The employee leads the Safety Design and Operations team within the FHWA Office of Safety. They direct a multi-disciplinary, geographically dispersed team to develop national roadway safety programs. As a key management member, the employee oversees budgets, strategic planning, and day-to-day operations. This role involves providing technical guidance, acting for the Office Director, and maintaining high-level liaison with USDOT and federal partners to meet mission-critical safety goals.
To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must meet the specialized experience requirements. To qualify for the Grade 15, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equal or equivalent to the GS-14, it must include: Experience providing oversight or technical assistance to a multidisciplinary team or organizational offices; AND Experience developing roadway safety programs, products, and documents; AND Experience coordinating with Federal, State, local, tribal, or other professional transportation organizations. 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: Strategic Thinking - Formulates objectives and priorities and implements plans consistent with the long-term interests of the organization in a global environment. Capitalizes on opportunities and manages risks. Transportation Engineering - Knowledge of concepts, principles, theories, and methods applicable to planning, designing, and constructing of transportation systems including traffic analysis, signal analysis, highway capacity, pavement design, bridge construction, planning of transportation projects, environmental analysis of transportation facilities, and network analysis. Partnering - Develops networks and builds alliances; collaborates across boundaries to build strategic relationships and achieve common goals. Human Capital Management - Builds and manages workforce based on organizational goals, budget considerations, and staffing needs. Ensure that employees are appropriately recruited, selected, appraised, and rewarded; takes action to address performance problems. Manages a multi-sector workforce and a variety of work situations. 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.
The Lead Transportation Specialist: Ensures that the organization's strategic plan, mission, vision, and values are communicated to the team and integrated into the team's strategies, goals, objectives, work plans, work products, and services. Provides leadership, coordination, coaching and authoritative technical and administrative guidance to team members and ensures that work activities are within the framework of approved policies and objectives. Maintains a leadership role in efforts to improve roadway safety. Develops strategies, methodologies, performance standards and noteworthy practices at the national, state, tribal, and local levels to improve roadway safety. Provides technical and administrative leadership through consultation, guidance, advisory services to FHWA Headquarters and field offices, state, local and tribal highway agencies, and others to resolve issues and advance safety goals. Provides technical assistance to Congressional committees and staff, other Federal agencies, and private entities on matters associated with transportation safety. Acts for the Office Director during the Director's absence, including the full range of Office responsibilities such as supervisory actions regarding Office of Safety Technologies employees. The ideal candidate is an established expert and visionary leader in the transportation safety sector, capable of directing complex initiatives with high-level autonomy. They possess a sophisticated mastery of strategic planning and analytical methodologies, utilizing these skills to drive national programs focused on improving roadway safety. While prior formal supervision is not required, the successful candidate must demonstrate exceptional leadership acumen and the ability to inspire a multi-disciplinary, geographically disperse team toward mission-critical objectives. The ideal candidate is an effective communicator who can translate intricate technical issues and complex policy into authoritative recommendations for senior leadership. The ideal candidate exhibits a strong aptitude for managing performance, fostering professional development, and strategically allocating resources to meet organizational goals.