Aviation Safety Inspector (General Aviation Avionics) Job in FAA Flight Standards Duty Locations Nationwide

Vacancy No. AGL-AFX-26-0022-97739 Department Federal Aviation Administration
Salary $125,776.00 to $197,200.00 Grade 14 to 14
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 3/27/2026 Close Date 4/16/2026
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Status Candidates
Locations:
FAA Flight Standards Duty Locations Nationwide


Summary

Aviation Safety Inspector assigned to the Aircraft Evaluation Division, Rotorcraft Branch, AFS-140 responsible for board activities, team dynamics, and will foster an environment of inclusion and teamwork to produce the MRB Report. May also serve as a member of Type Certification Boards and Flight Operations Evaluation Boards (FOEB) for assigned aircraft.

This job is open to

Federal employees - Competitive service

Current federal employees whose agencies follow the U.S. Office of Personnel Management's hiring rules and pay scales.

Federal employees - Excepted service

Current federal employees whose agencies have their own hiring rules, pay scales and evaluation criteria.

Clarification from the agency

Open to current permanent AVS and AMA-200 employees.

Duties

Participates in the development and establishment of national and international standards, procedures and airworthiness criteria tailored especially to meet the requirements and conditions considered necessary to assure effectiveness of the design for assigned aircraft. Manages team efforts with respect to the development of agency avionics and airborne instrument airworthiness criteria.

In the establishment of uniform minimum standards, contributions are obtained from appropriate Flight Standards Service offices, the Aircraft Certification Directorate, aircraft manufacturers and industry operators.

Relates the assigned aircraft manufacturer's continuous airworthiness maintenance programs for avionics to the aviation industry, with particular emphasis on assuring realistic, and technically practical programs of airworthiness assurance which may be applied by the industry.

Participates in Type Certification Boards in making decisions related to the avionics equipment and airborne instruments of aircraft produced by aircraft manufacturers. Serves as representative on Flight Operation Evaluation Boards, evaluating and presenting maintenance aspects. Provides technical advisory service relative to unique and unusually complex electrical/electronic equipment and system designs.

Serves as consultant with respect to technical matters pertaining to airborne instrument performance requirements, instrument test equipment, maintenance, and alteration standards used within area of responsibility.

Reviews and evaluates the reliability and operating history of avionics equipment used in assigned aircraft. This involves the review and analysis of aircraft and equipment malfunction reports (Mechanical Reliability Reports, Malfunction and Defect Reports, Incident Reports) and because of this analysis takes appropriate action. Such action may result in recommendations for reduced overhaul times, revised procedures, issuance of airworthiness directives, and issuance of alert bulletins.

Develops and implements special avionics projects as required to effectively accomplish program objectives. Recommends technical program or policy changes as appropriate.

Provides technical assistance with respect to the initial development and approval of avionics utilized by the aviation industry.

Participates in industry and aviation meetings and represents the Flight Standards Service on assigned matters.

Provides expert consultation in support of accident or incident investigations, analysis, and implementation of corrective actions related to the particular aircraft assigned.

May be requested to act as an aircraft specific course mentor and provide feedback on requests for equivalent training from Safety Assurance Offices.

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).
  • This is a temporary position not-to-exceed 2 year(s).
  • If this position remains temporary, upon completion of this assignment, the selected employee shall return to his/her original
  • permanent position or an equivalent position in the same commuting area. This position may be extended,
  • terminated early, or made permanent without further competition.

Qualifications

General Requirements for All Positions:

1. Not more than two separate incidents involving Federal aviation regulations violations in the last 5 years;
2. Valid State driver's license;
3. Fluency in the English language;
4. No chemical dependencies or drug abuse that could interfere with job performance; and
5. High school diploma or equivalent.

Medical Requirements for All Positions:

Applicants must be physically able to perform the duties of the Aviation Safety Inspector position in a safe and efficient manner, with or without a reasonable accommodation. The minimum medical requirements include the following requirements:

1. Have good distant vision in each eye and be able to read, without strain, printed materials the size of typewritten characters (glasses and contact lenses permitted);

2. Have the ability to hear the conversational voice (hearing aid permitted); and

3. Not have any physical condition that would cause them to be a hazard to themselves or others that would interfere with their ability to fly as passengers in a variety of aircraft.

In addition, applicants for positions that require participation in the operation of the aircraft must:

1. Possess a valid second – class medical certificate in accordance with FAA regulations; and

2. Pass recurrent medical examinations as prescribed by the FAA.

Applicants not requiring valid second-class medical certificates who are tentatively selected will be required to:

1. Provide documentation from a board-certified physician certifying that they meet the minimal medical requirements; or

2. Individuals who do not meet the minimum medical requirements but who are otherwise qualified will receive an individualized assessment to determine whether they can perform the essential functions of the position.

Note - Recency is waived for applicants currently in the 1825 series

When the predominant work involves general aviation avionics, applicants for Aviation Safety Inspector (Airworthiness) positions must meet all of the following requirements.

  1. Aircraft avionics experience involving the maintenance, repair, and troubleshooting of installed avionics systems on aircraft.
  2. Aircraft avionics work experience (which could include supervision or auditing) in a repair station; air carrier repair facility; military repair facility; or local, state, or Federal governmental agency within the last 3 years.

To qualify for this position, you must demonstrate in your application that you possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to FV-I, FG-13 grade level. Specialized experience is assisting, conducting, or performing various technical functions on certification activities for CFR Part 27 Normal Category Rotorcraft and CFR Part 29 Transport Category Rotorcraft and supporting helicopter specific CFR Parts 43, 91, 133, 135, 136, 137, and 145 operations including helicopter restricted category operations.

Qualifications must be met by the closing date of this vacancy announcement.

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 is a temporary position not-to-exceed 2 year(s). If this position remains temporary, upon completion of this assignment, the selected employee shall return to his/her original permanent position or an equivalent position in the same commuting area. This position may be extended, terminated early, or made permanent without further competition.

As a part of the Federal-Wide Hiring Reform Initiative (streamlining the hiring process), the FAA is committed to eliminating the use of the Knowledge, Skills and Ability (KSA) narratives from the initial application in the hiring process for all announcements. Therefore, as an applicant for this announcement, you are NOT required to provide a narrative response in the text box listed below each KSA.

In lieu of providing a KSA narrative response in the text box listed below each KSA in your work history, please include information that provides specific examples of how you meet the response level or answer you chose for each KSA. Your work history examples should be specific and clearly reflect the highest level of ability. Your KSA answers will be evaluated further to validate whether the level that you selected is appropriate based on the work history and experience you provided. Your answers may be adjusted by a Human Resource Specialist as appropriate.

How You Will Be Evaluated for Internal Announcements:

Eligible applicants meeting the minimum qualification requirements and selective factor(s), if applicable, may be further evaluated on the Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA); Demonstrated Abilities; Leadership and Management Dimensions; or Other Factors listed in the announcement. Based on this evaluation, applicants will be placed in one of the following categories: score order, category grouping, or alphabetical and referred to the selecting official for consideration.

Please ensure you answer all questions and follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may impact your rating or may result in you not being considered for the job.

Applicants may be asked to verify information on your application for employment with the FAA.

This is a bargaining unit position, represented by the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists (www.passnational.org).

In-grade/downgrade applications will be accepted.

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.

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

Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) must be submitted.

If you are a current or former Federal employee (including a current 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 a current Federal employee and need a current copy of your SF-50, please contact your personnel office. 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 a former Federal employee, you can obtain a copy of your SF-50 by writing the National Personnel Records Center Annex, 1411 Boulder Boulevard, Valmeyer, IL 62295. Additional information is available from this link: https://www.archives.gov/st-louis/opf.

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

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.

RESUMES ARE LIMITED TO TWO PAGES. IN DESCRIBING YOUR WORK EXPERIENCE AND/OR EDUCATION, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC AND INCLUDE INFORMATION AS IT RELATES TO THE QUALIFICATIONS AND SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS POSITION.

Please ensure EACH work history includes ALL of the following information:

Job Title (include series and grade if Federal Job)

  • Relevant work experience: should align to the Job Announcement and address all required qualifications and include job title, employer name, start/end dates, number of hours worked per week.
  • Education, certification or licensure: If required, education should include school/institution name, completion date, degree type and GPA.

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

Parris Zaragoza
Phone
1 (847) 294-7769
Fax
1 (847) 294-7858
Email
parris.a.zaragoza@faa.gov
Address
Federal Aviation Administration
AGL Regional HR Services Branch
2300 E. Devon Ave., Room 250
AHF-N310
Des Plaines, IL 60018
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.

Federal Aviation Administration

At the FAA, the sky is not the limit—it is just the beginning. Exciting new opportunities are emerging in aviation and aerospace. Significant investments are advancing the research and development of autonomous vehicles, environmentally friendly electric aircraft, high-speed and long-endurance solar-powered aircraft, and new types of space vehicles. Success with these new technologies and vehicle types will introduce new ways to transport people and goods expanding aviation's footprint in transportation. People are our strength. We are a diverse workforce of over 44,000 located nationwide and spanning over 120 occupations to include air traffic control specialists, aviation safety inspectors, engineers, scientists, technicians, and business professionals. Join us in our mission to provide the safest, most efficient aerospace system in the world.

Agency contact information

Parris Zaragoza
Phone
1 (847) 294-7769
Fax
1 (847) 294-7858
Email
parris.a.zaragoza@faa.gov
Address
Federal Aviation Administration
AGL Regional HR Services Branch
2300 E. Devon Ave., Room 250
AHF-N310
Des Plaines, IL 60018
US

Visit our careers page

Learn more about what it's like to work at Federal Aviation Administration, what the agency does, and about the types of careers this agency offers.

http://www.faa.gov/jobs