Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted from any U.S. Citizen. Due to the potential of a high volume of applicants, not all applicants may receive consideration. Direct Hire Authority will be used to fill this position. The 'Rule of Many', Veterans Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants does not apply to this vacancy.

As a Transportation Data Analyst, you will:

• Select and apply appropriate methodologies for analyzing, interpreting, and communicating transit safety data analyses.
•  Plan, develop, and execute data analyses to support the strategic objectives of safety risk management and safety assurance, and deliver high-impact insights to improve public transportation safety.
• Understand and apply communication best practices and plain language principles to ensure all communication is appropriate for the intended audience. 
•  Support inter-disciplinary, inter-office or inter-agency teams, programs, or projects in a highly dynamic environment, adjusting tasks and schedules as needed in response to emerging safety concerns, changing priorities, and management direction. 
• Represent FTA as a participant or presenter in transit industry safety working groups, at conferences, technical teams, and other related activities to ensure continued exchange of information.      

The ideal candidate is a mission-driven mid-level analyst who leverages statistical and mathematical expertise to improve public transportation safety through sound and replicable data analysis and clear communication and data visualization.

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/SME will be used to fill this position.

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.
• BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION:  You may be required to complete a background/security investigation and meet preliminary requirements prior to onboarding.
• 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 specialized experience qualifications for the grade at which you are requesting consideration

To qualify for the GS-12, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-11 it must include:

• Experience in Applying established qualitative and quantitative analysis techniques - grounded in operations research, mathematics, probability and statistics, and related disciplines - to study, interpret, and report on operational, policy, or performance data.
• Experience conducting analytics projects by gathering and documenting requirements, adapting existing processes; leverage analytic methods to support program management decisions.
• Experience preparing clear technical documentation, reports, or memoranda that present analytic findings (including quantitative and qualitative evidence) and deliver actionable, evidence‑based recommendations to support program improvement, program evaluation, and performance management.

 To qualify for the GS-13, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-12 it must include:

• Experience in applying advanced analysis techniques through knowledge of operations research, mathematics, probability, statistics, mathematical logic, science, or related disciplines to originate new methods for gathering, interpreting, and reporting on complex operational, policy, or performance data.
• Experience planning and implementing data analytics projects, including selecting and developing innovative data analysis methodologies.
• Experience developing and leading the creation of dashboards and advanced data visualization tools to inform senior leadership and drive strategic decision-making.

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:

•        Research- Knowledge of the scientific principles, methods, and processes used to conduct a systematic and objective inquiry, including study design, collection,analysis, and interpretation of data; and the reporting of results.
•        Written Communication - Writes in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience.
•        Oral Communication - Expresses 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); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately.
•        Project Management - Knowledge of the principles, methods, or tools for developing, scheduling, coordinating, and managing projects and resources, including monitoring and inspecting costs, work, and contractor performance.

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.

How you will be evaluated

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

For this announcement, applications will be reviewed to determine if the applicant meets the basic qualifications for this position. The applications of individuals who meet the basic qualifications will be assessed to validate that the applicant possesses the Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) at the level of proficiency needed to perform the job successfully. Applicants who are found to possess the necessary KSAs to perform the job may be referred to the selecting official for further consideration.

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