This position is responsible for providing leadership, program expertise and technical support for the implementation of Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA’s) Planning program with an emphasis on transportation 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.
As a Community Planner, you will:
- Be responsible for coordinating work efforts within FHWA, USDOT, Census Bureau, other federal agencies, national cooperative programs, universities, State DOTs, and local government agencies. Represent the FHWA and the Federal Government to outside agencies and stakeholders as an authoritative source on Transportation Planning.
- Structure and guide research programs and projects to build understanding and advance Transportation Planning programs of states and MPOs. Develop programs and strategies to deploy innovative data collection and analysis capabilities for use by FHWA, FTA, EPA, States and local planning agencies.
- Provide authoritative guidance to Federal, State and local governments on Transportation Planning issues. Identify program issues and capability gaps using formal evaluations and contacts with professional and stakeholder groups. Develop 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 program objectives and policy implications.
The ideal candidate 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.
To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must (1) meet the Education Requirement for the series (A or B), (2) provide a copy of transcripts for verification, AND (3) meet the grade specific qualifications for the grade.
(1) All applicants must meet one of the mandatory requirements below to qualify for applying to a position under series 0020:
A. 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
B. 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.
(2) Upload the appropriate document(s) to your application for verification purposes.
(3) Specialized Experience: To determine which grade(s) you may be eligible for, review the following grade specific details. You will be asked a few questions as part of your application but make sure to verify how you meet this experience in your resume or you may be deemed ineligible.
For the GS-15:You qualify for this grade level if you have at least one year of specialized experience, equal or equivalent to the GS-14 grade level, which included:
- 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
Although you must meet the mandatory education requirement for the series, you cannot qualify for GS-12 and above grades based solely on education, you must meet the specialized experience for each grade, which is cited above.
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.
- Public Planning - Knowledge of functions, principles, methods, and techniques of public planning, including those related to community planning, outdoor recreation planning, and natural resource management, such as demand forecasting, environmental impact analysis, financial forecasting, and land use planning and zoning.
- External Awareness (‡) - Understands and keeps up-to-date on local, national, and international policies and trends that affect the organization and shape stakeholders' views; is aware of the organization's impact on the external environment.
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
Applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.