Supervisory Railroad Safety Specialist (Track)

Salary: $106,437.00 to $159,575.00 Per Year

The Supervisory Railroad Safety Specialist (Track) works for the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Office of Safety. The FRA Office of Safety promotes and regulates safety throughout the Nation's railroad industry. This position serves as the regional expert responsible for the interpretation and administration of FRA regulations and procedures concerning railroad Track Safety Standards and Roadway Workplace Safety for railroads located within the district boundaries assigned.

Major duties

As a Supervisory Railroad Safety Specialist (Track), you will: Plan and assign work to employees and establish priorities. Develop ways to improve the quality and/or quantity of work produced. Provide technical advice and guidance on track standards and practices to Railroad Safety Inspectors assigned to the district to promote uniform understanding and application of laws, rules, and regulations. Keep their inspectors informed on the latest changes and new developments in track regulations and new legislation affecting the railroad industry. The Supervisory Railroad Safety Specialist directs and guides Railroad Safety Inspectors in the examination of various railroad records and reports to monitor compliance with applicable regulations and laws. Review and evaluate the technical work of employees. Review inspector's violations and inspection reports for correctness and completeness and determines if the information contained in their reports is sufficient for successful prosecution if the report is submitted to Chief Council's Office. Review complaint investigation reports, waiver reports, and accident reports for accuracy, completeness, and conformity to FRA policies and procedures. Furnish information to higher headquarters representatives on these technical reports. Provide leadership to inspectors for achieving the objectives of the Track Division's Inspection Plan. Give guidance, as needed, on obtaining and analyzing safety database statistics used to develop and update the Plan and on completing Plan action items, such as task force inspections and focused safety activities. The ideal candidate for this position is a mission-focused senior-level professional who has experience providing guidance, interpretation, and enforcement of Federal Railroad Administration regulations and procedures concerning railroad track safety standards, and roadway workplace safety for railroads located within a specific territory, with excellent leadership skills.

Qualifications

To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must meet the specialized experience qualifications. To be qualified for a Supervisory Railroad Safety Specialist (Track), the Qualifications Standards states you MUST have demonstrated knowledge in 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. Knowledge of railroad track system construction, maintenance, testing, or inspection techniques. Knowledge of the capabilities and limitations of various track system configurations. Knowledge of Federal railroad track safety standards. In addition, to qualify for the Grade 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) involving Railroad Track and Railroad Workplace Safety. Experience analyzing information obtained during the conducting of inspections to ensure compliance with track safety standards. Experience preparing technical reports, narratives, and/or correspondence pertaining to railroad track safety inspections and/or investigations. 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: 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. 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. Decision Making - Makes sound, well-informed, and objective decisions; perceives the impact and implications of decisions; commits to action, even in uncertain situations, to accomplish organizational goals; causes change. Written Communication - Writes in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience. 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.