Transportation Specialist - DIRECT HIRE - MP (Open to both U.S. Citizens and Federal Employees) Job in Anywhere in the U.S. (remote job)

Vacancy No. FMCSA.S-2025-0002 Department Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
Salary $86,962.00 to $113,047.00 Grade 12 to 12
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 11/6/2024 Close Date 12/6/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Anywhere in the U.S. (remote job)


Summary

This position is located in the State Programs Division, Office of Safety Programs, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), Washington, DC. The primary responsibility of FMCSA is to reduce motor carrier crashes, fatalities, and injuries on our Nation’s highways. A secondary responsibility of FMCSA is ensuring that drivers of large trucks and buses are qualified to operate those vehicles and removing unsafe and unqualified drivers from the highways.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

This announcement is for Merit Promotion (Federal Government) opportunities and also serves as a Direct Hire Public Notice to gather resumes. Vacancies are open under merit promotion to current and former Federal employees with competitive status and VEOA Applicants AND/OR applications will be accepted from All U.S. Citizens under Direct Hire Authority. The 'Rule of Three', Veterans Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants does not apply to this vacancy.

Duties

The Transportation Specialist:

  • Conveys guidance on grant policies; develops recommendations for new or revised operating procedures for FMCSA grant programs; and implements process improvements based on management approval and Agency guidance.
  • Coordinates comprehensive program reviews of States within organizational jurisdiction to ensure compliance with existing statutory, regulatory, and programmatic requirements and policies to determine compatibility with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) and Federal Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMRs).
  • Conducts research and data analysis for briefings, presentations, reports, or other correspondence to agency officials, other federal, state, and local agencies, and the general public.
  • Drafts papers, justifications, briefings, testimony, and other major written and oral presentations related to grant programs and Agency initiatives and activities for management, Congress, grantees, and other stakeholders.
  • Engages in outreach and liaison activities with organizations connected to MCSAP and other FMCSA grant programs, including State and local government agencies, national organizations representing these agencies, safety-focused organizations, and the motor carrier industry to stay abreast of new legislation, policies, and guidelines.

The ideal candidate is a skilled professional with in-depth knowledge of the federal grants process, commercial motor vehicle safety, commercial enforcement, and compliance programs with Federal or State government agencies, with specific emphasis on regulations, policies, and procedures regarding motor carrier operations.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • You must be a U.S.Citizen and eligible for consideration.
  • Required documents must be submitted by the closing date.
  • Submit application and resume online by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

  • SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for the Selective Service.
  • POSITION SENSITIVITY AND RISK: Varies by position and will be based on the position to which appointed.
  • REMOTE WORK: This position is eligible for Remote Work.  Remote work is an arrangement in which an employee works at an alternative worksite (e.g., from home) and is not expected to report to the office to work. Remote work location will be determined upon/after selection and may affect locality pay. If selected as a remote work position, must have access to high speed internet and cell phone service meeting current Agency standards from the approved work location within the Contiguous United State and sign a remote work agreement.  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/2022/general-schedule/
  • SECURITY CLEARANCE: Varies by position.  If applicable, you must be able to obtain and maintain the appropriate security clearance of the position to which appointed.
  • BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: You may be required to complete a background/security investigation and meet preliminary requirements prior to onboarding.
  • GOVERNMENT TRAVEL CARD: Travel will vary by position. If the position requires travel, a government contractor-issued travel card will be issued and must be retained for official business only.
  • PCS/RELOCATION/RECRUITMENT:  Permanent Change of Station (PCS), Relocation, and Recruitment Incentive authorization varies by position/selection and a service agreement may be required.
  • PROBATIONARY PERIOD: Varies by position and is determined by the hiring agency.  If selected, a one-year or two-year probationary period may be required.
  • FOR DIRECT HIRE CANDIDATES: You must complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed).
  • FOR GOVERNMENT CANDIDATES:  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.

Qualifications

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

To qualify for the GS-12 on Experience, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-11 it must include:

  • Experience with motor carrier safety and grant programs to interpret statutes and regulations, including the derivation, objective, intent, and implementation thereof, to enable comparative analysis of State legislation, administrative directives, orders, policies, and procedures in order to determine compatibility with Federal regulations and uniformity of safety programs.
  • Experience with the principles of grants management, including OMB Directives/Circulars, and other established grant or financial assistance program guidelines and requirements.
  • Experience applying analytical, fact-finding, and problem-solving techniques while interpreting motor carrier regulations, policies, and guidelines to recommend programmatic changes and evaluate financial assistance programs.

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:

  • 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.
  • Compliance - Knowledge of procedures for assessing, evaluating, and monitoring programs or projects for compliance with Federal laws, regulations, and guidance.
  • Problem-Solving (t) -Identifies and analyzes problems; weighs relevance and accuracy of information; generates and evaluates alternative solutions; makes recommendations.
  • Administration and Management - Knowledge of planning, coordination, and execution of business functions, resource allocation, and production.
  • Organizational awareness - Knows the organization's mission and functions and how its social, political, and technological systems work and operate effectively within them; this includes the organization's programs, policies, procedures, rules, and regulations.


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/frequently-asked-questions/employment-faq/federal-hiring/how-do-i-apply-for-federal-jobs/

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

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

ADDITIONAL CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

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

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.

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. 

DIRECT HIRE: All applications will be reviewed to determine if they meet the basic qualifications for this position, specifically the educational and specialized experience requirements. Applicants will not be rated or ranked.  Veteran's Preference does NOT apply. All applications that are verified to meet the basic qualifications will be referred to the selecting official. Applications received under direct hire public notice may or may not result in a referral or selection. Management has the prerogative to select at any grade level.

GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES: 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. If referred, all relevant documents including performance appraisals and awards submitted with your application package will be forwarded to the hiring official for review.

Applicants who apply for Merit Promotion (Federal Government) consideration will also receive consideration under Direct Hire.

ALL APPLICANTS: 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. 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.

PERFORMANCE APPRAISALS/INCENTIVE AWARDS: If applicable, performance appraisals and/or Incentive award documentation may be submitted and forwarded to the selecting official in consideration of your application. To receive credit, 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. performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increases, etc.).

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


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.

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 posting.
  • 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
Phone
000-000-0000
Fax
000-000-0000
Email
TRANSJOBS@dot.gov
Address
DOT, FEDERAL MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY 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"). Within two weeks of the closing date, a Human Resources Specialist will evaluate your application. Ratings will be determined based on the documents and information received by the closing date. Qualified candidates will be assigned a category, not including points that may be assigned for veterans' preference. If the vacancy is advertised under status, your application will be scored on a scale between 70 - 100.  The most highly qualified candidates are then referred to the hiring manager for further consideration. If the vacancy was advertised under category rating, then the appropriate veteran's preference will be applied.  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.


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