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 Lead Transportation Program Specialist, you will:

• Communicate organizational goals and objectives and assign and distribute workload among team members.
• Coach team members on problem-solving methods and work practices.
• Manage a portfolio of work to support programmatic assignments and responsibilities.
• Monitor and report on the progress of work.
• Represent the team with management for resource allocation and decision-making.

The ideal candidate for this position is a professional who functions independently and demonstrates leadership in team environments. The candidate has strong analytical, strategic planning and communication skills. Experience in the oversight and analysis of transportation policy, programs, and/or procedures is desirable. The candidate must be resilient in working in a fast-paced and dynamic environment.

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: A background security investigation is required for all selected individuals. Appointment will be subject to the applicant’s successful completion of the security investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to meet these requirements will be grounds for termination.
• 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.

Individual Occupational Requirement: Experience that demonstrated a knowledge of the transportation function(s) of the position to be filled (for positions above GS-5).

To qualify for the Grade 14, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equal or equivalent to the GS-13, it must include:

• Experience leading, coordinating, and/or overseeing a group of individuals or a team by communicating assignments, projects, timeline due dates, and solving program issues; AND
• Experience with transportation processes, programs, projects, and/or policy compliance; AND
• Experience operating in the areas of planning, program development, and pre/post award grant programs; AND  
• Experience drafting correspondence, memoranda, briefing papers, policy documents and Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for leadership.

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:

1. Planning and Evaluating: Organizes work, sets priorities, and determines resource requirements; determines short- or long-term goals and strategies to achieve them; coordinates with other organizations or parts of the organization to accomplish goals; monitors progress and evaluates outcomes.
2. Program and Project Management: Knowledge of the principles, methods, or tools for developing, scheduling, coordinating, and managing programs and projects, including monitoring and inspecting associated costs, work, and contractor performance.
3. Problem Solving: Identifies problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives, and to make recommendations.
4. Written Communication: Writes in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience.

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.

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.

To receive full credit during evaluation, your assessment responses must explicitly point back to your resume, as HR cannot make assumptions about your experience. You must write your narrative answers in full paragraph format, beginning each response with the exact position title, organization, employment dates (MM/YYYY–MM/YYYY), full-time/part-time, average hours worked per week, and federal series/grade (if applicable) as listed on your resume. Within the paragraph, clearly describe your specific individual duties, actions taken, tools used, and measurable outcomes to prove your level of expertise. HR will cross-check your narrative against your resume; if your resume does not fully support every detail and timeframe claimed in your written response, the claimed experience will be disallowed, which may result in an ineligible determination.

You will not be considered for the position if any part of the application or supporting documentation is incomplete.  Falsifying your background, education, and/or experience is cause for not hiring you or adverse action after hiring.  

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