Federal

Airport Airspace Specialist (Regional Airport Airspace Specialist)

Federal Aviation Administration ยท Department of Transportation
๐Ÿ“ Des Plaines, Illinois FV-I $101,222 - $156,879/yr
Posted: Mar 31, 2026 Deadline: Apr 13, 2026 (Closes in 9 days days left)

About This Position

This position serves as the Regional Airport Airspace Specialist for the Office of Airports, Great Lakes Region.

Qualifications

To qualify for FV-I, you must demonstrate in your application that you possess at least one year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower level FV-H, FG/GS-12. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. Specialized experience includes experience interpreting and applying advanced knowledge of public Laws and acts related to the airport operating environment, including the: Airport Improvement Program Airport Capital Improvement Program Sponsor Compliance Obligations Airport Master Records Land Use Plans Airport Layout Plans Airport Master Plans (i.e.: FAA Order 7400.2, 14 CFR Part 157, and FAA Form 5010)

Major Duties

Performs multiple, varying, and complex assignments under the minimal direction of a manager, project/program manager, team leader, or more experienced professional. May act as a contributing specialist on large work activities or as a project manager or team leader for large projects/programs/activities. Serves as a subject matter expert on airspace issues and will be responsible for conducting and coordinating aeronautical studies for proposed construction projects including activation/deactivation and alteration of landing areas to determine potential effects on air navigation.

Utilizes computer programs to accomplish tasks, such as: Obstruction Evaluation/Airport Airspace Analysis (OE/AAA), and Airports Geographical Information System (GIS), as well as Airport Layout Plans (ALP's), 5010 records, and other information to process and analyze airspace cases to promote the safe and efficient use of navigable airspace. Interacts with, coordinates and provide technical assistance to the Regional and Airport District Office (ADO) staff, and other internal Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) organizations and the public.โ€ Under the minimal direction of a Manager, the Regional Airspace Specialist conducts initial screening of airspace cases submitted via FAA Forms 7460 and 7480. Works directly with the proponent to resolve inaccurate and incomplete information.

Enters the cases into OE/AAA system. Coordinates the cases internally and externally as needed. Follows up with all active cases to ensure timely processing. Prepares and issues Airspace Determinations.

Maintains and updates Regional Staff Assignments within OE/AAA System as needed. Provides guidance, support, and training on Airspace processing and review to less experienced professionals. Provides technical assistance related to the Airports GIS program to include FAA Airports GIS standards and eALP tool development.

Reviews Airports GIS scopes of work for various types of aeronautical surveys and airport data collection. Performs other duties as assigned. Contacts are internal and external. May act as a point of contact to provide advice and guidance on the applications of policies and procedures.

May be called upon to communicate FAA positions on policies and procedures internally and externally. Provides technical input in analyzing emerging issues, working collaboratively to develop and evaluate alternatives to resolve problems and improve existing or the development of new processes. Established policies/procedures provide guidance for most assignments but allow considerable discretion for employee to select the most appropriate approach(es) or develop new approaches.

Assignments regularly require interpretations of internal and external policies and extrapolations from precedents. Resolves most problems and work issues without the assistance of a manager, project/program manager, team leader, or more experienced professional. Develops and recommends approaches to address current and anticipated problems and issues.

Works with management and/or more experienced professionals to solve problems. Work is reviewed rarely, typically though status reports and at project completion, to ensure policy compliance and alignment with the requirements of projects and/or other work activities. Work activities typically impact directly on the objectives of one or more organizational units, major subdivisions, and/or LOB's/SO's and may affect the objectives of the FAA.

In some specialties, the work often affects internal and external customers.

Conditions of Employment

We are not accepting applications from noncitizens.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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.

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 position is located in Des Plaines, Illinois. 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 Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (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. FAA's Core Compensation Pay Plan: This position is covered by the FAA Core Compensation plan. Additional information about core compensation is available on the following website: https://jobs.faa.gov/FAACoreCompensation.htm Incomplete Application: Please follow all instructions carefully.

Error or omissions may affect your rating or further consideration for this vacancy. Interviews: Interviews to be conducted in accordance with Collective Bargaining Agreement and/or agency policy. Eligible applicants meeting the minimum qualification requirements and selective factor(s), if applicable, may be further evaluated on the Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA) 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. Links to Important Information: Locality Pay, COLA

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.

Required Documents

Most Recent Standard Form 50 (SF-50) - Notification of Personnel to verify current position of record. (EXCLUDES Monetary/Time Off Awards which do not display Occupational Series, Salary or Career Level/Pay Band). If you are an 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 an FAA employee, you can access and print your SF-50 from the eOPF system https://eopf.opm.gov/dot/.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the salary for the Airport Airspace Specialist (Regional Airport Airspace Specialist) position at Federal Aviation Administration?
The salary range for this position is $101,222 - $156,879/yr. This is a FV-I position on the General Schedule pay scale. Actual pay may vary based on locality adjustments.
Where is the Airport Airspace Specialist (Regional Airport Airspace Specialist) job located?
This position is located in Des Plaines, Illinois. This is an on-site position.
What qualifications do I need?
To qualify for FV-I, you must demonstrate in your application that you possess at least one year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower level FV-H, FG/GS-12. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position...
How do I apply for this position?
Apply through USAJobs.gov by clicking the 'Apply on USAJobs' button. You'll need a USAJobs account, a federal-style resume, and supporting documents. The deadline is Apr 13, 2026.
Is a security clearance required?
No security clearance is required for this position.
What does FV-I mean?
FV-I refers to the General Schedule grade level. Higher grades require more experience and offer higher pay. Visit our GS Pay Scale page for full salary tables by grade and locality.
What benefits do federal employees receive?
Federal employees receive comprehensive benefits including health insurance (FEHB), retirement through FERS, Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) with government matching, paid annual and sick leave, paid parental leave, life insurance, and student loan repayment programs.