Summary This position serves as a senior Civil Engineer and lead project engineer for the Office of Airports (ARP), SEA District Office in the ANM Region, in support of the Airport Improvement Program (AIP). Serves as the principal Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) organization responsible for all airport program matters in airport design, construction, maintenance, operations and safety. Responsibilities Serve as an Airports District Office (ADO) principal technical expert on the Airports Division's airport development projects. Oversees each project for compliance with applicable statutory and regulatory requirements, (i.e. Advisory Circulars, Orders, Guidance, and Grant Assurances). Evaluate comments on engineering design drawings, specifications, construction safety, and phasing plans for compliance with established requirements. Participate in pre-design, preconstruction and construction meetings to ensure conformance with FAA approved project documents. Provide advice on development projects to ensure FAA regulations, standards, and guidance is being met. Provide technical direction, advice and guidance to ADO staff. Visit airports and current and proposed construction sites to observe construction progress and perform construction inspections. Determine solutions to problems encountered. Ensure acceptable levels of safety are provided and if necessary, provide guidance and professional assistance to bring an airport to standards. Analyze and evaluate status/project closeout reports, findings, and recommendations from subordinate staff for technical compliance and alignment with project requirements, and in collaboration and/or negotiation with airport sponsors resolve areas of conflict. Serve as subject matter expert on airport engineering, construction and design standards, and pavement design to assure currency and compliance of Regulations, Orders, etc. within assigned programs. Mentor new employees. Organize and conduct technical training seminars and workshops for ADO personnel, airport sponsors, and consultants. Review, evaluate and makes recommendations on all aspects of the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) grants-in-aid program regarding the Airports Capital Improvement Plan (ACIP) process, AIP and Passenger Facility Charge (PFC) funding eligibility, justification, and conformance with the approved Airport Layout Plan (ALP). Collaborate with Federal, State and local officials, airport sponsor staff, consultants, airlines, FAA offices and other user groups to ensure development projects meet FAA regulations, standards and guidance. Represent management at high level technical meetings. Collaborate with public airport owners within the context of the national airport technical and programming expertise resulting in the sound investment of federal funds. Negotiate and persuade non-agency officials to resolve areas of conflict. Review recommendations and coordinate with ADO management and Airports Regional office regarding requests for Modification of Standards (MOS) for design and construction documents. Review professional services contracts, including change orders and supplemental agreements to determine eligibility of work. Evaluate and provide consolidated comments on draft policy. Represent the office at runway safety meetings and make recommendations to management regarding funding allocations for any recommended runway safety projects. Coordinate with other FAA divisions regarding reimbursable agreements and projects that may affect an FAA facility or operation. Oversee the review and processing of aeronautical studies. Interpret, communicate, and promote awareness of new FAA initiatives, statutory programs and draft newly approved policy and guidance. Serve as focal point for auditors from oversight agencies including the Office of Inspector General (OIG), Government Accountability Office (GAO) and others. Prepares correspondence for review by management including Congressional responses, briefing papers, approval letters and guidance to sponsors associated with all aspects of airport development. Performs other duties as assigned. Requirements Conditions of Employment We are not accepting applications from noncitizens. Qualifications In addition to the basic requirement listed below in the EDUCATION section, to qualify for this position you must demonstrate in your application that you possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to FV-I, FG/GS-13. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. Specialized experience includes: Experience in negotiating resolution on complex and/or controversial issues Experience in airport design, pavement, and construction standard Experience conducting technical training seminars and workshops Experience providing technical guidance to staff and representing management at high level technical meetings. Qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this vacancy announcement. As a part of the Federal-Wide Hiring Reform Initiative (streamlining the hiring process), the FAA is committed to eliminating the use of the Knowledge, Skills and Ability (KSA) narratives from the initial application in the hiring process for all announcements. Therefore, as an applicant for this announcement, you are NOT required to provide a narrative response in the text box listed below each KSA. In lieu of providing a KSA narrative response in the text box listed below each KSA, in your work history, please include information that provides specific examples of how you meet the response level or answer you chose for each KSA. Your work history examples should be specific and clearly reflect the highest level of ability. Your KSA answers will be evaluated further to validate whether the level that you selected is appropriate based on the work history and experience you provided. Your answers may be adjusted by a Human Resource Specialist as appropriate. Eligible applicants meeting the minimum qualification requirements and selective factor(s), if applicable, may be further evaluated on the Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA) listed in the announcement. Based on this evaluation, applicants will be placed in one of the following categories: score order, category grouping, or alphabetical and referred to the selecting official for consideration. In addition to the minimum qualifications, the following has been determined to be a selective factor for this position. This means possession of this criterion is part of the minimum qualifications and is essential to perform the duties and responsibilities of this position. Applicants who do not possess this criterion are ineligible for further consideration. Selective Place Factor - Demonstrated experience in airport design, construction standards and methods. IMPORTANT: Ensure that your work experience supports your Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA) answers. Your answers and associated work experience will be evaluated further to validate whether the answers that you selected are appropriate. Education This position has a positive education requirement: Applicants must submit a copy of their college or university transcripts(s) and certificates by the closing date of announcement to verify qualifications. If selected, an official transcript will be required prior to appointment. You may upload these documents with your application in USAJOBS or fax it to fax number provided in the announcement (please include announcement number on each page). Failure to do so will result in loss of consideration. Schools must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Accreditation may be verified at the following website: www.ed.gov/accreditation. Foreign education must be evaluated by a private professional organization specializing in interpretation of foreign education credentials or an accredited U.S. educational institution in terms of equivalence to a degree acquired at an American college or university. A copy of the evaluation results must be included, otherwise your foreign education will not be considered. Education Requirements: Successful completion of a full four-year professional engineering curriculum leading to a bachelor's or higher degree in engineering in an accredited college or university. To be acceptable the curriculum must: (1) be in a school of engineering with at least one curriculum accredited by the ABET as a professional engineering curriculum; or (2) include differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced than first-year physics and chemistry) in five of the following seven areas of engineering science or physics: (a) statics, dynamics; (b)strength of materials (stress-strain relationships); (c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (d) thermodynamics; (e) electrical fields and circuits; (f) nature and properties of materials (relating particle and aggregate structure to properties); (g) any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics; OR, ALTERNATIVE REQUIREMENTS: Combination of education and experience -- college-level education, training, and/or technical experience that furnished (1) a thorough knowledge of the physical and mathematical sciences underlying professional engineering, and (2) a good understanding, both theoretical and practical, of the engineering sciences and techniques and their applications to one of the branches of engineering. The adequacy of such background must be demonstrated by one of the following: Professional registration: Current registration as a professional engineer by any State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico; Written Test: Evidence of having successfully passed the Engineer-in-Training (EIT) examination, or the written test required for professional registration, which is administered by the Boards of Engineering Examiners in the various States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico; Specified academic courses: Successful completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences and in engineering that included the courses specified in the basic requirements. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of a professional engineering curriculum as described in paragraph A; Related curriculum: - Successful completion of a curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree in engineering technology or in an appropriate professional field, e.g., physics, chemistry, architecture, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, or geology, may be accepted in lieu of a degree in engineering, provided the applicant has had at least 1 year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance. For more information on the alternate methods, please refer to the OPM Qualification Standards for Engineering at: http://main.opm.gov/qualifications/Standards/IORs/gs0800/0800.htm, Additional Information We may use this vacancy to fill other similar vacant positions. Position may be subject to a background investigation. A one-year probationary period may be required. The U.S. Department of Transportation strives to ensure that equity, transparency, accountability, collaboration, and communication permeate all that we do for the betterment of the Department, the traveling public, and our nation. As such, DOT values a highly diverse workforce of persons who promote a culture of belonging by respecting the personal dignity and worth of each individual and fostering a positive environment where all feel safe and welcome. If these commitments coincide with your personal ideals and professional aspirations, please consider joining the DOT family. If the Agency decides to interview any qualified employee on the selection list, then all on the list who are qualified must be interviewed. FAA's CORE COMPENSATION PLAN: This position is covered by the FAA Core Compensation plan. Please ensure you answer all questions and follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may impact your rating or may result in you not being considered for the job. Current FAA employee: You MUST submit a copy of your most recent (non-award) SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, or equivalent document that verifies tenure (block 24, code 1 or 2). Failure to provide the required documentation by the closing date of this announcement will result in non-consideration for this position. Moderate Risk (5): This position requires completion & favorable adjudication of a Moderate Risk Background Investigation (Tier 2) background investigation prior to appointment, unless waiver is obtained. Links to Important Information: Locality Pay, COLA