KEY REQUIREMENTS



• You must be a U.S. Citizen and meet specialized experience to qualify.
• Submit application and resume online by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date.
• Review How to Apply Section as documents are required by closing date.
• YOU MUST MEET THE SELECTIVE FACTORS TO QUALIFY.
• The announcement is also advertised merit promotion: FRA.R2-2013-0015.
• Job announcement may be used to fill similar positions within 30 days.

As a Railroad Safety Inspector (Operating Practices) you will:

• Plan and carry out periodic inspections of railroad yards, repair shops, and locomotive repair, and servicing facilities to observe railroad employees in the performance of operational duties for compliance with the law, including utility employees.
• Examine records to ensure employees are in compliance with all appropriate Federal rules and regulations.
• Investigate and inspect serious railroad accidents, and provide narrative reports describing the accidents, causes, and recommendations to prevent similar accidents in the future.
• Work with railroad officers, union leaders, and other government official to improve safety.

To be qualified for a Railroad Safety Inspector (Operating Practices), the Qualifications Standard state you MUST have demonstrated knowledge in the following areas:

• Railroad industry, including economic and operating considerations and equipment.
• General safety and health principles and practices applicable to the railroad industry.
• Railroad accident investigation techniques.
• Skills in written and oral communication.
• Railroad operating practices, rules, and procedures, especially as they relate to safety issues.
• 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 operational testing.

In addition for the GS-12, you must meet the following Selective Factors:

• Experience applying regulations and orders covering employee qualifications, hours of service, occupational safety and health, radio rules, operating rules and practices, alcohol and drug program administration, and locomotive engineer certification to maintain compliance.
• Experience in the railroad industry that has provided you with knowledge of general railroad safety health principles and practices; as well as railroad investigation and inspection techniques.

Applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

• SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for the Selective Service.
• INTERVIEW: Applicants may be required to demonstrate in a pre-employment interview that they possess the personal characteristics necessary for Railroad Safety work.
• DECLARATION OF FEDERAL EMPLOYMENT: The selectees for railroad safety positions will be required to complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine suitability for Federal employment and to authorize a background investigation.
• DRUG TEST: Railroad Safety Inspectors have been determined to be a critical safety/security position as defined in the Department of Transportation (DOT) Order, DOT 3910.1D entitled "Drug and Alcohol-Free Departmental Workplace." Therefore, if selected for the position you will be required to submit to a pre-employment/pre-appointment drug test, you will also be subject to Random Drug Testing.
• TRAVEL: This position requires extensive travel. The travel is a condition of employment.
• DRIVER'S LICENSE: Railroad Safety Inspectors travel frequently, which requires being away from the official duty station for several consecutive nights. All Railroad Safety Inspectors are required to possess a valid state drivers license at all times while employed by the Federal Rail Administration (FRA) in order to perform the duties of their positions.
• GOVERNMENT TRAVEL CARD REQUIREMENT: You must be able to obtain and retain a Government contractor-issued travel card to be used for official business as a condition of employment. If unable to obtain and/or retain a card, you may be subject to removal. Those who fail to meet this condition of employment will have our offer of employment rescinded.
• TRAVEL EXPENSES: Travel and transportation expenses will be paid if the selection results in a promotion OR for a geographical reassignment if the FRA selectee occupies a position at the same grade level that has significantly different duties from that of this position vacancy. Travel and transportation expenses will not be paid if a candidate outside the FRA is selected OR a FRA employee accepts a change to the lower grade that results in a geographical reassignment for this position vacancy.
• SENIORITY RIGHTS - LEAVES OF ABSENCE - RE-EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS: The FRA has determined that seniority rights, leaves of absence, and reemployment rights from prior railroad employment generally constitute an actual or an appearance of a conflict of interest. New employees may be required to divest themselves of such rights immediately upon hire if these rights are determined to constitute an actual or appearance of a conflict of interest. If new employees are permitted to retain such rights, which is generally the case for Railroad Safety positions, the rights must be divested at the end of the one year probationary period which begins with the date of appointment. Divestiture is a requisite to continued employment with the Federal Railroad Administration. No waivers will be granted of the divestiture requirement. Pursuant to 5 C.F.R. Parts 2635.403 and 6001.104, all FRA employees (or spouses or minor children of FRA employees) are specifically prohibited from holding railroad stock (including shares of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. which owns 100% of BNSF), whether held outright, in an IRA, or in a 401(k) or other plan. (Employees may hold a mutual fund which invests in railroad stocks, so long as the mutual fund does not invest more than 30% of its assets in such prohibited investments.) Employees having a prohibited financial interest must divest themselves of railroad stock within 90 days after their appointment to their positions. Neither the rule against holding railroad stock, nor the divestiture period, is in any way affected by the existence of re-employment rights which employees might have with railroad companies. Nor is there any monetary threshold for applicability of the rule against ownership of railroad stock; all dollar amounts are prohibited. If selected, you will be subject to the Standards of Ethical Conduct applicable to all executive branch employees. Selectees will be required to complete a new entrant confidential financial disclosure report (Office of Government Ethics Form 450) within 30 days of hire (except if hired between Nov.15 and Dec. 31). Thereafter, selectees will be required to annually file a confidential financial disclosure report by Feb. 15 of each year, pursuant to instructions issued in early January.
• DEU REQUIREMENTS: Applicants selected under delegated examining procedures may be required to successfully complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed).  

HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED:

If you meet the qualification requirements, your application will be placed in one of four categories: Platinum, Gold, Silver or Bronze, which is based upon your responses to the vacancy questions. Within these categories, applicants eligible for veteran's preference that have provided supporting documents will receive selection priority over non-veterans.  The top rated applications will be reviewed for the quality of your experience, education and training relevant to the position. If your resume does not support the specialized experience or if your application does not support your answers to the Vacancy Specific Questions, your final rating may be modified and/or you may be disqualified from consideration.

Benefits include health and life insurance, annual and sick leave, and retirement benefits. Explore the major benefits offered to most Federal Employees here. This position is telework eligible.

OTHER INFORMATION:

This vacancy is also announced under a FRA Only internal vacancy announcement. If an FRA Railroad Safety Inspector qualifies; a selection from this vacancy announcement will not be made.

Displaced employees may be eligible for ICTAP or CTAP priority consideration. For more information, please review the OPM Employee's Guide to Career Transition.

You must submit a complete application package (including resume, vacancy questions and supporting documents) no later than midnight Eastern Time on the closing date of the announcement.

• To begin, click the Apply Online button on the job announcement posting.
• Follow the directions to register, submit all required documents and complete the assessment questionnaire.
• You may review your saved application(s) at https://my.usajobs.gov.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:

The following documents must be provided by the closing date:

• RESUME - showing relevant experience and education and fully supporting required specialized experience.
• COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRE.
• VETERANS: In order to be considered as preference eligible, you must submit a copy of your Certificate of Release or Discharge From Active Duty, DD214. Your DD-214 must show the type of discharge and dates of active duty.  If you are claiming compensably disabled preference eligible, you must submit a copy of your DD214; an Application for 10-point Veteran's Preference,  SF15; and the proof of entitlement of this preference which is normally an official statement, dated 1991 or later, from the Department of Veterans Affairs certifying to the present existence of the service-connected disability and indicating the percentage of your disability. Without this documentation, you will not receive veteran's preference.  Additional information on veterans' preference is available in the Vet's Guide at: http://www.fedshirevets.gov/hire/hrp/vetguide/index.aspx
• SPECIAL APPOINTING AUTHORITY DOCUMENTS: If requesting concurrent consideration for: http://www.opm.gov/hr_practitioners/lawsregulations/appointingauthorities/index.asp#AppointmentsLeading Noncompetitive  Non-competitive (NC) appointment eligibility, (e.g. military spouse or persons with disabilities), you must provide appropriate supporting documentation such as PCS orders describing move & marriage certificate; letter from VA or DD214 describing 100% disability of spouse; letter from State Vocational Office certifying disability, etc.  For more information, visit http://www.fedshirevets.gov/hire/hrp/qaspouse/index.aspx military spouse NC appointments or http://www.opm.gov/disability/PeopleWithDisabilities.asp" Persons with Disabilities NC appointments. Documents are only required if requesting non-competitive consideration.
• DISPLACED EMPLOYEE PLACEMENT DOCUMENTS: - Only required if requesting priority consideration under http://www.opm.gov/ctap/ CTAP/ICTAP</A>.  You must submit ALL of the FOLLOWING: your most recent performance appraisal, the proof of eligibility letter from the Agency and your most current SF-50, displaying current series and grade.  To receive priority consideration, you MUST be deemed well qualified for this vacancy (falling in the Gold Category).

Failure to submit any of the required documents by the closing date of the vacancy will result in your removal from consideration for this position.

AGENCY CONTACT INFO:

WHAT TO EXPECT NEXT:

You may check your application status by logging into your USAJOBS account. Within two weeks of the closing date, your application will be reviewed and rated. Ratings will be determined based on the documents and information received by the closing date. The most highly qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration. If you are selected for an interview, the hiring manager will contact you directly. Once a hiring decision is made, we will notify all applicants of their final status.