Supervisory Railroad Safety Specialist (MPE)

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Office of Railroad Infrastructure and Mechanical, Motive Power and Equipment (MP&E) Division is responsible for the interpretation and administration of FRA regulations and procedures concerning car and locomotive equipment, including running gear, underframes, car bodies, safety appliances, power brake systems, locomotive engines, car and locomotive noise emissions, fire safety, and related areas.

To be qualified for a Supervisory Railroad Safety Specialist (MPE), you MUST have demonstrated knowledge in ALL of the following areas:

• Knowledge of the railroad industry, including economic and operating considerations and equipment.
• Knowledge of the general safety and health principles and practices applicable to the railroad industry.
• Knowledge of railroad accident investigation techniques.
• Skill in written and oral communication.

To qualify for the grade GS-13, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-12, it must include:

• Experience conducting special investigations (including accident investigations and inspections) involving Railroad Motive Power and Equipment and Railroad Workplace Safety.
• Experience applying federal safety regulations (such as Title 49 CFR), safety standards, and/or statutory laws associated with motive power and equipment.
• Experience preparing technical reports, narratives, and/ or correspondence regarding railroad safety.

In addition, applicants for specialist positions must demonstrate possession of the knowledge, skills, and abilities for the specialization for which application is made to the degree required by the position. Only those elements required by the position to be filled, as identified below, will be used in evaluating candidates' specialized experience.

• Knowledge of the design, maintenance, or inspection of various types of locomotive and freight cars currently in use and their capabilities and limitations; AND
• Knowledge of the installation, maintenance, or testing of railroad safety appliances and power brakes, their capabilities and limitations; AND
• Knowledge of the applicable Federal laws and regulations pertaining to inspection and testing of locomotives, freight cars, safety appliances, and power brakes.

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:

1. Compliance -Knowledge of procedures for assessing, evaluating, and monitoring programs or projects for compliance with Federal laws, regulations, and guidance.
2. Accident Investigation- Knowledge of guidelines, regulations, and procedures associated with an Accident investigation including preservation of accident scene, root cause analysis, and evidence detection and handling.
3. Problem Solving - Identifies problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives, and to make recommendations.
4. 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.

Salary : $106,437