Aviation Safety Inspector (General Aviation - Operations)

About the role

The incumbent will serve as an Assistant Principal Operations Inspector General Aviation performing the full range of certification, surveillance and inspection duties for assigned air carriers, air operators, air agencies, airmen, and designees.

The Assistant Principal Inspector has program responsibility to assure that assigned organizations meet Federal Aviation Regulations with respect to operations programs.

What you will do

• Technical Administration - Assures on a continuing basis that assigned organizations are properly and adequately organized, staffed, and equipped; have and conduct an adequate training program, including an acceptable record keeping system; and have facilities and procedures that meet all regulatory requirements.
• Chairs joint FAA industry meetings; maintains regular contact with organizations assigned; and coordinates with top management officials.
• Is responsible for the conduct of enforcement investigations and preparation of final reports and recommendations on disposition.
• Performs or supervises the emergency suspension of certificates or cancellations of operations specifications.
• Conducts or directs the reexamination of certificated airmen or recertification of an operator or agency.
• Conducts investigations of public complaints, congressional inquiries, and aircraft incidents and accidents.
• Provides verbal and/or written technical assistance to legal counsel, testifies at court trials and formal hearings, and gives depositions.
• Coordinates Minimum Equipment List (MEL) approvals with principal airworthiness inspectors.
• Takes enforcement in instances of noncompliance with the MEL.
• Coordinates with geographic inspectors for the accomplishment of non-routine, air carrier surveillance.
• Certification - Approves/accepts or disapproves/rejects manuals, school curriculum, and revisions to such.
• May require amendments to previously approved documents to accomplish the following: correct any conflict with regulatory requirements; eliminate unsafe practices; and/or improve the specificity of instruction.
• Evaluates training programs to insure they meet the requirements of the Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR).
• Approves /disapproves these training programs including flight simulators, training devices, or other such equipment used in these programs.
• Approves/disapproves designation of check airmen and makes recommendations on the appointment of designees.
• Evaluates operations and facilities by on-site inspections and review of reports by geographic inspectors and others.
• Negotiates changes essential or desirable in their policies and procedures.
• Evaluates and approves/disapproves requests, to operate under conditions not previously authorized and may prescribe additional conditions and limitations as appropriate.
• Approves the original issuance of operations specifications and issues original operating certificates.
• Approves amendments to operations specifications.
• Evaluates the safety of proposed changes in route or airport authorizations; prescribes any changes required before approval.
• Directs or participates in proving flight evaluations to determine compliance with FARs.
• Recommends changes that will be required prior to approval.
• Surveillance - Is responsible for monitoring all phases of operations including: training programs and records; base and station facilities; and route systems.
• Coordinates with and reviews reports from geographic inspectors and others to identify trends which indicate deterioration in the safety of operations.
• Directs or suggests changes required to correct such trends.
• Is responsible for monitoring the activities of designated examiners, check airmen, and instructors.
• Other - May be assigned other duties and responsibilities which are non-grade controlling.
• The incumbent will be required to participate in the flight program as an aircrew member and, as such, must meet medical and flight currency requirements as set forth in agency orders governing the operation of aircraft.
• The inspector, when so directed, is required to keep an appropriate control point informed as to his/her whereabouts and the phone number at which he/she can be reached in the event of an aviation incident/accident requiring FAA investigation.

Requirements

• We are not accepting applications from noncitizens.

Education

Education is not qualifying and cannot be substituted for this position.

How you will be evaluated

IMPORTANT: Applicants may be rated on the extent and quality of experience, education, and training relevant to the duties of the position(s). All answers provided in the on-line process must be substantiated. Ensure that your application package/resume supports your responses.

Documents you must provide

• 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.
• Applicants must apply on-line, through USAJOBS, to receive consideration; Faxed, mailed or e-mailed applications cannot be accepted.
• If you need to submit additional documents to supplement your on-line application, e.g. transcripts, SF-50, or veterans' documentation, you may upload these documents with your application in USAJOBS.
• Supplemental documentation can also be faxed to *** on or before the closing date of this announcement.
• Please include your name and the vacancy announcement number on each of your faxed pages and redact all Personally Identifiable Information (PII), such as social security number and date of birth.
• If you are an FAA employee, you MUST provide a copy of your SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) containing information in Blocks 15, 17, 18, 19, 22, and 24 so it can be used to verify your position title, series, grade, tenure, and organization of record by the closing date of the announcement.
• You may fax your SF-50 or upload it into the on-line application.
• If faxing the SF-50, please ensure you include the vacancy announcement number on the faxed copy.
• If you are an FAA employee, you can access and print your SF-50 from the eOPF system ***

What to expect next

Once we receive your complete application, the Human Resources Office will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications. Eligible and qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration. You will be contacted directly if selected for an interview.

For instructions on how to check the status of your application, please go to: USAJOBS Help Guide. Important - If you make any changes to your application, you must resubmit it. If you make changes to your application and do not resubmit it, your changes will not be considered part of your application package, and only your previously submitted application will be evaluated.

All qualified applicants will be considered regardless of political affiliation, race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, age, disability, or other non-merit factors. DOT provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities.

If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency contact listed in the Agency Contact Information section of this announcement or the hiring manager. An employee with a disability must notify the decision-maker of the accommodation request.

Job applicants and employees are required to follow up oral requests in writing. Decisions on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. Additional information on reasonable accommodations procedures or on EEO Programs is available on Office of Civil Rights (ACR) or by contacting the local FAA Civil Rights Office.

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 person selected for this position may be required to file a financial disclosure statement within 30 days of entry on duty.

FAA policy limits certain outside employment and financial investments in aviation-related companies. *** This position is covered by the Department of Transportation's Drug and Alcohol Testing Program.

Any applicant tentatively selected for this position will be subject to pre-employment or pre-appointment drug screening. Persons occupying a "testing designated position (TDP)" will be subject to random drug and/or alcohol testing.

Current or Former Federal employee (including a 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.

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 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 WORK HISTORY THAT DESCRIBES HOW YOU MEET THE ANSWER YOU CHOSE FOR EACH KSA.

Security Requirement: This position requires completion & favorable adjudication of a Moderate Risk (5) Background Investigation (Tier 2) unless waiver is obtained. This is a bargaining unit position, represented by the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists (***). Links to Important Information: Locality Pay, COLA