Duties

Summary

The Regulations and Analysis Division, develops, manages, and executes the AST Rulemaking Program and the AST Tools and Analysis Program. Under the Tools and Analysis Program, the Regulations and Analysis Division conducts launch vehicle quantitative and qualitative analyses such as flight safety analyses, system safety analyses, and other specific types of risk analyses that address public safety.

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Responsibilities

Serves as a System Safety Engineer applying experience and advanced knowledge of aerospace engineering principles, theories, and concepts applicable to aerospace engineering to accomplish assignments and to develop plans and techniques to improve programs and policies. Provides technical support and performs technical reviews of the systems safety program. Understands the objectives of the LOB when developing, integrating, and implementing solutions to diverse, complex problems sufficient to identify and evaluate mitigation of potential software hazards associated with public safety in support of launch and reentry vehicle operations, as well as the reliability of critical systems and components, flight trajectories, policies and procedures, and safety personnel and organization. Analyzes and evaluates the safety and reliability of aerospace vehicles, systems and/or components.

Applies advanced knowledge of aerospace engineering principles and system safety organization in order to evaluate applicant's methods and approaches for understanding, assessing and validating the safety and reliability of software in safety-critical applications associated with public safety. Conducts system safety analyses related to space flight systems and operations.

Uses knowledge of commercial space transportation systems, or other complex aerospace systems to update Division policy and procedures governing system safety as directed, and makes recommendations for changes needed to keep policy and procedures up to date. Keeps pace with or recommends new system safety analysis tools and techniques applicable to commercial launch and reentry vehicles. Interprets principles of system safety and risk assessment to ensure compliance with appropriate standards (e.g., DO-178C, MIL-STD-882E, ANSI-STD-0010); and safety analysis principles to effectively determine public safety requirements for launch and re-entry hazards and risks.

Supports Division efforts in the development of regulatory requirements and technical guidance documents for commercial space transportation. Established policies/procedures, which provide guidance for most assignments, but allows considerable discretion to select the most appropriate approach or to recommend new approaches. Most assignments require solutions that are derived at by interpreting and extrapolating from situations that were faced in the past. Will provide recommendations to improve work processes.

Provides guidance to lower-level staff to solve difficult technical issues. Resolves all but unique technical problems with minimal intervention of management or a more experienced engineer. Identifies and informs management of problems that require their attention. Often develops and recommends techniques to address problem situations.

Work is reviewed periodically, typically at major milestones and at completion, for technical compliance and alignment with the requirements of project or other work activity. Work activities typically support and may be vital to the success of projects or activities of one or more organizational units, subdivisions, and LOBs/SOs. The work also affects the safety and security of the uninvolved public.

Travel Required

25% or less - The job may require up to 25% travel.

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
NA

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• US Citizenship is required.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must submit an SF50 (See Required Documents)
• Designated or Random Drug Testing required.
• This position has a positive education requirement. Transcript(s) required.
• Some, all, or none of the referred candidates may be interviewed.

Qualifications

• Applicants must demonstrate at least one year (52 weeks) of SPECIALIZED experience equivalent to the next lower grade/pay band (FG/GS-11/12/FV-H) in the Federal government. Specialized experience is defined as that which has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities required to successfully perform the duties of the position, and is typically in or directly related to the line of work of the position to be filled.

Specialized Experience is defined as:

• experience related to the design, development and evaluation of launch vehicles;
• conducting various safety analyses related to commercial space flight systems and operations; OR
• applying investigative techniques and procedures related to launch/reentry operations.

You should include relevant examples of the specialized experience in your work history. Errors or omissions may impact your rating or may result in you not being considered.

Answer all questions to the best of your ability. DO NOT ASSUME THAT BECAUSE YOU HOLD, OR HAVE HELD THIS POSITION, YOU WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE FOUND ELIGIBLE. You may be asked to provide evidence or documentation that you have this type of experience later in the selection process. Your responses are subject to verification through job interviews, or any other information obtained during the application process. Any exaggeration of your experience or any attempt to conceal information can result in disqualification.

*Applicants who fail to demonstrate possession of any of the above criteria AND who do not provide the required documentation will receive no further consideration for this position.*

Applicants may be asked to verify information on your application for employment with the FAA.

**All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this vacancy announcement.**

Eligible applicants meeting the minimum qualification requirements and/or selective placement factor(s) (SPF) may be further evaluated on the Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA) and/or Quality Ranking Factor (QRF) listed in the announcement. Based on this evaluation, applicants will be placed in one of the following categories: (1) score order; (2) category grouping; or (3) alphabetical, and referred to the selecting official for selection consideration.

Education

This position has a positive education requirement: Applicants must submit a copy of their college or university transcripts(s) and certificates by the closing date of announcement to verify qualifications. If selected, an official transcript will be required prior to appointment. You may upload these documents with your application in USAJOBS or fax it to fax number provided in the announcement (please include announcement number on each page).

Failure to do so will result in loss of consideration.

Schools must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Accreditation may be verified at the following website: www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html .

Foreign education must be evaluated by a private professional organization specializing in interpretation of foreign education credentials or an accredited U.S. educational institution in terms of equivalence to a degree acquired at an American college or university. A copy of the evaluation results must be included, otherwise your foreign education will not be considered.

Basic Requirements : A. Successful completion of a full four-year professional engineering curriculum leading to a bachelor's or higher degree in engineering in an accredited college or university. To be acceptable the curriculum must: (1) be in a school of engineering with at least one curriculum accredited by the ABET as a professional engineering curriculum; or (2) include differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced than first-year physics and chemistry) in five of the following seven areas of engineering science or physics: (a) statics, dynamics; (b) strength of materials (stress-strain relationships); (c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (d) thermodynamics; (e) electrical fields and circuits; (f) nature and properties of materials (relating particle and aggregate structure to properties); (g) any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics; OR,

ALTERNATIVE REQUIREMENTS : B. Combination of education and experience -- college-level education, training, and/or technical experience that furnished (1) a thorough knowledge of the physical and mathematical sciences underlying professional engineering, and (2) a good understanding, both theoretical and practical, of the engineering sciences and techniques and their applications to one of the branches of engineering. The adequacy of such background must be demonstrated by one of the following:

• Professional registration: Current registration as a professional engineer by any State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico;
• Written Test: Evidence of having successfully passed the Engineer-in-Training (EIT) examination, or the written test required for professional registration, which is administered by the Boards of Engineering Examiners in the various States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico;
• Specified academic courses: Successful completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences and in engineering that included the courses specified in the basic requirements. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of a professional engineering curriculum as described in paragraph A;
• Related curriculum: - Successful completion of a curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree in engineering technology or in an appropriate professional field, e.g., physics, chemistry, architecture, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, or geology, may be accepted in lieu of a degree in engineering, provided the applicant has had at least 1 year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance.
• If you are a current or former Federal employee, and you currently hold or previously held a position classified in the 800 occupational series, you are not required to submit a college transcript provided you upload a copy of the SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, verifying your classification in the 800 occupational series.
• Applicants, who are not currently in the 800 occupational series in the Federal Government and fail to provide a copy of an unofficial or official transcript will not receive further consideration for this vacancy. Upon selection, if not currently employed in the 800 occupational series, you will be required to submit an official transcript prior to appointment. If you do not have an official transcript (original, with the raised seal), you should contact your school immediately to request it.
  Foreign Education: For additional information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html .
  

Preview Job Questionnaire
Make sure your resume includes detailed information to support your qualifications and answers to the job questionnaire.

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.

This position is covered by the Department of Transportation's Drug and Alcohol Testing Program. Any applicant tentatively selected for this position will be subject to pre-employment or pre-appointment drug screening. Persons occupying a "testing designated position (TDP)" will be subject to random drug and/or alcohol testing.

NOTES:

1) As a part of the Federal-Wide Hiring Reform Initiative (streamlining the hiring process), the FAA is committed to eliminating the use of Knowledge, Skills and Ability (KSA) narratives from the initial application in the hiring process for all announcements. Therefore, as an applicant, 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 section, 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.

2) This position is covered by the FAA Core Compensation Plan. Additional information about core compensation is available on the website: http://jobs.faa.gov/FAACORECompensation.htm.

3) This Level 2 (Non-Critical Sensitive; Secret) position requires favorable adjudication of an Access National Agency Check and Inquiries (ANACI) background investigation prior to appointment, unless a waiver is obtained.

4) AFSCME Interview Criteria: Article 42, Section 13 states: If the selecting official decides to interview any employee on the selection list for a vacancy, then all who remain under consideration for the position at that point in the process must be interviewed. If the selection list is shortened to a best qualified list through a comparative process, then the best qualified list shall be considered to be the selection list. If it is determined that interviews are required and telephone interviews are not utilized, travel expenses incidental to these interviews will be paid in accordance with the Agency's travel regulations and this Agreement.

5)This announcement is also being advertised under VA #AWA-AST-19-0005SB-63445. Please review both vacancy announcements before making application to determine your eligibility to apply.

This is a bargaining unit position.

Links to Important Information: Locality Pay , COLA

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.

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Secret

Drug test required
Yes

Required Documents

ALL applicants MUST submit the following:
(1) resume with complete work history; and

(2) a copy of your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action).

For guidance on how to create a Federal resume, visit http://www.archives.gov/careers/jobs/forms/resume-guide.pdf.

Failure to submit all required documents by the closing date will result in a finding of ineligible. We are not responsible for incomplete, illegible or missing documents.

Please DO NOT email your application documents. We cannot accept documents received via the email system. Documents sent via email will NOT receive consideration.

Applicants claiming eligibility for the Expanded Veterans Hiring Opportunity (EVHO), MUST submit a DD Form 214 reflecting character of service to verify eligibility by the closing date of the announcement as requested by the Human Resource Office. Eligibility for EVHO will be considered based on applicable documentation submitted by the closing date.
This position has a positive education requirement; college transcripts are required for ALL candidates newly appointed to the FAA in the 0800 (Engineering) series.

College transcripts must be submitted from current FAA employees applying for internal vacancies if they have never held a position in the 0800 (Engineering) series with the FAA.

College transcripts are not required from current FAA employees who are currently occupying an 0800 (Engineering) series.

If selected, official transcripts are required prior to employment.

If you are a current or former Federal employee (including a current 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 a current Federal employee and need a current copy of your SF-50, please contact your personnel office. If you are an FAA employee, you can access and print your SF-50 from the eOPF system https://eopf.opm.gov/dot/ . If you are a former Federal employee, you can obtain a copy of your SF-50 by writing the National Personnel Records Center Annex, 1411 Boulder Boulevard, Valmeyer, IL 62295. Additional information is available from this link: http://www.archives.gov/st-louis/civilian-personnel/ .

Expanded Veterans Hiring Opportunity (EVHO) are thoseveterans who are honorably discharged from the Armed Forces after completing at least three (3) years of continuous active service.Applicants claiming eligibility for EVHO, MUST submit a DD Form 214 reflecting character of service to verify eligibility by the closing date of the announcement as requested by the Human Resource Office. Eligibility for EVHO will be considered based on applicable documentation submitted by the closing date.

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.