Community Planner (Transportation) - Direct Hire

Summary

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.

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Overview

• Accepting applications

• Open & closing dates

05/22/2024 to 11/22/2024

• Salary

$143,736 - $191,900 per year

Salaries reflected on this vacancy announcement will vary based on the duty station of the appointed position.

• Pay scale & grade

GS 15

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Locations

• Juneau, AK

• Wasilla, AK

• Montgomery, AL

• Little Rock, AR

• Show more locations (65)

• Phoenix, AZ

• Clovis, CA

• Los Angeles, CA

• Sacramento, CA

• Grand Junction, CO

• Lakewood, CO

• Hartford, CT

• Washington, DC

• Dover, DE

• Orlando, FL

• Tallahassee, FL

• Atlanta, GA

• Honolulu, HI

• Ames, IA

• Boise, ID

• Chicago, IL

• Matteson, IL

• Springfield, IL

• Indianapolis, IN

• Topeka, KS

• Frankfort, KY

• Baton Rouge, LA

• Location Negotiable After Selection

• Cambridge, MA

• Baltimore, MD

• Augusta, ME

• Lansing, MI

• Saint Paul, MN

• Jefferson City, MO

• Tupelo, MS

• Great Falls, MT

• Helena, MT

• Raleigh, NC

• Bismarck, ND

• Lincoln, NE

• Concord, NH

• Trenton, NJ

• Albuquerque, NM

• Santa Fe, NM

• Carson City, NV

• Henderson, NV

• Albany, NY

• New York, NY

• Columbus, OH

• Oklahoma City, OK

• Salem, OR

• Springfield, OR

• Harrisburg, PA

• Hato Rey, PR

• Providence, RI

• Columbia, SC

• Pierre, SD

• Nashville, TN

• Sevierville, TN

• Austin, TX

• Salt Lake City, UT

• Ashburn, VA

• McLean, VA

• Richmond, VA

• Montpelier, VT

• Olympia, WA

• Vancouver, WA

• Madison, WI

• Charleston, WV

• Cheyenne, WY

• Remote job

No

• Telework eligible

Yes-as determined by the agency policy.

• Travel Required

Occasional travel

• Travel may or may not be required. The amount of travel required varies by position and location.

• Relocation expenses reimbursed

Yes-Varies by position. Recruitment, relocation, or retention incentives (PCS) are determined by the hiring agency and may or may not be authorized.

• Appointment type

Multiple Appointment Types

• Appointment Type varies depending on position (Permanent, Temporary, Term, etc.)

• Work schedule

Multiple Schedules

• Work Schedules vary depending on position (Full-time, Part-time, Intermittent, etc.)

• Service

Competitive

• Promotion potential

15

• Job family (Series)

0020 Community Planning

• Supervisory status

No

• Security clearance

Other

• Drug test

No

• Announcement number

FHWA.BIL-2024-0012

• Control number

792343200

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This job is open to

• Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)

Federal employees who meet the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee.

• The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Clarification from the agency

This announcement serves as a Direct Hire Public Notice to gather resumes. Applications will be accepted from All U.S. Citizens under Direct Hire Authority. The 'Rule of Three', Veterans Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants does not apply to this vacancy. This is not a Bargaining unit position.

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Duties

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.

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Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen & meet specialized experience to qualify

• Submit application and resume online by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date

• Required documents must be submitted by the closing date.

• Direct Hire Authority will be used to fill this position

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

• SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for the Selective Service.
• BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: You may be required to complete a background/security investigation and meet preliminary requirements prior to onboarding.
• POSITION SENSITIVITY AND RISK: Varies by position and will be based on the position to which appointed.
• SECURITY CLEARANCE: Varies by position. If applicable, you must be able to obtain and maintain the appropriate security clearance of the position to which appointed.
• PCS/RELOCATION/RECRUITMENT: Permanent Change of Station (PCS), Relocation, and Recruitment Incentive authorization varies by position/selection and a service agreement may be required.
• PROBATIONARY PERIOD: You must complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed).
• FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE: Varies by position. If applicable, the applicant selected is required to submit a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450) within 30 days of appointment and annually thereafter.
• GOVERNMENT TRAVEL CARD: Travel will vary by position. If the position requires travel, a government contractor-issued travel card will be issued and must be retained for official business only.
• TOUR RENEWAL/HOME LEAVE: Tour renewal and home leave may be offered based on location and position/selection and a service agreement may be required.
• TELEWORK ELIGIBILITY: If approved for occasional telework, you will be required to report to the office on a regular basis. The number of telework days approved is determined by the agency policy, emergency situations, the approval of your immediate supervisor, and if applicable, approval of additional officials.
• REMOTE WORK: This position may be eligible for remote work. If selected for a remote work position, you must have access to high speed internet and cell phone service meeting current agency standards from the approved work location within the Contiguous United State and sign a remote work agreement.

Qualifications

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.

Education

See the Qualifications section for Mandatory Individual Occupational Requirements.

Additional information

Telework availability will be based upon the mission requirements and supervisory determination.

Remote work is an arrangement in which an employee works at an alternative worksite (e.g., from home) and is not expected to report to the office to work. Remote work location will be determined upon/after selection and may affect locality pay.

The difference in salary is determined by the locality pay in each location. Salaries for all areas are available on the OPM website at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/

Nonforeign Area Cost-of-Living Allowances: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/pay-systems/nonforeign-areas/#url=COLA-Rates

If applicable, the agency has the option of extending a term appointment up to the 4-year limit.

This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if similar vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.

Qualified CTAP/ICTAP candidates receive priority and will be referred to the hiring manager.

The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Transportation and its Operating Administrations from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to the Department of Transportation by email at, FairChanceAct@dot.gov. To learn more, please visit our page at: The Fair Chance to Compete Act | US Department of Transportation

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• Benefits

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new window

Learn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

Given our continuing need for professionals in this field, we will routinely review applications and refer candidates for potential interviews multiple times during the open period of the announcement.

When an applicant list is requested for specific location(s) and grade(s), all applications received by that request date for the requested location(s)/grade(s) will be reviewed to determine if the basic qualifications for this position, and grades applied to, are met. Applications that are verified to meet the basic qualifications will be referred to the selecting official(s) for further review and consideration. From that point on the selecting official determines all aspects of the hiring process. If they wish to contact you for an interview or for selection, they will do so directly. Equal consideration will be given to all applications received.

Note that applications received under a direct hire public notice may or may not result in a referral or selection. Also, management has the discretion to select at any grade level announced covered by public notice.

Applicants will not be rated or ranked. Veteran's Preference does NOT apply.

DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE: PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. All answers provided in the on-line process must be substantiated by a resume. Please ensure that your work history provides enough details to support the noted grade specific specialized experience and your answers. If, upon review, it is determined that your resume and/or supporting documents do not support your answer choices, your application may be removed from consideration.

You may preview questions for this vacancy.

• Benefits

Help

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new window

Learn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

• Required Documents

As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.

ALL Applicants must provide a resume that fully supports the required specialized experience and was created within USA Jobs Resume Builder and respond to the vacancy questions by the closing date of the vacancy. Formatted resumes can be uploaded when you arrive at the DOT application system. For assistance with the resume builder, please visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/account/documents/resume/build/

TRANSCRIPTS

• Transcripts are REQUIRED as there is a stated education requirement for the series. The transcripts need not be official, but must show that you meet the stated education requirements, including specific major or class requirements.