected for a remote work location, you will be required to sign a remote work agreement detailing agency remote work policy requirements, working conditions, and expectations for the position.
Telework eligible
Not applicable, this is a remote position.
Travel Required
75% or less - Travel will be required for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time - Full Time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
14
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
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
PHMSA.HMRG-2026-0001
Control number
854132800

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Internal to OA-wide employees with competitive status only.

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Duties

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As a Senior Compliance Investigator, you will:

  • Coordinate work of investigative staff and the national inspection teams and activities to enhance compliance with hazardous materials regulations.
  • Lead the hazardous materials packaging inspection program, this includes validation of on-site inspections by investigators consistent with its mission.
  • Exercise executive direction over the national package testing/inspection program. Serve to assess, identify, establish, coordinate, implement and document regional and national standardization policies and programs related to hazardous material regulations.
  • Develop guides, manages, and measures the methods, procedures and protocols for national policy, extensive and in-depth investigations and system analysis of broad and complex transportation, manufacturing and testing segments or operations of eligible stakeholders.

The ideal candidate will have comprehensive knowledge of the rules and regulations governed by the 49 CFR (Code of Federal Regulations), experience in conducting in-depth stakeholder inspections and furthering the safe transport of hazardous materials, to include the manufacturing of UN specification packaging and DOT pressure vessels.  The incumbent must possess excellent listening and strong written/verbal communication.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must meet specialized experience stated in Qualifications section
  • Submit application and resume online by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date
  • Required documents must be submitted by the closing date.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

  • your performance and conduct;
  • the needs and interests of the agency;
  • whether your continued employment would advance the organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
  • whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • DRUG TEST: Tentatively selected candidates are required to undergo urinalysis in accordance with DOT 3910.1D entitled "Drug and Alcohol-Free Departmental Workplace", which includes testing for marijuana. Marijuana is legal in some states, however it’s still illegal at the federal level. Therefore, if selected for the position you will be required to submit to a pre-employment/pre-appointment drug test, you will also be subject to Random Drug Testing. Failure or refusal to take a drug test may result in disciplinary action up to and including removal from federal service.
  • FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE: 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.

Qualifications

To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must meet the specialized experience qualifications for the grade at which you are requesting consideration.

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 providing technical expertise, advice, and guidance on national and multi-region enforcement activities.
  • Experienced in field investigations and conducting operational monitoring and managerial integration of enforcement functions to ensure transportation enforcement is executed.
  • Experience with technical knowledge in hazardous materials specialties, including scientific principles, test and measurement techniques and effects of conditions normally incident to transportation of hazardous materials.
  • Experience in OHMS, PHMSA and DOT activities, policies, and regulations.

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:

  • Compliance Inspection - Knowledge of the guidelines, regulations, and procedures associated with compliance inquiries, including application of compliance rules and criteria and ability to make appropriate decisions and issue citations, fines, or orders.
  • Risk Management - Knowledge of the principles, methods, and tools used for risk assessment and mitigation, including assessment of failures and their consequences.
  • Oral Communication - Express 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); make clear and convincing oral presentations; listen to others, attend to nonverbal cues, and respond appropriately.

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

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

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

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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. 

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.

Your application will be reviewed in two phases determine how you move forward in the hiring process.  Phase I: Your resume will be reviewed to determine your technical qualifications for this position based on the required specialized experience. ONLY two (2) pages of your resume will be reviewed. Additional information beyond your resume (e.g., cover letter, links embedded in your resume) will not be reviewed.  Applicants passing “Phase I” will move on to the “Phase II” of the assessment process where your application will be reviewed and rated based on the KSAs/Competencies listed in the vacancy announcement by a Subject Matter Expert (SME).


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