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Transportation Specialist (Safety Research)

National Transportation Safety Board
Office of Research and Engineering

Summary

This position is located at the National Transportation Safety Board, in the Office of Research and Engineering's Safety Research Division (RE-10). This division is charged with the agency's responsibility to carry out systematic examinations of risk and hazards within any transportation mode, techniques and methods of transportation accident investigation, and the effectiveness of transportation safety.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
04/17/2026 to 05/04/2026
Salary
$121,785 - $158,322 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 13
Location
2 vacancies in the following location:
Washington, DC
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
13
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
Yes
Announcement number
RE-12934707-26-TLS
Control number
865697600

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Duties

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As a Transportation Specialist (Safety Research),GS-2101-13, you will perform the following major duties:

  • Define problems and research questions clearly, perform necessary research and analysis, and evaluate results to determine the most logical and reasonable interpretation for developing safety recommendations
  • Serve as the project manager and technical lead for safety research studies, reports, and recommendations.
  • Provide technical consultation to accident investigators, analysts, and agency leadership on various aspects of study design, structured and unstructured data collection, sample and census survey instruments, and data analysis and interpretation.
  • Conduct specialized data queries, visualizations, and statistical analyses to derive insights from data using industry standard data science/statistical applications or equivalent programming languages such as SQL, SAS, R, or Python.
  • Collect, analyze, and interpret transportation activity, accident, injury, and other safety-related data to identify emerging problems and recommend corrective solutions and safety improvements to reduce accidents and injury.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship
  • Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered for Selective Service
  • Resume and supporting documents (see "How to Apply" section.)
  • Suitability for Federal employment
  • Financial Interest in transportation enterprises will be evaluated on a case-by-case-basis.
  • Bargaining Unit Position: YES (Bargaining unit represented by NTSB-AFGE Local 2725)
  • Direct Deposit is required.
  • A probationary period may be required.
  • Status candidates must meet time-in-grade requirements (52 weeks at the next lower grade level) by the closing date of this announcement. Only experience and education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered.
  • This position is being announced concurrently under Public (U.S Citizens) procedures under Vacancy Number RE-12934730-26-TLS To be considered under both Public (US Citizens) and Government-Wide procedures, you must apply to both announcements.
  • THIS POSITION IS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR REMOTE TELEWORK.
  • Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement.
  • This position is eligible for ad-hoc/situational telework as determined by the agency policy.
  • Multiple and subsequent vacancies may be filled from this announcement.
  • Two-Page Resume Limit: Resumes must not be more than two standard single-sided pages (or one page if submitting a front and back, hard-copy).

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level in the Federal Service.

Specialized experience includes research and statistical work in transportation safety, such as applying known research study designs and statistical techniques to derive insights from transportation accident and injury data (e.g., descriptive studies, meta-analyses, systematic or evidence-based reviews, case-control studies, or other types of research studies); and data and statistical analysis using one or more of the following: Python, R, SQL, SAS, or SPSS. Experience must also include the use of oral and written communication skills to clearly communicate study results and safety recommendations in plain language to technical and non-technical stakeholders.

For more information see link: Transportation Specialist Series 2101 (opm.gov)

NOTE: IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your resume must clearly show the specialized experience and competencies related to this position. Failure to demonstrate how you possess the education, specialized experience and/or competencies will result in an "Ineligible" rating.

Education

There is no education substitution at this grade level.

Additional information

  • If you left Federal Employment and received a buy out and you are selected for this position, you may be required to repay the full amount of the payment.
  • Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA): Must be a preference eligible or a Veteran separated after 3 years or more of continuous active service performed under honorable conditions. VEOA please visit https://www.fedshirevets.gov/job-seekers/special-hiring-authorities/#veoa
  • Noncompetitive Appointment Authorities: For more information on noncompetitive appointment authority eligibility requirements identified below please visit https://www.fedshirevets.gov/job-seekers/special-hiring-authorities/.
  • Career Transition Assistance Programs: These programs apply to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: (1) meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; (2) meet the basic qualification standards (including minimum educational and experience requirements; (3) be rated well-qualified for the position with a score of 90 and above on the rating criteria for this position; and, (4) submit the appropriate documentation ( to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. For more information visit: http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp
  • Note: ICTAP eligibles must submit one of the following as proof of eligibility for the special selection priority: a separation notice; a "Notice of Personnel Action" (SF-50) documenting separation; an agency certification that you cannot be placed after injury compensation has been terminated; an OPM notification that your disability annuity has been terminated; OR a Military Department or National Guard Bureau notification that you are retired under 5 U.S.C. 8337(h) or 8456.
  • All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
  • NTSB uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit http://www.uscis.gov/e-verify.
  • Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. (https://appsupport.usastaffing.gov/hc/en-us/sections/28980686389652-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information)

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.

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

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., two-page resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position.

You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

  • Attention to Detail
  • Customer Service
  • Decision Making
  • Flexibility
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Reasoning
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork


If you are found to be among the top qualified candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

Do NOT include the following types of information in your resume/application. If any are included, you will be deemed INELIGIBLE for consideration.
  • Classified or government sensitive information
  • Social Security Number (SSN)
  • Photos of yourself
  • Personal information, such as age, gender, religious affiliation, etc.
To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12934707.

National Transportation Safety Board

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB): Independently Advancing Transportation Safety

NTSB is an independent federal agency charged by Congress with investigating every civil aviation accident in the United States and significant events in the other modes of transportation-railroad, transit, highway, marine, pipeline and commercial space. We determine the probable causes of the accidents and events we investigate, and issue safety recommendations aimed at preventing future occurrences. In addition, we conduct transportation safety research studies and offer information and other assistance to family members and survivors for each accident or event we investigate. We also serve as the appellate authority for enforcement actions involving aviation and mariner certificates issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and US Coast Guard, and we adjudicate appeals of civil penalty actions taken by the FAA.

Agency contact information

Human Resources Division
Email
recruitment@ntsb.gov
Address
Office of Research and Engineering
490 L'Enfant Plaza East SW
Washington, DC 20594
US

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