About This Position
This position is responsible for providing leadership, program expertise, and technical support for the implementation of Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA's) transportation planning process with an emphasis on planning, programming, and project development.
This position is also responsible for providing technical assistance to FHWA staff, State and local agencies, and other parties in the development and implementation of transportation planning techniques and processes.
Qualifications
To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must meet the mandatory education and specialized experience requirements. To qualify for the Grade 15, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equal or equivalent to the GS-14, it must include: Experience developing or implementing laws, regulations, policies, and/or initiatives as they relate to transportation planning or project development processes at a local, regional, state, or national level; AND Experience representing the organization during public meetings and conferences and addressing programmatic and technical issues and questions raised by a range of stakeholder groups 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 - Knowledge of procedures for assessing, evaluating, and monitoring programs or projects for compliance with Federal laws, regulations, and guidance. Planning and Evaluating - Organizes work, sets priorities, and determines resource requirements; determines short- or long-term goals and strategies to achieve them; coordinates with other organizations or parts of the organization to accomplish goals; monitors progress and evaluates outcomes.
Teaching Others - Helps others learn through formal or informal methods; identifies training needs; provides constructive feedback; coaches others on how to perform tasks; acts as a mentor. 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. 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.
Major Duties
The Community Planner: Advances statewide, metropolitan, and rural transportation planning programs at the State, national, and international levels, including providing input for policy and legislation, developing regulations and guidance, providing training and technical assistance, and administering associated research programs and projects. Serves as a national authoritative advisor for transportation planning and plays a major role in developing and promoting national policies, programs, and procedures on numerous transportation planning and policy issues. Provides guidance to Federal, State and local governments on transportation planning issues.
Identify planning issues and capability gaps using formal evaluations and contacts with professional and stakeholder groups. Develops new program directions and initiatives in response to capability gaps; designs, develops, and directs studies to be undertaken in-house or by outside contractors to resolve these gaps. Evaluates work results and implications with respect to overall transportation planning program objectives and policy implications.
The ideal candidate for this position is a senior level executive who possesses a mastery of transportation planning and project management techniques and an in-depth knowledge of transportation planning processes, guidance, and policy. In addition, the ideal candidate should be an expert public speaker with the ability to communicate effectively with diverse audiences.
Conditions of Employment
CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT: As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may 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.
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: You must complete a 1-year probationary period (unless already completed).
Education
Degree: Community planning; or related field such as urban affairs, architecture, landscape architecture, engineering, sociology, geography, economics, political science, or public administration that included at least 12 semester hours in the planning process, socioeconomic and physical elements of planning, urban and regional economic analysis, and development finance.
Note: Applicants with degrees in related fields, such as those listed above, who do not have the 12 semester hours of specified course work must have had at least 1 year of work experience in community planning acquired under the supervision and guidance of a community planner.
OR
Combination of education and experience: Courses equivalent to a major in one of the above disciplines, or a combination of related courses totaling at least 24 semester hours in any combination of the above disciplines of which at least 12 semester hours were in the planning process, and socioeconomic and physical elements of planning, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
How You Will Be Evaluated
For this announcement, applications will be reviewed to determine if the applicant meets the basic qualifications for this position. The applications of individuals who meet the basic qualifications will be assessed to validate that the applicant possesses the Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) at the level of proficiency needed to perform the job successfully. Applicants who are found to possess the necessary KSAs to perform the job may be referred to the selecting official for further consideration.
This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if similar vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.
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Additional 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, [email protected]. To learn more, please visit our page at: The Fair Chance to Compete Act | US Department of Transportation
How to Apply
You must submit a complete application package (including resume, vacancy questions and supporting documents) no later than 11:59 pm (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: [email protected]
Required Documents
RESUME: In accordance with the OPM memorandum titled Merit Hiring Plan, dated May 29, 2025, resumes with a maximum of two (2) pages in length will be accepted as part of your application. These should be legible and in a readable font size. A determination of your eligibility and/or qualifications will be based only on those two (2) pages.
Your resume MUST contain specific information that can be used to make a qualification determination, including 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.
For assistance with the resume builder, please visit: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to TRANSCRIPTS are REQUIRED as there is a stated education requirement for the series. The transcripts need not be official, but must show that you meet the stated education requirements, including specific major or class requirements. DISPLACED EMPLOYEES: If requesting consideration under the Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or Interagency CTAP program (ICTAP), you must meet the standards for this vacancy 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.
Qualified CTAP/ICTAP candidates receive priority and will be referred to the hiring manager. 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.
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