Air Traffic Control Specialist – Trainee

Federal Aviation Administration - Department of Transportation

All candidates must meet ONE of the following FIVE minimum qualifications for the position, as outlined below. Additional Pool eligibilities are required based on specific Pool election. Please read this section carefully and contact Aviation Careers with any questions prior to the vacancy closing date. 1. TO QUALIFY BASED ON WORK EXPERIENCE: applicants must document 1 year of full time (40 hours per week) work experience; part time will be pro-rated based on a 40-hour work week. 2. TO QUALIFY BASED UPON EDUCATION: applicants must document a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor’s degree. An associate degree alone does not meet the minimum requirement, see #3 below. Schools must be accredited as recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and copies of the transcript official/unofficial which includes the name of the institution, semester or quarter hours earned and/or confer date at time of application. CTI: To be eligible for Pool 1 your transcript must reflect the confer date and you must also provide the Official CTI Endorsement Letter at time of application. 2024 FALL SEMESTER GRADUATES – you must provide current transcripts (official or unofficial) and will be required to provide final transcripts reflecting degree earned and confer date prior to any offer of employment, if selected. Additionally, CTI – 2024 Fall Semester graduates will be required to provide the official endorsement letter with official transcripts, if selected. *Please note, an Official Endorsement Letter is not a personal recommendation. 3. TO QUALIFY BASED UPON THE COMBINATION OF BOTH WORK EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION: The applicant’s total qualifying experience time is converted to a percentage, then the education time is converted to a percentage. The combined percentages must equal 100%. At the undergraduate level, successfully completed education that has not led to possession of a bachelor’s degree is credited based on its relationship to 120 semester hours or 180 quarter hours. Example: Candidates with an associate degree must also have some work experience to meet this combination requirement. Transcripts are required at application submission for verification purposes with exceptions for 2024 Fall Semester graduates. 4. TO QUALIFY BASED ON SPECIALIZED WORK EXPERIENCE AS AN AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL SPECIALIST: applicants qualifying based on specialized experience must provide supporting documentation that verifies this requirement has been met (e.g., FAA certificate, military certificate or training record). 5. TO QUALIFY BASED ON ALTERNATIVE REQUIREMENTS: applicants must provide supporting documentation that verifies at least one of the following alternative requirements are met: a. Do you hold or have held an appropriate facility rating and have actively controlled air traffic in civilian or military air traffic control terminals or centers? b. Do you hold or have held an FAA certificate as a dispatcher for an air carrier? c. Do you hold or have held an instrument flight rating? d. Do you hold or have held an FAA certificate as a navigator or have been fully qualified as a Navigator/Bombardier in the Armed Forces? e. Do you have 350 hours of flight time as a copilot or higher and hold or have held a private certificate or equivalent Armed Forces rating? f. Have you served as a rated Aerospace Defense Command Intercept Director? Successful candidates must be able to speak English clearly enough to be understood over radios, intercoms, and similar communications equipment. Minimum qualifications required for all positions; additional eligibilities required based on Pool election. APPLICANT POOLS: POOL 1 – ELIGIBILITY: Applicants MUST meet one of the following criteria (1, 2, OR 3) listed below, and MUST provide supporting documentation in order to be eligible for consideration in Pool 1. 1. A graduate from an institution participating in the Collegiate Training Initiative (CTI) program, and who has received from the institution an appropriate recommendation (i.e., official endorsement letter). MUST SUBMIT: (1) official/unofficial transcripts showing degree confer date AND (2) the official endorsement letter from the school. All supporting documentation must be received prior to the closing date of this vacancy. * If you are a 2024 Fall Semester graduate, you must provide a current transcript and will be required to provide the official endorsement letter and final transcript reflecting degree earned with confer date prior to any offer of employment, if selected. 2. A Veteran eligible for a Veterans Recruitment Appointment (VRA) pursuant to Section 4214 of Title 38 and can provide a Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty within 120 days from the announcement closing. 3. An eligible Veteran maintaining aviation experience obtained in the course of their military experience and/or entitled to Veterans’ Preference (must meet eligibility requirements in section 2108 of Title 5, United States Code) and can provide a Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty within 120 days from the announcement closing. NOTE for 2 & 3: Applicable Veterans MUST SUBMIT a DD-214 with character of service in block 24, OR written documentation (certification) from your branch of service certifying that you are expected to be discharged or released from active duty under honorable conditions no later than 120 days after the closing date this announcement. Applicants who are not within 120 days of separation will be assessed as non-preference eligibles. Veterans Recruitment Appointment (VRA) eligible applicants: Disabled Veterans; or Veterans who served on active duty in the Armed Forces during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized; or Veterans who, while serving on active duty in the Armed Forces, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces Service Medal was awarded; or Recently separated Veterans (defined as; within the last 3 years). Veterans claiming eligibility on the basis of service in a campaign or expedition for which a medal was awarded must be in receipt of the campaign badge or medal. In addition to meeting the criteria above, eligible Veterans must have been separated under honorable conditions, or general discharge. Please also see section ‘All Veterans’ at the bottom of this vacancy announcement, for further documentation requirements for Veterans. POOL 2 – ELIGIBILITY: Pool 2 applicants are all other U.S. Citizens who do not meet the requirements for Pool 1, OR Pool 1 eligibles who elect to be considered for Pool 2. Pool 2 applicants may not apply for Pool 1 unless they meet the eligibility requirements outlined for Pool 1. If eligible for Pool 1, may elect consideration for Pool 2; but not both. Regardless of Pool election, all candidates qualifying based on education must provide official transcripts reflecting degree earned and confer date prior to prior to offer of employment, if selected for the position (this includes CTI). Prior graduates must provide official or unofficial transcripts at the time of application. Fall semester 2024 graduates will be required to provide current transcripts, and official copies prior to any employment offer, if selected. Age Requirements: A maximum age of 30 years is established for initial entry into air traffic control positions (2152 series) covered by Public Law 92-297. Persons who have reached their 31st birthday may not be appointed to these positions. You must be under age 31 as of the vacancy closing date. If experience was gained as a civilian ATCS with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) or Department of Defense (DOD), you must have been hired prior to age 31 and provide supporting documentation (copies of SF-50 personnel actions). Please see the Required Documents section for further information regarding supporting documentation requirements.
Air Traffic Control Trainee This is a developmental Air Traffic Control Specialist (ATCS) position responsible for the safe, orderly, and expeditious movement of air traffic through the nations airspace. Developmental controllers receive a wide range of training in controlling and separating live air traffic within designated airspace at and around an airport traffic Control Tower or Radar Approach control facility, or En Route traffic control center.

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