Clarification from the agency

This position is open only to Status Candidates currently employed by the National Transportation Safety Board.

Videos

As a Supervisory Railroad Accident Investigator, GS-2121-15, you will perform the following major duties:

• Assist with the oversight of investigative projects including but not limited to reviewing reports and other work products of the staff; responsible for overall timeliness and quality of products, including technical accuracy and adequacy, investigative approach, issue identification based upon facts, thoroughness of analysis, and general presentation of such products.
• Manage personnel, providing authoritative advice and guidance; assigns tasks to investigative staff; identifies and assesses the significant aspects of each investigation; participates in the identification and selection of safety issues; and plans, develops and initiates the investigative procedures, and the evidence to be preserved and its public dissemination.
• Assign work to subordinates based on priorities, selective consideration of the difficulty and requirements of assignments, and the capabilities of employees. Evaluates work performance of subordinates and appraises staff performance.
• Assure that major emphasis of railroad investigations are of timeliness and quality, and that the investigation results achieve tangible safety improvements.
• Participate in all planning meetings related to the investigation and the final report product and reviews drafts of the final report for technical accuracy, ensuring necessary changes are made and that all applicable safety issues are identified and addressed.
• Initiate, maintain, and exchange information with other federal agencies and international organizations, industry, labor, trade, and other interested officials through meetings, conferences, seminars, letters, reports, studies, briefings, and other similar methods.

Conditions of employment

• U.S. Citizenship
• If you are a male applicant born after 12/31/1959 and are required to register under the Military Selective Service Act, the Defense Authorization Act of 1986 requires that you be regi or you are not eligible for appointment in this agency.
• 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: No
• Direct Deposit is required.
• Trial or 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.
• You may be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report, OGE-450, upon entering the position and annually.
• Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement.
• 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).
• The selectee is required to serve a probationary period upon initial appointment to a supervisory and/or managerial position.
• You must have a valid unexpired State-Issued Driver's License,
• Selectee will conduct the work from their current approved official duty location.

Qualifications

In order to qualify for the Supervisory Railroad Accident Investigator, GS-2121-15, you must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-14 grade level in the federal service.

Specialized Experience is experience in rail accident investigation protocols, procedures, and methodology as they relate to railroad design, human performance factors, railroad operational factors, survival factors, equipment and structural factors; and identifying safety issues and developing safety recommendations; and reviewing reports for technical accuracy. Specialized experience should also show that you possess the following:

• Knowledge of the railroad industry, including economic and operating considerations and equipment;
• Knowledge of the general safety and health principles and practices applicable to the railroad industry;
• Knowledge of railroad accident investigation techniques; and
• Skill in written and oral communication.

• Practical knowledge of the typical reactions of different hazardous commodities to various environmental conditions and of safe procedures for containing or controlling fires, leaks, or explosions of these materials;
• Knowledge of the construction, testing, and retesting of containers used to ship hazardous materials by rail; and
• Knowledge of Federal regulations and standards governing the shipment of hazardous materials by rail, including containerization, loading, handling, documentation, and placarding.

• Knowledge of railroad track system construction, maintenance, testing, or inspection techniques;
• Knowledge of the capabilities and limitations of various track system configurations; and
• Knowledge of Federal railroad track safety standards.

• Knowledge of the design, installation, maintenance, testing, or inspection of signal and train control systems and their capabilities and limitations;
• Knowledge of applicable Federal laws and regulations pertaining to railroad signaling and train control systems; and
• Knowledge of locomotive braking systems and their relationship to and interface with train control or automatic train stop systems and braking distances.

• Knowledge of railroad operating practices, rules, and procedures, especially as they relate to safety issues; and
• Knowledge of Federal regulations and standards relating to railroad operations and requirements in such areas as hours of service, accident reporting, blue signal protection of workers, rear end markers, radio communication, railroad employee qualifications, and railroad employee testing.

• Knowledge of the design, maintenance, or inspection of various types of locomotive and freight cars currently in use and their capabilities and limitations;
• Knowledge of the installation, maintenance, or testing of railroad safety appliances and power brakes, their capabilities and limitations; and
• Knowledge of the applicable Federal laws and regulations pertaining to inspection and testing of locomotives, freight cars, safety appliances, and power brakes.

How you will be evaluated

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

We will review your resume and supporting documentation to determine your qualifications. Experience must be clearly reflected in your resume. Applicants must first meet any mandatory education and/or licensure requirements before experience is evaluated. Failure to meet any mandatory requirement as outlined in the qualifications section will disqualify you from further consideration. If education and/or licensure requirements are met, your application will be further evaluated based on training, experience and other factors critical to successful job performance such as:



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