Railroad Safety Specialist – DIRECT HIRE

To be qualified for a Railroad Safety Specialist, 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 13, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-12, it must include: Experience applying Federal regulations and standards of at least one of the six disciplines and basic knowledge of another discipline: Track, Signal & Train Control, Hazmat, Operating Practice, Motive Power & Equipment, Grade Crossing & trespass prevention. Experience conducting special investigations (including accident investigations) and inspections involving railroad rail and components to obtain determination of cause and produce useful and accurate results. Experience preparing technical reports, narratives, and correspondence regarding railroad rail and components. To qualify for the Grade 14, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-13, it must include: Experience leading and/or conducting analyses of Railroad safety statistical data and performing analytical investigations or special studies to make policy/program recommendations. Experience working on a team, task force, or committee that includes industry officials, labor unions, the public and state and local governments to develop practical solutions and/or recommendations to persistent complex problems pertaining Railroad Track issues. Experience leading special investigations (including accident investigations) and inspections involving railroad rail and components to obtain determination of cause and produce useful and accurate results. 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. Hazardous Materials: Practical knowledge of the typical reactions of different hazardous commodities to various environmental conditions and of safe procedures for containing or controlling fires, leaks, or explosions of these materials; Knowledge of the construction, testing, and retesting of containers used to ship hazardous materials by rail; and Knowledge of Federal regulations and standards governing the shipment of hazardous materials by rail, including containerization, loading, handling, documentation, and placarding. Track: Knowledge of railroad track system construction, maintenance, testing, or inspection techniques; Knowledge of the capabilities and limitations of various track system configurations; and Knowledge of Federal railroad track safety standards. Signals and Train Control: Knowledge of the design, installation, maintenance, testing, or inspection of signal and train control systems and their capabilities and limitations; Knowledge of applicable Federal laws and regulations pertaining to railroad signaling and train control systems; and Knowledge of locomotive braking systems and their relationship to and interface with train control or automatic train stop systems and braking distances. Operating Practices: Knowledge of railroad operating practices, rules, and procedures, especially as they relate to safety issues; and Knowledge of Federal regulations and standards relating to railroad operations and requirements in such areas as hours of service, accident reporting, blue signal protection of workers, rear end markers, radio communication, railroad employee qualifications, and railroad employee testing. Motive Power and Equipment: Knowledge of the design, maintenance, or inspection of various types of locomotive and freight cars currently in use and their capabilities and limitations; 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: Compliance – Knowledge of procedures for assessing, evaluating, and monitoring programs or projects for compliance with Federal laws, regulations, and guidance. 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. Organizational Performance Analysis – Knowledge of the methods, techniques, and tools used to analyze program, organizational, and mission performance; includes methods that deliver key performance information (for example, comparative, trend, diagnostic, root cause, predictive) used to inform decisions, actions, communications, and accountability systems. Problem Solving – Identifies problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives, and to make recommendations. 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. Self-Management – Sets well-defined and realistic personal goals; displays a high level of initiative, effort, and commitment towards completing assignments in a timely manner; works with minimal supervision; is motivated to achieve; demonstrates responsible behavior. 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.
These positions are located in the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Office of Railroad Safety (RRS). The Office of Safety promotes and regulates safety throughout the Nations railroad industry. The office executes its regulatory and inspection responsibilities through a diverse staff of railroad safety experts.