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Aviation Safety Inspector (GAO) (Principal Operations Inspector)

Department of Transportation
Federal Aviation Administration
Flight Standard Services, General Aviation Safety Assurance, Division H, Tampa FSDO (SOSD35)

Summary

The Principal Operations Inspector (POI) is responsible for applying knowledge of Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) for the development and implementation of standards, programs, and procedures for FAA field personnel and the public governing all matters to general aviation operations safety issues.

Duty Station is Tampa, FL

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
04/22/2026 to 05/12/2026
Salary
$106,437 - $138,370 per year

Salary includes 17.06% locality pay.

Pay scale & grade
FG 13
Location
2 vacancies in the following location:
Tampa, FL
Telework eligible
Yes—Situational telework may be permitted in accordance with agency policy.
Travel Required
50% or less - The job may require up to 50% travel.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
No
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
Yes
Bargaining unit status
Yes - This position is represented by PASS: Flight Standards Services.
Announcement number
AAL-AVS-26-AKDC-98265
Control number
866093000

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Open to current permanent AVS and AMA-200 employees

Duties

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DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The POI receives administrative direction from management in terms of broadly defined missions or functions. The POI, mostly independently plans, designs, and carries out programs, projects, studies, or other work. The POI provides policy assistance to field level Aviation Safety Inspectors (ASIs) on difficult or complex policy interpretations. The work is normally accepted without change. Completed work may be reviewed for adherence to FAA policy and for assurance that project requirements have been fulfilled.

ASIs at the FG-13 level issue certificates to and monitor (1) a large and complex aviation organization or (2)a number of smaller organizations that, together, are comparable in complexity to one large one.

Performs other duties as assigned. They are the primary contact point with the aviation organization(s). They may decide on issuance of the original certificates. They evaluate and decide upon proposals to change the authorized programs of the organizations. They continuously monitor the activities of organizations to determine whether they are following their authorized program, Federal regulations, and good safety practices. (By comparison, GS-12 employees issue certificates to small and uncomplicated organizations.)

FG-13 assignments are characterized by one or more of the following:

1.Multiengine turboprop, turbojet, or rotorcraft helicopter aircraft.

2.A variety of flight operations with diverse types of aircraft which may include turbine powered aircraft and unmanned aircraft: or

3.Novel and complex aviation operations.
(By comparison, similar assignments at the GS-12 level involve smaller turboprop or large piston-engine aircraft.)

FG-13 employees plan and conduct their assignments with substantial technical independence. They
receive administrative and policy guidance from their supervisors and policy makers. They also obtain
technical advice from higher-level inspectors who are experts who have overall program responsibility.
They independently plan and carry out a work program to meet the needs and monitor the activities of the
organizations for which they have certification responsibility. The scope and complexity of the work
program may be such as to require the occasional assistance of other employees to conduct inspections
and evaluate operations.

The POI applies a mastery knowledge level of the appropriate specialization and a broad knowledge of the
line of business mission and goals to assigned programs and areas of responsibility.

The POI plans and directs the use of time and resources to accomplish organizational objectives. He or she
defines, organizes, and uses resources to accomplish work activities within established schedules, analyzes
program requirements and accomplishments, and makes or directs adjustments as necessary to address
organizational needs.

Guidelines and precedents are frequently inadequate for dealing with novel or complex operations. FG-13 employees understand and apply the basic principles of aviation safety and interpret the intent of the regulations.

At FG-13, contacts are frequently with owners and top managers of aviation corporations and involve negotiating and resolving the full range of issues and problems that confront large aviation organizations. Occasionally issues are controversial, arousing considerable public interest.

ASIs at the FG-13 level participate extensively in the certification inspection and surveillance of highly complex air carrier operations where principal program responsibility is vested in an aviation safety inspector of higher grade. These FG-13 employees have broad authority to negotiate with carrier management and make technical determinations within the coverage of approved specifications and policy manuals. (By comparison, GS-12 employees deal with highly complex aviation organizations on narrower, more specific assignments.)

Performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • US Citizenship is required.
  • Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
  • Must submit an SF50 (See Required Documents).
  • Designated or Random Drug Testing required.
  • Security Requirement: Moderate Risk (5)
  • .

Qualifications

  • US Citizenship is required.
  • Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
  • Must submit an SF50 (See Required Documents)
  • Designated or Random Drug Testing required.
  • Position is designated as Moderate Risk; a background investigation may be required.
QualificationsConditions of Employment

You must meet the minimum qualification requirements for an Aviation Safety Inspector in the 1825 series as outlined below:

General Requirements for All Positions:

1. Not more than two separate incidents involving Federal aviation regulations violations in the last 5 years;

2. Valid State driver's license;

3. Fluency in the English language;

4. No chemical dependencies or drug abuse that could interfere with job performance; and

5. High school diploma or equivalent.

Aviation Safety Inspector positions have job-related medical requirements. When applicable, applicants must meet job-related medical requirements which will be assessed and validated during the pre-employment process. These medical requirements include:

Medical Requirements: Applicants must be physically able to perform the duties of the Aviation Safety Inspector position in a safe and efficient manner, with or without a reasonable accommodation. The minimum medical requirements include the following requirements:

  1. Have good distant vision in each eye and be able to read, without strain, printed materials the size of typewritten characters (glasses and contact lenses permitted);
  2. Have the ability to hear the conversational voice (hearing aid permitted); and
  3. Not have any physical condition that would cause them to be a hazard to themselves or others that would interfere with their ability to fly as passengers in a variety of aircraft.

In addition, applicants for positions that require participation in the operation of the aircraft must:

  1. Possess a valid second – class medical certificate in accordance with FAA regulations; and
  2. Pass recurrent medical examinations as prescribed by the FAA.

Tentatively selected applicants not requiring valid second-class medical certificates will be required to:

  1. Provide documentation from a board-certified physician certifying that they meet the minimal medical requirements; or
  2. Individuals who do not meet the minimum medical requirements, but who are otherwise qualified will receive an individualized assessment to determine whether they can perform the essential functions of the position.

When the predominant work involves general aviation operations, applicants for Aviation Safety Inspector (Operations) positions must meet all of the following requirements:

1. Valid, unexpired Flight Instructor Certificate with single and multi-engine airplane and instrument airplane ratings. Must have given a minimum of 200 hours of flight instruction in an aircraft;

2. Professional flying skill as demonstrated in a flight check to Commercial Pilot Certificate with an instrument rating;

3. Possession of Airline Transport Pilot Certificate or Commercial Pilot Certificate with instrument airplane rating;

4. Minimum of 100 flight hours within the last 3 years;

5. Minimum of 1,500 total flight hours;

6. Possession of single and multi-engine land airplane ratings;

7. Not more than 2 flying accidents in the last 5 years in which the applicant's pilot error was involved; and

8. Possession of a valid second-class FAA medical certificate. Incumbent will be required to participate in the 4040 EBS Flight Program involving the use of airplanes.

In addition, applicants must demonstrate in your application that you possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS/FG-12. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. Specialized experience is defined as assisting, conducting or performing various technical functions related to certification, surveillance, investigation and enforcement activities of FAR Part 135 air carriers/air operators.

The recency of specialized experience is waived for current FAA employees in the 1825 series.

In-grade/downgrade applications will be accepted.

Applicants should include examples of specialized experience in their Work History.

Qualifications must be met by the closing date of this vacancy announcement.

Errors or omissions may impact your rating or may result in you not being considered for the job.

Education

Education is not qualifying and may not be substituted for experience.

Preview job questionnaire

Make sure your resume includes detailed information to support your qualifications and answers to the job questionnaire.

Additional information

We may use this vacancy to fill other similar vacant positions.
Position may be subject to a background investigation.
A one-year probationary period may be required.

The person selected for this position may be required to file a financial disclosure statement within 30 days of entry on duty. FAA policy limits certain outside employment and financial investments in aviation-related companies. www.faa.gov/jobs/workinghere/financial-disclosure-requirements

This position is covered by the Department of Transportation's Drug and Alcohol Testing Program. Any applicant tentatively selected for this position will be subject to pre-employment or pre-appointment drug screening. Persons occupying a "testing designated position (TDP)" will be subject to random drug and/or alcohol testing.

As a part of the Federal-Wide Hiring Reform Initiative (streamlining the hiring process), the FAA is committed to eliminating the use of the Knowledge, Skills and Ability (KSA) narratives from the initial application in the hiring process for all announcements. Therefore, as an applicant for this announcement, you are NOT required to provide a narrative response in the text box listed below each KSA.

In lieu of providing a KSA narrative response in the text box listed below each KSA, in your work history, please include information that provides specific examples of how you meet the response level or answer you chose for each KSA. Your work history examples should be specific and clearly reflect the highest level of ability. Your KSA answers will be evaluated further to validate whether the level that you selected is appropriate based on the work history and experience you provided. Your answers may be adjusted by a Human Resource Specialist as appropriate.

Eligible applicants meeting the minimum qualification requirements and selective factor(s), if applicable, may be further evaluated on the KSAs listed in the announcement. Based on this evaluation, applicants will be placed in one of the following categories: score order, category grouping, or alphabetical and referred to the selecting official for consideration.

Interviews: If the agency decides to interview any qualified employee on the selection list, then all on the list who are qualified must be interviewed.

INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS: Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Your application/resume MUST have your official title, grade and series on your work history.

This position is represented by PASS: Flight Standards Services.

Links to Important Information: Locality Pay, COLA

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.



IMPORTANT: Applicants may be rated on the extent and quality of experience, education, and training relevant to the duties of the position(s). All answers provided in the on-line process must be substantiated. Ensure that your application package/resume supports your responses.

Federal Aviation Administration

At the FAA, the sky is not the limit—it is just the beginning. Exciting new opportunities are emerging in aviation and aerospace. Significant investments are advancing the research and development of autonomous vehicles, environmentally friendly electric aircraft, high-speed and long-endurance solar-powered aircraft, and new types of space vehicles. Success with these new technologies and vehicle types will introduce new ways to transport people and goods expanding aviation's footprint in transportation. People are our strength. We are a diverse workforce of over 44,000 located nationwide and spanning over 120 occupations to include air traffic control specialists, aviation safety inspectors, engineers, scientists, technicians, and business professionals. Join us in our mission to provide the safest, most efficient aerospace system in the world.

Agency contact information

Danita Coons
Phone
1 (907) 271-5427
Fax
1 (907) 271-5367
Email
danita.l.coons@faa.gov
Address
Federal Aviation Administration
AAL Regional HR Services Division
222 West 7th Ave #14
AHF-N100
Anchorage, AK 99513
US

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