Railroad Safety Specialist / Chief (Safety Management Team)

Clarification from the agency

FRA-wide employees with competitive status only,

As a Railroad Safety Specialist (Accident Chief), you will:

• Conduct special studies and investigations of the most controversial problems and issues in the railroad safety program, and lead in-depth investigations of major railroad accidents, as directed by the Safety Management Team (SMT). management.
• Be responsible for facilitating the investigation of assigned accidents, leading a multi-discipline team of safety personnel, gathering the required evidence to support the investigation, analysis of data and evidence, as well as preparation and submission of the final report.
• Be responsible for the analysis and development of a recommended plan of inspection for assigned railroad(s).
• Be responsible for and/or providing subject matter expertise in one of the following areas support for programs such as Investigation & Audits, Risk Reduction, Passenger Rail, or Drug & Alcohol, and special projects.
• Fulfill the responsibilities of the FRA liaison representative with assigned railroad(s) other individuals and organizations that have an interest or are stakeholders in railroad safety, including fire departments, police departments, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Federal, State and local government agencies, public officials, and labor organizations.

The ideal Candidate is an experienced professional who is a technical expert in at least one of the five railroad safety disciplines (i.e., hazardous materials, operating practices, motive power and equipment, track, signal and train control), as well as has basic working knowledge of another discipline. Experience as a technical expert who has conducted analytical investigations and special studies and has made recommendations to improve railroad safety.

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:

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.
• 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: You must complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed).
• 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.
• DRUG TESTING:Tentatively selected candidates are required to undergo urinalysis in accordance with DOT 3910.1D entitled "Drug and Alcohol-Free Departmental Workplace", which includes testing for marijuana. Marijuana is legal in some states, however it’s still illegal at the federal level. 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.

Qualifications

To be qualified for a Railroad Safety Specialist, you MUST have demonstrated knowledge in ALL of the following areas:

• Knowledge of the railroad industry, including economic and operating considerations and equipment.
• Knowledge of the general safety and health principles and practices applicable to the railroad industry.
• Knowledge of railroad accident investigation techniques.
• Skill in written and oral communication.

To qualify for the Grade 13, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-12, it must include:

• Experience  evaluating inspection programs and safety plans for Class I, short line, or passenger railroad networks.
• Experience performing railroad accident / incident investigations to determine probable cause and regulatory compliance.
• Experience providing technical guidance, regulatory explanations, or advisory opinions regarding rail safety regulations to railroad officials, labor union representatives, public officials, or other government entities.

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:

1. 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.
2. Compliance Inspection - Knowledge of the guidelines, regulations, and procedures associated with compliance inquiries, including application of compliance rules and criteria and ability to make appropriate decisions and issue citations, fines, or orders.
3. Project Management- Knowledge of the principles, methods, or tools for developing, scheduling, coordinating, and managing projects and resources, including monitoring and inspecting costs, work, and contractor performance.
4. Influencing/Negotiating (*) - Persuades others to accept recommendations, cooperate, or change their behavior; works with others towards an agreement; negotiates to find mutually acceptable solutions.
5. Interpersonal Skills(*) - Shows understanding, friendliness, courtesy, tact, empathy, concern, and politeness to others; develops and maintains effective relationships  with others; may inclde effectively dealing with individuals who are difficult.   

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.

DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE: PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. 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.

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.

All applicants:  Your application will be reviewed in two phases determine how you move forward in the hiring process.  Phase I: Your resume will be reviewed to determine your technical qualifications for this position based on the required specialized experience. ONLY two (2) pages of your resume will be reviewed. Additional information beyond your resume (e.g., cover letter, links embedded in your resume) will not be reviewed.  Applicants passing “Phase I” will move on to the “Phase II” of the assessment process where your application will be reviewed and rated based on the KSAs/Competencies listed in the vacancy announcement by a Subject Matter Expert (SME).

You may preview questions for this vacancy.

• 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 80) 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.

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