About This Position
Incumbent serves as developmental Aviation Safety Technician (AST) in a Flight Standards Office providing technical support to Aviation Safety Inspectors (ASl's) and the public. Performs or assists with a wide range of certification, surveillance, and investigation duties requiring research and evaluation in accordance with current FAA safety directives/orders.
Qualifications
To qualify for this position at the FG-8 level, you must demonstrate in your application that you possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to FG/GS-7 level. Specialized experience is: demonstrated accomplishment in practical technical aviation operations, computer skills and knowledge of common software applications, analytical skill, interpersonal skills, and communication skills. Typically preferred candidates will show technical training and/or certification experience applicable to a regulatory aviation environment. To qualify for this position at the FG-9 level, you must demonstrate in your application that you possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to FG/GS-8 level. Specialized experience is: demonstrated accomplishment in practical technical aviation operations; computer skills and knowledge of common software applications; analytical skill; interpersonal skills; and communication skills: experience gathering and compiling aviation safety data; experience analyzing aviation safety information for the purpose of identifying trends; experience preparing technical reports and documents; and experience assisting in aviation investigations such as complaints, occurrences, incidents, accidents and/or violations. Typically preferred candidates will show technical training and/or certification experience applicable to a regulatory aviation environment. Refer to OPM's Operating Manual Qualification Standard at http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/standards/group-stds/gs-cler.asp . Qualifications must be met by the closing date of the announcement. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility or consideration for employment. 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 external announcements. Therefore, as an applicant for this external 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 KSA or Other Factors, 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. 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.
Major Duties
Technical Administration Provides technical knowledge and support to aviation safety inspectors, the general public, stakeholders, and airmen regarding a wide variety of aviation-related topics. Extracts safety data and information from FAA records to identify trends for items that affect aviation safety and enters technical findings in agency approved databases. This individual will provide technical assistance and/or support with certification, surveillance, investigation, and/or enforcement, examples include, but are not limited to: Certification Support • Provides technical support to ASl's during certification of operators and air agencies. • Reviews airmen certification files, submitted by designees for accuracy. • Reviews inspection authorization files for renewal eligibility. • Conducts Operational Color Vision Tests. • Reviews designee management system to determine renewal eligibility. • Compiles data for technical reports. Surveillance Support • Assists ASI's with surveillance of aviation events. • Assists in drafting and issuing waivers and authorizations. Investigation Support • Drafts Enforcement Investigative Reports (EIR) for review and final approval by an ASI. • Acts as the Point of Contact (POC) for safety assets (PPE) related to accident investigations. Enforcement Support Incumbent will be responsible for enforcement functions including: conducting violations, voluntary disclosure, suspect illegal charters, incidents, navigation and altitude deviation investigations. Other • Provides technical support for special inspections, including a variety of the functions described in the previous paragraphs. • May conduct meetings or portions of meetings in support of technical work functions. • Prepares technical correspondence in support of assigned work functions. • Provides administrative support and project tracking utilizing required computer software.
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 Interview: If the Agency decides to interview any qualified employee on the selection list, then all on the list who are qualified must be interviewed. If your application does not contain sufficient information to make a qualifications determination, your application will be considered "INCOMPLETE" and you will not be referred for consideration. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure the required information is clearly stated in your application package. Please make sure your series, grades, position titles etc. are shown in each resume work history. Applicants must apply on-line to receive consideration for this vacancy announcement. Faxes, mailed or emailed applications will not be accepted. You may be asked to verify information on your application for employment with the FAA. Promotion potential to the FG-09 Level: Identification of promotion in the vacancy announcement does not constitute a commitment or an obligation on the part of management to promote the employee selected at some future date. Promotion will depend upon the selectee meeting training, qualification requirements, and recommendation by the supervisor. 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. We strongly encourage applicants to utilize the USAJOBS resume builder in the creation of resumes. 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. Please see this guide, Document Upload Guide, for more information on uploading and re-using the documents in your applications.
Required Documents
SF50 - Documents must be uploaded on or before the closing date of this announcement. 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 Aviation Safety Technician position at Federal Aviation Administration?
The salary range for this position is $56,102 - $80,559/yr. This is a FG-8/9 position on the General Schedule pay scale. Actual pay may vary based on locality adjustments.
Where is the Aviation Safety Technician job located?
This position is located in Reno, Nevada. This is an on-site position.
What qualifications do I need?
To qualify for this position at the FG-8 level, you must demonstrate in your application that you possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to FG/GS-7 level. Specialized experience is: demonstrated accomplishment in practical technical aviation operations, computer skills and knowledge of common software applications, analyt...
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 Mar 6, 2026.
Is a security clearance required?
No security clearance is required for this position.
What does FG-8/9 mean?
FG-8/9 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.