Summary This position serves as a Lead Community Planner under the leadership of the Regional Director. You will be responsible for ensuring that the recipient, project, and program-specific teams throughout the Regional Office have appropriate levels of support. Responsibilities As a Lead Community Planner, you will: Serve as resource on FTA procedures and guidance related to transportation planning and Federal laws, regulations, Executive Orders, and directives for one or more of the following: tribal, urban, suburban, and/or rural public transportation systems. Develop position papers, and instructions related to community planning aspects of FTA programs and keep current as to recent or emerging changes affecting FTA programs and projects. Review office programs related to community planning for technical and program management effectiveness; make reports and offer suggestions for improvement based on findings. Provide technical advice and coordinates planning or related problems or projects with stakeholders. Review regulations, reports, procedures, and techniques pertaining to community planning matters and provide comments or recommendations. Participate in the investigation of complaints and inquiries and prepare responses as necessary. The ideal candidate for this position is a transportation planning professional skilled in managing transportation planning programs or technical areas. This candidate is someone who has the skills and abilities to effectively represent the agency to Federal, state and local officials and the general public. The candidate is also someone with good communication, negotiation, and partnering skills, who desires to work in a challenging, complex, and innovative environment. 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. GOVERNMENT TRAVEL CARD: This position involves travel. A government contractor-issued travel card will be issued and must be retained for official business only. TELEWORK ELIGIBILITY: This position may be eligible for occasional and/or regularly scheduled telework. The number of telework days approved will be determined by your immediate supervisor or manager following the agency’s telework policy and guidance. If participating in the telework program, you will be required to sign a telework agreement detailing agency telework policy requirements, working conditions, and expectations for the position. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT: Yes - The Ethics in Government Act of 1978 requires the applicant selected for this position to submit a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450) within 30 days of appointment and annually thereafter. 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: Applicants may be required to successfully complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed). REMOTE WORK This position may be eligible for remote work, which does not require reporting to the agency worksite location on a regular basis. If selected for a remote work location, you will be required to sign a remote work agreement detailing agency remote work policy requirements, working conditions, and expectations for the position. Qualifications To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must meet the specialized experience requirements. 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 coordination efforts and promoting transportation planning best practices with Federal, state, local agencies and other professional transportation organizations. Experience developing, evaluating, and/or overseeing the development of transportation planning and program development processes at a local, regional, state, or national level. Experience in technical writing; preparing briefing papers to convey results of options, interpretation, analysis, guidelines, recommendations, and advice; and conveying transportation planning policies with stakeholders on behalf of an agency at national conferences, workshops, or meetings. 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: Transportation Planning: Knowledge of transportation systems and established transportation planning techniques in order to conduct studies and address the relationships between transportation, community development, and economic development. Planning and Evaluation: 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. Problem Solving: Identifies problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives, and to make recommendations. Oral and Written communication: Makes clear and convincing oral presentations. Listens effectively; clarifies information as needed. Writes in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience. 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. Education 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 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. Additional Information 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 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.