Airway Transportation Systems Specialist Job in Watkins, CO

Vacancy No. ANM-ATO-25-3111011-96221 Department Federal Aviation Administration
Salary $69,173.00 to $107,227.00 Grade G to G
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 9/6/2025 Close Date 9/26/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Status Candidates
Locations:
Watkins, CO


Summary

This position is an Airway Transportation Systems Specialists (ATSS). All duties of an ATSS are tied to maintaining safe and efficient operating capacity of the vast and complex network of electronics systems required for the world's largest air traffic control and navigation system. ATSS personnel install, evaluate, maintain, modify and certify facilities, services and equipment that support the National Airspace System (NAS).

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

Open to current permanent FAA employees.

Duties

At this level, the ATSS has a working knowledge and understanding of the impact of specific system performance in providing NAS-wide services and has full maintenance and operational responsibility for a single system or for the integration of multiple systems and services such as:

  • Radar: Airport Surveillance Radar, Air Route Surveillance Radar, Air Traffic Control Beacon Indicator, Mode Select Beacon, Airport Surface Detection Equipment, Terminal Doppler Weather Radar, Weather Service Processor, Weather Display System, and Identified Friend or Foe
  • Automation: En Route Automation Modernization, Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System, Oceanic Display and Planning System, Flight Data Input/Output, various display systems and maintenance of industrial computer systems in the corporate environment, industrial system diagnostics in the corporate environment, and industrial Local Area Network Wide Area Network systems in the corporate environment

Performs routine assignments independently, receiving little or no technical guidance. Utilizes and interprets FAA orders, technical manuals, manufacturer's instructions, procedures and other publications as required to complete multiple and complex work assignments. Applies practical judgment and discretion to select the most appropriate method to complete the work assignment. Supervisor furnishes general instructions on the scope of work, time limitations, and priorities.

Work performed by the specialist may have a direct impact on air traffic control operations. Contributes to the organization as a specialist or a team member for projects. Work is reviewed upon completion for technical soundness and conformance with guidelines, established requirements, procedures, and objectives.

Possesses a working knowledge of the FAA orders, Technical Instruction manuals, policies and procedures pertaining to the maintaining FAA systems safely in a variety of work environments, including Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA), Facility and Systems Security, National Electrical Code (NEC) and Human Resources Directives. Must use proper personal protective equipment and use safety procedures while accomplishing work assignments.

Performs coordination, logging and documentation activities in accordance with the following directives: General Maintenance Handbook for NAS Facilities, NAS Modification Program, and NAS Performance Reporting System.

May be called upon to provide training to developmental employees. Applies experience and detailed technical knowledge of the applicable discipline(s) in order to plan and complete assignments in support of the NAS. Independently resolves technical issues and keeps supervisor, team leader, and other employees aware of issues that need to be elevated for further support.

Contacts are internal and external, but are limited to the scope of the employee's assigned work. Contacts may include the Districts, other FAA organizations, airport authority, contractors, and various external stakeholders. Contacts are made to share information, provide data, furnish or obtain guidance, and discuss the status of assignments.

The ATSS is expected to gain/maintain proficiency on many systems, often in addition to or instead of their initial work assignments. Works with new technology efforts and may interact with other individuals to obtain the skills necessary to install, integrate, maintain, and restore new advances in systems. Applies knowledge and experience of electronics theory and system/equipment operations to resolve technical problems and improve maintenance methods and techniques. Some judgment is required in selecting the most appropriate approach. Supervisors, team leaders, or more experienced technicians are available to provide guidance. In addition to training and maintenance activities, the ATSS is expected to complete additional duties as assigned.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • US Citizenship is required.
  • Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
  • Must submit an SF50 (See Required Documents).
  • Designated or Random Drug Testing required.
  • If the Agency decides to interview any qualified employee on the selection list, then all on the list who are qualified must be interviewed.

Qualifications

Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position.

Specialized Experience includes completion of equipment specific academic and OJT instruction and demonstrated field experience in maintaining, verifying and/or certifying discipline specific facilities and services utilizing technical directives, policies and procedures.

There is no timeframe requirement at the Level II/FV-F to compete. Candidates must show experience at the level of difficulty and responsibility that is appropriate to the position. Generally, experience at the next lower level (Pay Band F/Level II or equivalent), meets the minimum qualifications for this position as long as the experience supports the DEMONSTRATED ABILITIES identified below.

In addition to your resume, in the space provided under each Demonstrated Ability, you MUST provide a NARRATIVE justification on how you meet this ability. The justification should be clear and concise, providing a description of your education, training, and experience that would describe the degree to which you possess each Demonstrated Ability listed below. Eligible candidates may be ranked based on the Demonstrated Abilities.

Supervisor's Endorsement: If your selection for this position would be considered a promotion, then a signed (wet, ink, or digital signature) and dated supervisory statement endorsing your candidacy is required by the closing date of this announcement. Applicants who fail to submit the required documentation with appropriate signatures will not be considered. A Supervisor's Endorsement is not required for in-grade/downgrade and/or reassignments.

Education

There is no positive education requirement.

Preview Job Questionnaire

Make sure your resume includes detailed information to support your qualifications and answers to the job questionnaire.

Additional information

We may use this vacancy to fill other similar vacant positions.
Position may be subject to a background investigation.
A one-year probationary period may be required.

The person selected for this position may be required to file a financial disclosure statement within 30 days of entry on duty. FAA policy limits certain outside employment and financial investments in aviation-related companies. www.faa.gov/jobs/workinghere/financial-disclosure-requirements

This position is covered by the Department of Transportation's Drug and Alcohol Testing Program. Any applicant tentatively selected for this position will be subject to pre-employment or pre-appointment drug screening. Persons occupying a "testing designated position (TDP)" will be subject to random drug and/or alcohol testing.

1. DEMONSTRATED ABILITIES: You MUST provide a NARRATIVE statement for each Demonstrated Ability. The narratives should be clear and concise, providing a description of your education, training and experience that would describe the degree to which you possess each Demonstrated Ability. Candidates must show experience at the level of difficulty/responsibility appropriate to the position.

Note: Answer all questions to the best of your ability. DON'T ASSUME THAT BECAUSE YOU HOLD, OR HAVE HELD THIS POSITION, YOU WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE FOUND ELIGIBLE. You may be asked to provide evidence or documentation of your experience at a later stage in the selection process. Responses are subject to verification through job interviews, or any other information obtained during that application process. Any exaggeration of your experience or attempt to conceal information can result in disqualification.

2. Supervisor's Endorsement: Applicants applying for a promotion must include a Supervisor's Endorsement or Memorandum which must include the vacancy announcement number and supervisor's signature (wet, ink, or digital). A Supervisor's Endorsement is not required for in-grade/downgrade and/or reassignments.

Security Requirement: This position requires completion and favorable adjudication of a Moderate Risk (5) Background Investigation (Tier 2) unless waiver is obtained.

Links to Important Information: Locality Pay, COLA

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.

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.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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



IMPORTANT: Applicants may be rated on the extent and quality of experience, education, and training relevant to the duties of the position(s). All answers provided in the on-line process must be substantiated. Ensure that your application package/resume supports your responses.

Required Documents

Current or Former Federal employee (including a current FAA employee): You MUST submit a copy of your most recent (non-award) SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, or equivalent document that verifies tenure (block 24, code 1 or 2). Failure to provide the required documentation by the closing date of this announcement will result in non-consideration for this position.

SUPERVISORY ENDORSEMENT: A supervisor's endorsement form or memorandum is required for a competitive promotion. Applicants applying for a promotion must include a Supervisor's Endorsement or Memorandum which must include the vacancy announcement number and supervisor's signature. A Supervisor's Endorsement is not required for in-grade/downgrade and/or reassignments. To obtain the Supervisory Endorsement, please contact your manager.

Applicants must apply on-line, through USAJOBS, to receive consideration. Faxed, mailed or e-mailed applications cannot be accepted. If you need to submit additional documents to supplement your on-line application, e.g., transcripts, SF-50 or Supervisory Endorsement, you may upload these documents with your application in USAJOBS.



If you are an FAA employee, you MUST provide a copy of your SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) containing information in Blocks 15, 17, 18, 19, 22, and 24 so it can be used to verify your position title, series, grade, tenure, and organization of record by the closing date of the announcement. You may fax your SF-50 or upload it into the on-line application. If faxing the SF-50, please ensure you include the vacancy announcement number on the faxed copy.

If you are an FAA employee, you can access and print your SF-50 from the eOPF system https://eopf.opm.gov/dot/.

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.

How to Apply

Supplemental documentation can also be faxed to (206) 231-4150 on or before the closing date of this announcement. Please include your name and the vacancy announcement number on each of your faxed pages and redact all Personally Identifiable Information (PII), such as social security number and date of birth.


Applicants may be required to complete one or multiple assessments as part of the evaluation process. This assessment aims to evaluate the competencies and qualifications essential for the position.

You must apply online to receive consideration. Your application must be submitted by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the Close Date for it to be accepted. If you are applying for positions associated with FAA registers, your application must be submitted at the time a referral list is created in order to receive consideration for positions associated with a register.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR WORK EXPERIENCE AND/OR EDUCATION, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE OR EDUCATION.

We strongly encourage applicants to utilize the USAJOBS resume builder in the creation of resumes.

Please ensure EACH work history includes ALL of the following information:
  • Job Title (include series and grade if Federal Job)

  • Duties (be specific in describing your duties)

  • Employer's name and address

  • Supervisor name and phone number

  • Start and end dates including month and year (e.g. June 2007 to April 2008)

  • Full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week)

  • Salary (optional)


Determining length of General or Specialized Experience is dependent on the above information and failure to provide ALL of this information may result in a finding of ineligible.

You may upload completed documents to your USAJOBS Account. This will provide you the opportunity to utilize the uploaded information again when applying for future vacancies. Please see this guide, Document Upload Guide, for more information on uploading and re-using the documents in your applications.

Agency contact information

Jennifer Molano
Phone
1 (206) 231-4047
Fax
1 (206) 231-4150
Email
jennifer.m.molano@faa.gov
Address
Federal Aviation Administration
ANM Regional HR Services Branch
2200 S. 216th St.
AHF-N210
Des Moines, WA 98198
US

Next steps

Once we receive your complete application, the Human Resources Office will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications. Eligible and qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration. You will be contacted directly if selected for an interview.

For instructions on how to check the status of your application, please go to: USAJOBS Help Guide.

Important - If you make any changes to your application, you must resubmit it. If you make changes to your application and do not resubmit it, your changes will not be considered part of your application package, and only your previously submitted application will be evaluated.

All qualified applicants will be considered regardless of political affiliation, race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, age, disability, or other non-merit factors. DOT provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency contact listed in the Agency Contact Information section of this announcement or the hiring manager. An employee with a disability must notify the decision-maker of the accommodation request. Job applicants and employees are required to follow up oral requests in writing. Decisions on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. Additional information on reasonable accommodations procedures or on EEO Programs is available on Office of Civil Rights (ACR) or by contacting the local FAA Civil Rights Office.


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.