Motor Carrier Safety Specialist (Safety Investigator) (GS-13)

Summary

The Motor Carrier Safety Specialist (SI) provides outreach and guidance to motor carriers and drivers to for their safety management programs to maintain compliance and supports the Agency's mission priorities for interventions with high-risk carriers, industry outreach, required passenger carrier safety rating investigations, Household Goods carrier interventions, Hazardous Materials carrier interventions, complaints, and high-profile crash investigations.

Duties

The incumbent serves as a Senior Safety Investigator (SI) and is responsible for administering the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Program in a specific territory. This territory encompasses motor carriers and shippers of all types and sizes. In promoting and enforcing compliance with the applicable laws and regulations, the specialist acts independently within general program objectives frequently and a largely self-developed and self-adjusted area work plan. The incumbent provides technical expertise and advice to the FMCSA field and Division Offices within the Service Center, over a multi-State geographical area. The Ideal Candidate has expert knowledge and skill in one of the specialized areas to include Field On-boarding/National Training Center Liaison; Commercial Programs (HHG/Brokers); Passenger Carriers; Cargo Tank Facilities/Hazardous Materials; Drug and Alcohol; Intermodal Equipment Providers and Electronic Logging Devices. The specialist would advise on policy development as well as training curriculum.

Qualifications

To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must meet the specialized experience qualifications for the grade at which you are requesting consideration. 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 applying laws, regulations, and addressing critical issues related to motor carrier safety and Federal compliance. Experience planning, managing, and evaluating investigations for Federal Motor Carrier Safety Programs. Experience interpreting and analyzing motor carrier laws and 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: 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. Problem Solving: Identifies problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives, and to make recommendations. Creative Thinking: Uses imagination to develop new insights into situations and applies new solutions to problems; designs new methods where established methods and procedures are not suitable or are unavailable. Written communication: Writes in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience. 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.

Requirements

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. 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. 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. See Other information for additional instructions.

Key requirements

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.

Education

Education Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study -- accounting, business administration, business or commercial law, commerce, economics, engineering, finance, industrial management, statistics, traffic management, transportation, motor mechanics, or other fields related to the position.

How you will be evaluated

DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE: Please be clear and specific when describing your experience, as HR evaluates applications strictly on the facts provided and will not make assumptions. To receive full credit, your narrative responses must be written in paragraph format and explicitly match your resume. Begin each response by listing the exact position title, organization, employment dates (MM/YYYY–MM/YYYY), full- or part-time status, average weekly hours, and federal series/grade (if applicable). Within the body of the paragraph, clearly describe your specific duties, actions taken, tools used, and measurable outcomes. HR will cross-check these details against your resume; if your resume does not fully support every claim and timeframe, the experience will not be considered for credit, 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.

How to apply

To be considered, you must submit all required resume details and applicable documents no later than 11:59 (EST) on the closing date of the announcement. Note: Uploading documents to USAJobs does not automatically attach them to this application. You must review and verify that all files are successfully transferred to our system before final submission. Late or incomplete applications will be disqualified. 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.

Other information

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 positions is similar vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate(s). FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/ Remote within the Service Center Region: Western Service Center Region – location to be determined upon selection (remote within the Western states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wyoming. Midwestern Service Center Region – location to be determined upon selection (remote with the Midwestern states: Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, and Wisconsin. 1. Field NTC Onboarding Liaison – 3 positions (1-Midwest and 2-West) 2. Drug and Alcohol – 1 positions (1-Midwest and 1 West)