Summary
This position is in the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Office of Railroad Safety, Signal and Train Control Division. As a Program Analyst, the work involves providing expertise in analysis, methods and practices and the performance of critical studies requiring several related tasks.
Duties
As a Program Analyst (Positive Train Control), you will: Perform a variety of analytical and evaluative duties to support compliance audits, perform various data and trend analyses, and write reports of a technical nature relating to railroad operations related to Signal and Train Control. Provide expertise in analysis, methods and practices and the performance of critical studies identifying trends to railroad operations related to Positive Train Control (PTC) performance. Prepare reports and information identifying trends in railroad operations related to Positive Train Control (PTC) systems. Utilize knowledge of data mining and analysis to provide reports to the Supervisory Safety Specialist (Signal and Train Control). Utilize programs to monitor and maintain databases on each applicable host railroad that submits certain metrics about PTC system performance and reliability to FRA on behalf of the host railroad itself and each of its applicable tenant railroads. Provide briefings, reports and responses to congressional inquiries related to PTC rail accidents/incidents The ideal candidate is experienced in analytics and data lifecycle management. A professional who is comfortable working with technical and non-technical staff in a fast-paced work environment & with interactions with all levels of leadership; exhibits attention to detail, sound judgment, creativity, strong logic & reasoning skills, and sensitivity to deadline.
Requirements
CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT: As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance the organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. 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. BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: A background security investigation is required for all selected individuals. Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of the security investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to meet these requirements will be grounds for termination. PROBATIONARY PERIOD: You must complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed). TIME-IN-GRADE: Federal applicants must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade in the competitive or excepted service in the executive branch to satisfy time-in-grade restrictions contained in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F. See Other information for additional instructions.
How you will be evaluated
DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE: Please be clear and specific when describing your experience, as HR evaluates applications strictly on the facts provided and will not make assumptions. To receive full credit, your narrative responses must be written in paragraph format and explicitly match your resume. Begin each response by listing the exact position title, organization, employment dates (MM/YYYY–MM/YYYY), full- or part-time status, average weekly hours, and federal series/grade (if applicable). Within the body of the paragraph, clearly describe your specific duties, actions taken, tools used, and measurable outcomes. HR will cross-check these details against your resume; if your resume does not fully support every claim and timeframe, the experience will not be considered for credit, which may result in an ineligible determination." Eligible Federal employees also seeking consideration for noncompetitive reassignment for this position, must indicate interest in the assessment. Noncompetitive federal candidates must have competitive status on a SF-50, meet minimum qualifications, have served at the same grade or higher, and held or exceeded the promotion potential of this position. All applicants: Your application will be reviewed in two phases determine how you move forward in the hiring process. Phase I: Your resume will be reviewed to determine your technical qualifications for this position based on the required specialized experience. ONLY two (2) pages of your resume will be reviewed. Additional information beyond your resume (e.g., cover letter, links embedded in your resume) will not be reviewed. Applicants passing “Phase I” will move on to the “Phase II” of the assessment process where your application will be reviewed and rated based on the KSAs/Competencies listed in the vacancy announcement by a Subject Matter Expert (SME). You may preview questions for this vacancy.