Summary
The FRA administers and enforces Federal safety and health laws and regulations that apply to the railroad industry and its ancillary components. You will serve as a Railroad Safety Inspector, in an assigned territory, as a mobile worker in one of the following disciplines: Hazardous Materials, Track, Signals and Train Control, Operating Practices, Motive Power and Equipment, or Grade Crossing. The positions are located in one of eight FRA Districts within the continental United States.
Clarification from the agency
Applications will be accepted from any U.S. citizen.
Direct Hire Authority will be used to fill this position. The 'Rule of Three', Veterans Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants does not apply to this vacancy.
This is a Bargaining unit position represented by AFGE,1084.
Duties
As a Railroad Safety Inspector:
You will administer and enforce Federal safety laws and regulations that apply to the railroad industry. Promote and enforce standards and regulations concerned with one of the following disciplines within an assigned territory:
- Hazardous Materials – Plans and carries out periodic inspections at rail hazardous materials shipper/consignee locations including oil & gas refineries/fractionation plants, chemical and explosives manufacturers, rail intermodal terminals/van yards, freight forwarders, import/export agents and tank car manufacturing and repair facilities
- Track – Responsible for assessing railroad compliance with the carrier’s track inspection process to support compliance with federal regulations within their assigned territory, and the improvement and advancement of railroad safety in areas related to track construction, track maintenance, repair activities, and employee safety.
- Signals and Train Control Plans and carries out periodic inspections of all signal and train control and highway-rail grade crossing warning systems in a territory to ensure that they are properly installed, operated, tested, and maintained by the railroads.
- Operating Practices – Examines carriers operating rules, employee qualification guidelines and carrier employee training programs to determine compliance with existing Federal regulations and standards. Conducts periodic inspections by observing railroad employees in performance of operational duties related to the movement of trains for compliance.
- Motive Power and Equipment – Responsible for the improvement and advancement of railroad safety in areas related to design, construction, inspection, testing, maintenance and use of railroad rolling stock and other related equipment appurtenances. Conduct periodic inspections of railroad cars and locomotives for compliance with federal safety standards.
- Grade Crossing – Responsible for the enforcing highway-rail crossing safety regulations within an assigned territory, and performs periodic inspections of Emergency Notifications Systems, railroad records of Crossing Inventory Reporting, and railroad and public authority compliance with Train Horn Rule and Quiet Zone. Investigates independently, or as part of a team, grade crossing collisions and trespasser incidents/accidents as assigned.
The Ideal Candidate: These positions are perfect for a mid-level professional with strong technical background in applying current Federal railroad safety standards, as well as strong analytical and communication skills. The candidate must have experience in conducting inspections. The candidate must be mission focused and have the ability to interface with all levels of railroad management as well as the rail labor unions.
PLEASE NOTE: This announcement establishes an open continuous (3 months) vacancy announcement. Given our continuing need for top professionals in this field, we will review applications on an as needed basis. Duty locations will vary. The difference in salary is determined by the locality pay in each location. Salaries for all areas are available on the OPM website at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/2024/general-schedule/
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 will be used to fill this position
CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:
- 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.
- PROBATIONARY PERIOD: Applicants may be required to successfully complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed).
- DRUG TEST: Railroad Safety Inspectors have been determined to be a critical safety/security position as defined in the Department of Transportation (DOT) Order, DOT 3910.1C entitled "Drug and Alcohol-Free Departmental Workplace." Therefore, if selected for the position you will be required to submit to a pre-employment/pre-appointment drug test, you will also be subject to Random Drug Testing.
- DRIVER'S LICENSE: Railroad Safety Inspectors travel frequently, which requires being away from the official duty station for several consecutive nights. All Railroad Safety Inspectors are required to possess a valid state drivers license at all times while employed by the Federal Rail Administration (FRA) in order to perform the duties of their positions.
- MOBILE WORKERS: This position is eligible for Mobile Work, and the selectee must work/reside within the geographic area of the duty location that is negotiated between management. The duty location for a mobile worker is usually the residence or other approved site. The actual duty location is subject to approval by Supervisor. Salary will be adjusted based on the duty location.
- ETHICS/CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT: All employees are subject to the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch, set out in Title 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations, section 2635, including restrictions on owning financial interests that may conflict with performance of their duties. Some employees, like those involved in contracting or regulating non-Federal entities, are subject to Executive Branch Financial Disclosure requirements set out in Title 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations, section 263. Please note that you may be required to file an annual financial disclosure.
- RELOCATION/RECRUITMENT: Relocation and Recruitment Incentive authorization varies by position/selection.
Qualifications
To be qualified for a Railroad Safety Inspector, the Qualifications Standards state you MUST have demonstrated knowledge in the following areas:
- Railroad industry, including economic and operating considerations and equipment.
- General safety and health principles and practices applicable to the railroad industry.
- Railroad accident investigation techniques.
- Skill in written an oral communication.
In addition, applicants for inspector positions must demonstrate possession of the knowledge, skills, and abilities for the specialization for which application is made to the degree required by the position. Only those elements required by the position to be filled, as identified below, will be used in evaluating candidates' specialized experience.
Hazardous Materials:
- 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.
Track:
- 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.
Signals and Train Control:
- 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.
Operating Practices:
- 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.
Motive Power and Equipment:
- 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.
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:
- Accident Investigation - Knowledge of guidelines, regulations, and procedures associated with an accident investigation including preservation of accident scene, root cause analysis, and evidence detection and handling.
- 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.
- Decision Making - Makes sound, well-informed, and objective decisions; perceives the impact and implications of decisions; commits to action, even in uncertain situations, to accomplish organizational goals; causes change.
- Written Communication - Writes in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience.
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
Applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
Benefits
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Review our benefits
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
For this announcement, all applicants will be reviewed to determine if they meet the basic qualifications for this position, specifically the educational requirements. Applications that are verified to meet the basic qualifications will be referred to the selecting official.
Applicants will not be rated or ranked. Veteran’s Preference does NOT apply.
DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE: PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. All answers provided in the on-line process must be substantiated by a resume. If, upon review, it is determined that your resume and/or supporting documents do not support your answer choices, your application may be removed from consideration.
Please ensure that your work history provides enough details to support your answers. You may preview questions for this vacancy.
A USA Jobs built resume is required to apply
ALL Applicants must provide a resume that fully supports the required specialized experience and was created within USA Jobs Resume Builder and respond to the vacancy questions by the closing date of the vacancy. Formatted resumes can be uploaded when you arrive at the DOT application system. For assistance with the resume builder, please visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/account/documents/resume/build/
The following is a list of documents that are only required based on the type of position and consideration for which you are applying.
RESUME - Needs to be created within USA Jobs Resume Builder. It must show relevant experience, education and fully support the required specialized experience.
NON COMPETITIVE APPLICANTS: If requesting concurrent consideration for Non-competitive (NC) appointment eligibility, you must provide the appropriate SPECIAL APPOINTING AUTHORITY DOCUMENTS, such as PCS orders (military spouse) describing move & marriage certificate; letter from VA or DD214 describing 100% disability of spouse; letter from State Vocational Office certifying disability (schedule A), etc. For more information, visit military spouse NC appointments or Persons with Disabilities NC appointments.
DISPLACED EMPLOYEES: If requesting consideration under the Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or Interagency CTAP program (ICTAP), you must meet the well qualified standards for this vacancy (meeting minimum requirements for position and scoring at least an 85) and provide all of the following documents:
- your most recent performance appraisal,
- the proof of eligibility letter from the Agency, and
- your most current SF-50, displaying current series and grade.
Displaced employees may be eligible for ICTAP or CTAP priority consideration.
For more information, please review the OPM Employee's Guide to Career Transition.
Failure to submit any of the required documents by the closing date of the vacancy will result in your removal from consideration for this position. Please review your application prior to final submission and ensure you have submitted all appropriate documents. Uploading documents to USA Jobs does NOT ensure inclusion with your application to our system. You must verify that the documents are in the system with your application prior to final submission.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from
schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
You must submit a complete application package (including resume, vacancy questions and supporting documents) no later than 11:59 pm (EST) on the closing date of the announcement.
- To begin, click the "Apply Online" button on the job announcement posting.
- Follow the directions to register, submit all required documents and complete the assessment questionnaire.
- You may review your saved application(s) at https://my.usajobs.gov.
If you are having difficulty applying online, please contact the DOT Automated Staffing Office via email at: Transjobs@dot.gov
Next steps
You may check your application status by logging into USAJobs.com (Select "My USA Jobs" and click "Applications)". Qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager. If you are selected for an interview, the hiring agency will contact you directly. Once the position is filled, we will notify all applicants of their final status.
|