Program Manager (Deputy Division Administrator) (Open to FHWA employees with competitive status) Job

Vacancy No. FHWA.DDA-2025-0001 Department Federal Highway Administration
Salary $122,198.00 to $186,629.00 Grade 14 to 14
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 11/18/2024 Close Date 11/18/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Status Candidates
Locations:
Juneau, AKMontgomery, ALLittle Rock, ARPhoenix, AZ


Summary

You will serve as the Deputy Division Administrator (DDA), a managerial position in the Division Office, with the primary responsibility and authority to support the Division Administrator in delivering the Federal-aid Highway Program in the State in accordance with all Federal laws and regulations. You will also serve as Acting Division Administrator in the absence or preoccupation of the Division Administrator, assuming all authority of that position.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

FHWA-wide employees with competitive status only. This is an internal register used by the Division offices when there are openings. "Open periods" by location will be communicated via email to all FHWA employees when an office has an opening. When an 'open period' has closed, your application will be reviewed for that specific location.

Duties

As the Program Manager (Deputy Division Administrator) you will:

  • Participate with the Division Administrator in developing and implementing Federal-aid oversight initiatives and stewardship functions through an annual risk assessment of the State’s Federal-aid program. Manage process reviews to improve and enhance project and program decision-making. Recommend quality improvements in division office delivery systems for transportation projects.
  • Provide program expertise to State and local government officials and engineers to ensure effective program delivery in accordance with Title 23 and related applicable Federal laws.
  • Direct a multi-disciplinary staff, through subordinate supervisors and team leaders, in providing responsible program and project delivery, technical assistance, and training in the administration of the Federal-aid highway program. Provide leadership and guidance to the State and local governments, focusing their attention on the most critical program and assisting in bringing about improvements needed to raise and sustain their programs at desirable levels and to ensure the effective utilization of program funds.
  • Communicate organizational strategies, goals, objectives and priorities to internal and external audiences. Build cohesive coalitions and partnerships with State and local officials.
  • Partner with the DA in developing and implementing Federal-aid oversight initiatives and stewardship functions through an annual risk assessment of the State’s Federal-aid program. Revise plans based on changes in program direction and/or national goals. Create and utilize assessment tools to develop, coordinate, implement, and tract the Division’s Annual Performance Plan.

The ideal candidate for this position will have broad program knowledge and diverse discipline experience relating to State, local, and industry transportation matters with leadership responsibility for a team or unit. The ideal candidate will also have several years of experience with Federal-aid or Federal Lands Highway program management.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • Must meet specialized experience stated in Qualifications section
  • Submit application and resume online by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date
  • Required documents must be submitted by the closing date.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

  • SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for the Selective Service.
  • PCS/RELOCATION/RECRUITMENT: Permanent Change of Station (PCS), Relocation, and Recruitment Incentive authorization varies by position/selection and a service agreement may be required.
  • 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.
  • SUPERVISORY PROBATIONARY PERIOD: You must complete a one-year supervisory probationary period (unless already completed).
  • GOVERNMENT TRAVEL CARD: This position involves travel.  A government contractor-issued travel card will be issued and must be retained for official business only.
  • TELEWORK ELIGIBILITY: This position may be eligible for occasional and/or regularly scheduled telework. The number of telework days approved 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.
  • TOUR RENEWAL/HOME LEAVE: Tour renewal and home leave may be offered based on location and position/selection and a service agreement may be required.

Qualifications

To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must meet the following specialized experience requirements.

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

  • Experience performing program management principles and practices relating to Federal-aid surface transportation programs, such as providing technical assistance and guidance to state DOT's and local agencies to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of program and project delivery, determining eligibility and authorizing expenditure of federal-aid funds, and ensuring compliance with applicable Title 23 and 49 regulations.

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:

  • Administration and Management - Knowledge of planning, coordination, and execution of business functions, resource allocation, and production.
  • Compliance - Knowledge of procedures for assessing, evaluating, and monitoring programs or projects for compliance with Federal laws, regulations, and guidance.
  • Oral Communication - Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately.
  • Developing Others - Develops the ability of others to perform and contribute to the organization by providing ongoing feedback and by providing opportunities to learn through formal and informal methods.

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.

All applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Additional information

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

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

This announcement establishes an open continuous (12 month) Standing Register for Program Manager (Deputy Division Administrator) positions.  This Register will be used to fill DDA positions as they become vacant.  Duty locations will vary.  The difference in the salary at the GS-14 level is determined by the locality pay in each location. Salaries for all areas are available on the OPM website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/.

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.

DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE: PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume/ application does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s). Your resume must contain sufficiently detailed information upon which to make a qualification determination. Please ensure that your resume contains specific information such as position titles, beginning and ending dates of employment for each position, average number of hours worked per week, and if the position is/was in the Federal government, you should provide the position series and grade level. 

If you meet the qualification requirements, your application will be scored based upon your responses to the vacancy questions. The top rated applications will be reviewed for the quality of your experience, education and training relevant to the position.

Eligible Federal employees also seeking consideration for noncompetitive reassignment for this position, must indicate interest in the assessment. Noncompetitive federal candidates must have competitive status on a SF-50, meet minimum qualifications, have served at the same grade or higher, and held or exceeded the promotion potential of this position.

Your application will be rated on the extent and quality of your experience, education and training relevant to the position. The answers you select in the on-line process must be substantiated in your application package.  If upon review, it is determined that your described work history, competencies, and/or supporting documents do not support your answer choices, your application may be updated on your behalf or you may not be referred to the selecting official. Please ensure that your work history provides enough details to support your answers.  If referred, all relevant documents including performance appraisals and awards submitted with your application package will be forwarded to the hiring official for review.  The Automated Staffing Office is ultimately responsible for determining your final rating.


You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Required Documents

RESUME: Your resume MUST contain specific information used to make a qualification determination that includes employment beginning and ending dates for each position, whether employment is Full-time or Part-time or average number of hours worked per week,  and position titles.  If the position is/was in the Federal government, you will need to provide the position series and grade level.  The resume should show relevant experience and education as well as support the required specialized experience. Formatted resumes may be uploaded later in the application process.

FEDERAL APPLICANTS: You must submit SF-50(s) that verify your highest competitive grade, full performance level, and eligibility as a federal applicant.  DO NOT submit an award SF-50 as these often do not verify grade or eligibility. For consideration for a promotion, Box 4 of the SF-50 must show a date that is at least 52 weeks prior to the job announcement closing. We recommend submitting your last promotion SF-50 or within-grade increase SF-50.  Pay adjustment raise SF-50s for the current year will not support the 52 weeks’ time-in-grade requirements. https://help.usajobs.gov/working-in-government/service/sf-50

PERFORMANCE APPRAISALS/INCENTIVE AWARDS: If applicable, performance appraisals and/or Incentive award documentation may be submitted and will be forwarded to the selecting official as support in consideration of your application in the evaluation process. To receive due weight, you must submit a recent performance appraisal (dated within 18 months) showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable (do not submit a performance plan) and/or incentive award documentation dated within the last 18 months (i.e. superior performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increases, etc.)

If requesting consideration under the Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP):

  • your most recent performance appraisal,
  • the proof of eligibility letter from the Agency, and
  • your most current SF-50, displaying current series and grade. 
  • YOU MUST SUBMIT ALL 3 documents and meet the well qualified standards for this vacancy (meeting minimum requirements for position and scoring at least an 85) to be considered under CTAP.

Displaced employees may be eligible for 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 USAJobs does NOT ensure inclusion with your application to our system.

 

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

You must submit a complete application package (including resume, vacancy questions and supporting documents) no later than 11:59 (EST) on the closing date of the announcement.

  • To begin, click the Apply Online button on the job announcement.
  • Follow the directions to register, submit all required documents and complete the assessment questionnaire.
  • You may review your saved application(s) at https://help.usajobs.gov/

If you are having difficulty applying online, please contact the DOT Automated Staffing Office via email at:  Transjobs@dot.gov.

Agency contact information

Automated Staffing Office
Address
DOT, FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION
Submit Application and Documents Online
1200 New Jersey Ave SE / HAHR - 50
Washington, District of Columbia 20590
United States
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

You may check your application status by logging into USAJobs.com. (Select "My USAJOBS" and click "Applications"). Your application status will be updated online when applicable and you will be notified by email.

As the vacancy is advertised under status, your application will be scored on a scale between 70 - 100. Ratings will be confirmed based on the documents and information received by the closing date determined by the office location requesting a certificate (communicated to all FHWA employees via email notification).

Qualified candidates are referred to the hiring manager for further consideration. If you are selected for an interview, the office will contact you directly. 


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


© 2006-2024, exclusive of U. S. government job opportunity announcements