Skip to main content
U.S. flag
 

Transportation Specialist (Gateway Director) (P) (Open to both U.S. Citizens and Federal Employees)

Department of Transportation
Maritime Administration

Summary

The position serves in the Office of Maritime and Intermodal Outreach to advance MARAD’s mission and strengthen the U.S. Maritime Transportation System. The position leads regional initiatives that promote economic competitiveness, resilient maritime infrastructure, environmental sustainability, safety, security, and preparedness while building strategic partnerships across the maritime and intermodal transportation community.

Overview

Help
Accepting applications
Location
1 vacancy in the following locations:
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—This position may be eligible for situational telework. Telework approval will be determined by your immediate supervisor or manager following the agency’s telework policy and guidance. If participating in the telework program, you will be required to sign a telework agreement detailing agency telework policy requirements, working conditions, and expectations for the position.
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—Relocation expenses are authorized for this position.
Salary
$118,984 - $192,694 per year

Salaries for all areas are available on the OPM website at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/2026/general-schedule.

Pay scale & grade
GS 13 - 14
Promotion potential
14
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time - Full Time
Travel Required
50% or less - Travel will be required at least half of the time.
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Represented by a union
No
Drug test
No
Security clearance
Secret
Position sensitivity and risk
High Risk (HR)
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Financial disclosure required
Yes - The Ethics in Government Act of 1978 requires the applicant selected for this position to submit a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450) within 30 days of appointment and annually thereafter.
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
MARAD-2026-0003
Control number
887651900

Duties

Help

Transportation Specialist (Gateway Director):

  • Serves as a regional technical expert and principal liaison on maritime and intermodal transportation issues, providing authoritative advice and recommendations to MARAD leadership and Federal, State, local, and private-sector stakeholders on port, terminal, freight, waterway, and transportation system needs.
  • Leads regional stakeholder engagement and partnership development by convening and coordinating diverse public- and private-sector partners to identify emerging transportation challenges, develop collaborative solutions, and advance MARAD programs and strategic priorities.
  • Analyzes regional maritime and intermodal transportation conditions, policies, and trends and translates maritime policies and programs into regionally appropriate strategies, action plans, and recommendations that improve freight mobility, infrastructure, resilience, and transportation system performance.
  • Provides technical assistance and program support for maritime infrastructure investments and Federal assistance programs, including identifying potential funding and financing resources, evaluating project needs, and assisting stakeholders in developing and advancing competitive infrastructure and resilience projects.
  • Supports regional port readiness, emergency preparedness, and operational resilience efforts by identifying transportation system vulnerabilities, coordinating with Federal and non-Federal partners, supporting exercises and response activities, and providing recommendations to address disruptions affecting maritime operations.
  • Represents MARAD in meetings, conferences, forums, and other engagements involving maritime transportation and intermodal issues; prepares and delivers briefings, reports, presentations, and correspondence; and provides informed recommendations on complex issues affecting the U.S. maritime industry and MARAD's mission.

The ideal candidate is a maritime transportation professional with expertise in port operations, intermodal transportation, and port preparedness. The candidate demonstrates strong analytical and communication skills; can assess complex transportation issues, evaluate program effectiveness, and develop sound recommendations; and can build productive relationships with Federal, State, local, and private- sector stakeholders to advance MARAD’s mission and regional priorities.

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S.Citizen and eligible for consideration.
  • You must meet specialized experience to qualify.
  • Required documents must be submitted by the closing date.
  • Submit application and resume online by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may 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.
  • PCS/RELOCATION/RECRUITMENT:  PCS Expense Reimbursement is only being offered for the Anchorage, Alaska location.
  • 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: You must complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed).
  • TIME-IN-GRADE: Federal applicants must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade in the competitive or excepted service in the executive branch to satisfy time-in-grade restrictions contained in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F.
  • DEU REQUIREMENTS: Applicants selected under delegated examining procedures 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 requirements for the grade at which you are requesting consideration.

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

  • Experience establishing and maintaining collaborative partnerships with public and private stakeholders across the marine and intermodal transportation system. 
  • Experience analyzing, applying, or advising on maritime and intermodal transportation practices, logistics operations, freight flows, or related federal policies and regulations. 
  • Experience serving as a technical advisor or subject matter expert on transportation, maritime, or supply chain matters. 


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

  • Experience leading stakeholder engagement and strategic partnership initiatives across complex marine and intermodal transportation networks. 
  • Experience directing the integration of national maritime, freight, or intermodal transportation policy into regional or program-wide operational strategies. 
  • Experience serving as an authoritative subject matter expert or senior technical advisor on maritime, intermodal, or logistics matters. 

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:

  • Lead cross‑sector coalitions and regional working groups involving ports, carriers, shippers, labor, state and local governments, federal agencies, academia, shipyards, inland waterway operators, offshore energy entities, and private investors.
  • Establish structured, recurring engagement mechanisms with shippers, carriers, railroads, trucking firms, terminal operators, inland waterway carriers, and third‑party logistics providers to capture system‑wide customer experience across all modes of the intermodal transportation network.
  • Identify and coordinate federal, state, and private financing tools to support port, waterway, shipyard, and intermodal infrastructure. Provide technical assistance for federal assistance programs, including PIDP, Marine Highway, Small Shipyard Grants, TIFIA, BUILD/RAISE, INFRA, and other DOT programs.


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.

Education

Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study -- accounting, business administration, business or commercial law, commerce, economics, engineering, finance, industrial management, statistics, traffic management, transportation, motor mechanics, or other fields related to the position.

Additional information

The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Transportation and its Operating Administrations from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to the Department of Transportation by email at, FairChanceAct@dot.gov. To learn more, please visit our page at: The Fair Chance to Compete Act | US Department of Transportation

CURRENT OR FORMER FEDERAL APPLICANTS: You must submit SF-50(s) that verify your highest competitive grade, full performance level, and federal applicant eligibility. To prove you meet the 52-week time-in-grade requirement for the highest grade level requested, you must submit SF-50 documentation showing a sequential 52-week period. Box 4 of the SF-50 must show an effective date at least 52 weeks prior to the job announcement closing date. Do not submit an award SF-50 or a current-year pay adjustment SF-50, as these generally do not verify grade, eligibility, or the full 52-week requirement. 

To ensure your application passes HR validation, you are highly encouraged to combine and upload the following required SF-50 documents into a single PDF:

• The SF-50 showing when you were originally appointed or promoted to your qualifying grade level (establishing the start of your 52-week timeline) OR  subsequent SF-50 (such as a Within-Grade Increase, promotion, or award) dated at least 52 weeks later.

Warning on Incomplete Documentation: Submitting only an annual general pay adjustment SF-50 or an award SF-50 by itself is insufficient, as these individual documents do not track or prove your original entry date into that grade. If your documentation fails to conclusively prove a full 52-week history at the next lower grade, you will be rated Ineligible for that tier.

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

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.

DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE: PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. 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.

All applicants:  Your application will be reviewed in two phases determine how you move forward in the hiring process.  Phase I: Your resume will be reviewed to determine your technical qualifications for this position based on the required specialized experience. ONLY two (2) pages of your resume will be reviewed. Additional information beyond your resume (e.g., cover letter, links embedded in your resume) will not be reviewed.  Applicants passing “Phase I” will move on to the “Phase II” of the assessment process where your application will be reviewed and rated based on the KSAs/Competencies listed in the vacancy announcement by a Subject Matter Expert (SME).


You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Maritime Administration

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is focused on what matters most: prioritizing the safety of our transportation systems, modernizing our aging infrastructure, unleashing American innovation, and maximizing efficiency by removing bureaucratic red tape. We are looking for mission-driven professionals ready to deliver real results with discipline, urgency, and accountability to support American families, workers, and businesses.

As we usher in a Golden Age of Transportation, DOT values a results-oriented, high-performing workforce dedicated to continuous improvement, operational excellence, and a safe, collaborative environment. If you want to build big, beautiful infrastructure, scale transformative technologies, and achieve results that will serve our nation for generations to come, please consider joining the DOT family.

Did You Know? The Department of Transportation is consistently ranked as one of the Best Places to Work in the Federal Government!

Agency contact information

Automated Staffing Office
Phone
000-000-0000
Fax
000-000-0000
Email
TRANSJOBS@dot.gov
Address
DOT, MARITIME ADMINISTRATION
Submit Application and Documents Online
1200 New Jersey Ave SE / HAHR - 50
Washington, District of Columbia 20590
United States

Your session is about to expire!

Your USAJOBS session will expire due to inactivity in 8 minutes. Any unsaved data will be lost if you allow the session to expire. Click the button below to continue your session.