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 Specialist, you will:

• Provide expertise and assist in policy formulation, problem solving, development, promotion, and demonstration of state-of-the-art practices on a wide range of Transportation programs.
• Conduct and participate in complex program reviews to evaluate and determine the extent of efficiency, effectiveness, and economy with which Transportation programs and administrative operations are carried out in conjunction with the agency’s mission and policies. Develop plans, goals, and oversees the implementation of systems and procedural changes specifically in the areas of USDOT and operating authority registration fraud prevention requirements, BOC3/Process Agents designations and/or filing of financial responsibility.
• Serve as the point of contact for congressional inquiries, customers, headquarters and field staff, and other miscellaneous requests for information. Coordinate with appropriate staff to draft responses, review, finalize and distribute correspondence.
• Provide expertise, training, and presentations to stakeholders in developing plans, goals, objectives for implementing deliverables for assigned Transportation programs.
• Develop policies and procedures on  FMCSA Registration, financial responsibility filings and/or process agent designation regulations to ensure that FMCSA has comprehensive compliance with regulations and enforcement requirements.
• Resolve FMSCA and trucking industry stakeholder issues by proposing system enhancements, researching and/or proposing regulations, and advising insurance companies, financial institutions, brokers, freight forwarders, and/or motor carriers on applicable filings and USDOT and operating authority registration matters, including those addressing evidence of registration fraud.

The ideal candidate is a mid-career transportation professional capable of providing effective customer service support to motor carriers, brokers, freight forwarders, cargo tank facilities, intermodal equipment providers, insurance companies, financial institutions, process agents and members of the general public regarding their registration with FMCSA. Applicants must possess effective oral and written skills, researching skills, and be capable of paying attention to details involved in the reviewing, analyzing, and processing of applications.

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.
• Duty location: will be determined upon selection.
• 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 requirements.

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

• Experience reviewing and processing business registration applications, proof of insurance, or legal agent agent filings to ensure transportation companies comply with federal regulations.
• Experience conducting filling reviews or investigations that require cross-referencing corporate registration files against commercial business registries, financials databases, or state-issued operating licenses, and submitting final recommendations to management.
• Experience interpreting and applying transportation rules or government policies to finalize registration decisions or resolve compliance disputes for shipping companies, cargo handlers, or freight brokers as the final point of review prior to supervisor approval.  OR
• Experience tracking and writing down technical needs for a software system, testing new software features against design specifications to confirm they work correctly, and providing technical support to public users of a web-based regulatory database or tracking system.

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

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:

• Information Management: Identifies a need for and knows where or how to gather information; organizes and maintains information or information management systems.
• Manages and Organizes Information: Identifies a need; gathers, organizes, and maintains information; determines its importance and accuracy and communicates it by a variety of methods.
• Problem Solving: Identifies problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgement to generate and evaluate alternatives, and to make recommendations.
• 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.