Job Description:

Incumbent serves as developmental Aviation Safety Technician (AST) in a Flight Standards Office providing technical support to Aviation Safety Inspectors (ASls) 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.

Duties

Tasks are performed following prescribed or established procedures to assist inspectors, investigators, and Flight Standards program officials in their fact-finding or program administration responsibilities and requires basic evaluative judgment. The work performed falls primarily in one of the following categories:

(1) Inspections where determinations are based on visual or other specific inspection techniques and are made based on relatively clear-cut considerations such as the presence or absence of required documents or the obvious physical condition of an item or premises. These inspections are governed by specific procedures and serve as bases for action by compliance program officials. Typically, such work includes both initial and follow-up inspections including obtaining samples and performing well-established field tests, if appropriate.

(2) Technical support to inspections or investigations such as searching for, gathering, screening, and providing factual information or explanations related to the subject of an inspection or investigation or to the compliance program itself. These tasks are performed following prescribed or established procedures to assist compliance inspectors, investigators, and program officials in their fact finding or program administration responsibilities. The work includes activities such as obtaining background information on subjects of inspections or investigations by means of record searches, structured interviews, automated information retrieval, telephone inquiries, or correspondence; providing information to authorized persons concerning the status of particular
investigations; explaining licensing or other requirements, including exceptions or exemptions, to persons or organizations subject to regulations; compiling final investigative reports with necessary exhibits; and maintaining required administrative reports on topics such as manpower, case load, and case status.

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 ASls 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 AS Is with surveillance of aviation events.
• Assists in drafting and issuing waivers and authorizations.

Investigation Support
• Drafts Enforcement Investigative Reports (ETR) for review and final approval by an ASL
• 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.

Job Requirements:

Requirements Conditions of Employment

US Citizenship is required.
Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
In-grade/downgrade applications will be accepted.
Security Requirement: Moderate Risk (5). This position requires completion and favorable adjudication of a background investigation prior to appointment, unless a waiver is obtained. Subject to a 5 year period reinvestigation.
This announcement is also being advertised under VA #ASW-FS-24-BB562-92470. Please review both vacancy announcements before making application to determine your eligibility to apply. Only one candidate
will be selected between both announcements.
This position may be filled at the FG-8 or FG-9 at the discretion of management.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position at the FG-8 grade, you must demonstrate in your application that you possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the FG/GS-7 level. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position and is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been at least equivalent to the next lower level in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.

Specialized experience includes experience extracting data, gathering/researching information, assisting in investigative type work and drafting technical documents. Typically preferred candidates will show technical training and/or certification experience applicable to a regulatory aviation environment.

To qualify at the FG-9 grade level, you must demonstrate in your application that you possess at least one year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the (FG/GS-8) level. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position and is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been at least equivalent to the next lower level in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.

Specialized experience includes 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 conducting or 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.

Qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this vacancy announcement.

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 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.

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 priority grouping and referred to the selecting official for consideration.

Education

Education may not be substituted for experience at this grade level.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

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.

Required Documents

If you are requesting consideration for any of the special hiring authorities, you must submit the following documentation:

Veterans' Recruitment Appointment: You must submit a DD 214, Certificate of Discharge (Member 4 copy is preferred). Applicants claiming 10-point preference must provide supporting documentation as required by form SF-15 such as, an official statement, dated 1991 or later, from the Department of Veterans Affairs or from a branch of the Armed Forces, certifying to the present existence of the veteran's service-connected disability before preference is awarded.

Persons with Disabilities and Persons with Targeted Disabilities Appointment: You must provide proof of disability documentation (i.e. Schedule A Letter) that:
1. May be a letter or other documentation on official stationery/letterhead with an official signature.
2. Clearly states that you are eligible for appointment under the PWD/PWTD hiring authority or a Schedule A appointment authority as outlined in 5 CFR Section 213.3102(u).
3. Does not need to detail the specific disability, medical history, or need for accommodation.

CONTINUED IN "HOW TO APPLY SECTION"

All Veterans: If you are claiming veterans' preference, you must submit either a DD Form 214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (Member 4 Copy or equivalent), or a document from the armed forces certifying that within 120 days you are expected to be discharged or released from active duty service under honorable conditions. If you are claiming 10 point preference, you must also submit a completed SF-15, Application for 10-Point Veteran's Preference, and supporting documents outlined on the SF-15. Documents must be uploaded or faxed to the Servicing Human Resource Management Office listed in this announcement and all documents must be received by the closing date of the announcement. If you fail to submit documentation, you will be assessed as a non-veteran.

If you are claiming 10 point preference but fail to submit the supporting documents outlined on the SF-15, you will be tentatively assessed as a 5 point preference eligible provided your DD Form 214 reflects that you have the service required to qualify for preference. Documents must be uploaded or faxed to the Servicing Human Resource Management Office listed in this announcement and all documents must be received by the closing date of the announcement. If you fail to submit documentation, you will be assessed as a non-veteran.

Veterans currently on active duty claiming veterans' preference: You will be granted tentative preference if you submit a document from the armed forces certifying that within 120 days you are expected to be discharged or released from active duty service under honorable conditions and your application shows that you have the required service. Prior to being appointed, you must provide to the Servicing Human Resource Management Office a DD Form 214 documenting discharge/release and showing that the service was honorable or general. If you are on terminal leave, you must provide documentation certifying authorized terminal leave.

If you want consideration for one or more of the Special Hiring Authorities, documentation that must be submitted at time of application can be found at Direct Hiring Authorities | Federal Aviation Administration (faa.gov).

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

Job Ident #: 811683600

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