Aviation Safety Inspector (Technical Program Management Specialist - Tpms)

Summary

The incumbent serves an Aviation Safety Inspector (Manufacturing) and is the Technical Program Management Specialist (TPMS) in the Aircraft Certification Service (AIR), providing technical, program management, and specialized expertise to stakeholders. The TPMS applies comprehensive knowledge of the aviation safety inspection specialization and applies a broad knowledge of AIR mission and goals to assigned programs and areas of responsibility.

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Duties

The incumbent applies technical knowledge and experienced judgment to help solve issues by serving as a technical expert on investigations, continued operational safety, and manufacturing related concerns. Serves as a focal point in planning, directing, or managing projects as directed by management. Advises personnel evaluating type and airworthiness certification by providing technical, regulatory, and policy expertise. The incumbent collaborates with internal stakeholders to interpret and implement FAA regulations and policy.

The incumbent reviews technical documents for adequacy, accuracy, content, format, and completeness. Analyzes and ensures data is accurate and complete and presents information to management and others as necessary. The incumbent exercises a high degree of diplomacy and collaboration while interacting with internal and external stakeholders, and possesses the ability to explain, advocate, and negotiate to achieve a common understanding of issues to support

resolution. The position is a focal point and provides technical guidance for inquiries related to manufacturing concerns (i.e. policy information/deviation requests, congressional requests, and Foreign Civil Air Authority requests).

The TPMS may take a lead role or support activities related to:

• Aviation Safety Hotline, Whistleblower, and Suspected Unapproved Part investigations and tracking
• Preparing responses to congressional inquiries
• Policy reviews and coordination
• Budget formulation and/or review
• Designee/Delegated Organization Management
• Processing Compliance and Enforcement actions
• Type Certification
• Representing the Division’s Branches when generating data for the Aviation Safety Staffing Tool
  
  
  

and Reporting System (ASTARS)

• Processing Undue Burden Decision Papers
• Production approval holder Quality System Audits
• Aircraft Certification Audit Information System (ACAIS)
• Quality Management System audits
• Processing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests
• Uploading and tracking tasks in the Work Tracking System
• Oversee System Oversight metrics
• Process improvements to support standardization or increase efficiency/effectiveness of existing processes
• Safety Management System efforts
  
  
  

Contacts are internal and external to the agency. Contacts involve dealings with members of support staff, senior management, representatives of professional organizations, staff members of industry groups, representatives of other government agencies, and representatives of other civil aviation authorities.

Follow established laws, orders, policies, and regulations that provide general guidance for completing work objectives but is allowed considerable discretion to develop new or innovative approaches. The TPMS provides guidance to others on difficult or complex policy interpretations and processes. Provides advice and guidance to senior leaders, and managers, by making recommendations on complex technical issues. The TPMS performs other duties as assigned.

Performs other duties as assigned.

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Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• US Citizenship is required.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must submit an SF50 (See Required Documents).
• Employee will report to FAA Duty location
  
  
  

Qualifications

All applicants must meet the following requirements:

• Not more than 2 separate incidents involving Federal Aviation Regulations violations in the last 5 years.
• Have a valid state driver's license.
• Be fluent in the English language.
• Have no chemical dependencies or drug abuse that could interfere with job performance; and
• Be a high school graduate or equivalent.
  
  
  

MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS:

Applicants must be physically able to perform the duties of the Aviation Safety Inspector position in a safe and efficient manner, and must meet all of the following requirements:

• Have good distant vision in each eye and be able to read printed materials the size of typewritten characters (glasses and contact lenses permitted) without strain.
• Have the ability to hear the conversational voice (hearing aid permitted).
• Not have any physical condition that would cause them to be a hazard to themselves or others or that would interfere with their ability to fly as passengers in a variety of aircraft.
  
  
  

Applicants for Aviation Safety Inspector (Manufacturing) positions must meet one of the following requirements.

• Experience in the area of quality systems, methods, and techniques in the manufacture of products and/or articles that demonstrates the ability to determine whether aircraft and related products meet the approved design criteria, or the design criteria on which approval is being sought and is in condition for safe operations; or
• Experience involving either the actual issuance of airworthiness certificates or having responsibility for managing programs leading to the issuance of original airworthiness certificates or original export airworthiness approvals for products and/or articles; or
• Experience involving a combination of paragraph A and paragraph B above.
  
  
  

Acceptable specialized experience for paragraph A includes actual experience in a majority of the following areas:

• First article, in process and final assembly inspection.
• Quality assurance provisions of special processes (e.g. heat treating, brazing, welding, carburizing, plating, CAD-CAM, robotics, software quality control, etc.,)
• Destructive and non-destructive inspection.
• Manufacturing processes.
• Airworthiness assurance.
• Developing and implementing quality systems and procedures.
• Testing procedures; and
• Use of improved design data.
  
  
  

The experience in paragraph A or B is typically acquired in such positions as:

• Quality engineer.
• Quality systems supervisor/manager.
• Quality systems auditor.
• Service representative with technical quality experience.
• FAA designee such as a designated manufacturing inspection representative (DMIR); or
• Designated airworthiness representative (DAR) authorized to perform manufacturing inspection functions on behalf of the FAA.
  
  
  

Specialized Experience: To qualify for this position, you must demonstrate in your application that you possess at least one year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the FV-I, FG/GS-13 level. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position and is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled.

At least one year of specialized experience, at the next lower level, includes:

• Experience in the area of quality systems, methods, and techniques in the manufacture of products and/or articles that demonstrate the ability to determine whether aircraft and related products meet the approved design criteria or the design criteria on which approval is being sought and is in condition for safe operation (e.g., First article, in-process and final assembly inspection; Quality assurance provisions of special processes (e.g., heat treating, brazing, welding, carburizing, plating, CAD-CAM, robotics, software quality control, etc.)), destructive and non-destructive inspection; manufacturing processes, developing and implementing quality systems and procedures; Testing procedures; Use of approved design data. Experience involving either the actual issuance of airworthiness certificates or having responsibility for managing programs leading to the issuance of original airworthiness certificates or original export airworthiness approvals for products and/or articles. Experience in the type certification process, issuance of production approval, oversight of production approval holders, compliance and enforcement process (including legal action), the appointment of designee and designee oversight, the appointment of organization designation authorization (ODA) and ODA oversight, the undue burden determination process; and with the ability to provide guidance in these processes. Experience in conducting Hotline/Whistleblower/SUP investigations and writing investigation reports. Ability to provide guidance and assistance to investigating office with Hotline/Whistleblower/SUP investigations and writing the investigation report. Ability to plan and balance workload related to monitoring and processing Hotline and Whistleblower cases. Ability to facilitate the investigation report review process through the Branch and Division and help resolve various issues that may arise in the review process.
  
  
  

Knowledge, Skill, and Ability (KSAs): 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 initial 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 section, in your work history, please include information that provides specific examples of how you meet the response level or answer you chose for each KSA. Your work history examples should be specific and clearly reflect the highest level of ability.

Your KSA answers will be evaluated further to validate whether the level that you selected is appropriate based on the work history and experience you provided. Your answers may be adjusted by a Human Resource Specialist as appropriate. Based on this evaluation, applicants will be placed in one of the following categories: score order, category grouping, or alphabetical and referred to the selecting official for consideration.

Education

Education not applicable.

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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.

This position is located in AIR-870, however, this vacancy announcement may be used to fill future vacancies in any of the other AIR Division Offices. Only the following duty location is available.

• Anchorage, AK – 32.36%
• Scottsdale, AZ – 22.45%
• Lakewood, CA – 36.47%
• Enfield, CT – 32.58%
• Denver, CO – 30.52%
• Washington, DC – 33.94%
• Orlando, FL – 17.06%
• Hapeville, GA - 23.79%
• Des Plaines, IL – 30.86%
• Wichita, KS – 17.06%
• Burlington, MA – 32.58%
• Belleville, MI – 29.12%
• Minneapolis, MN – 27.62%
• Kansas City, MO - 18.97%
• Greensboro, NC – 17.06%
• Saddle Brook, NJ – 37.95%
• Farmingdale, NY – 37.95%
• East Farmingdale, NY – 37.95%
• Jamaica, NY – 37.95%
• Westbury, NY – 37.95%
• North Olmsted, OH – 22.23%
• Vandalia, OH –21.93%
• Bethany, OK – 17.06%
• Oklahoma City, OK – 17.06%
• New Cumberland, PA –19.43%
• Fairview Township, PA –33.94%
• North Charleston, SC – 17.06%
• Fort Worth, TX – 27.26%
• San Antonio, TX – 18.78%
• Des Moines, WA –31.57%
  
  
  

Security Requirement: Moderate Risk (5). This position requires completion and favorable adjudication of a background investigation prior to appointment, unless a waiver is obtained. Subject to a 5-year period reinvestigation.

Interview Statement: Some, all, or none of the applicants may be interviewed.

Incomplete Applications: Please ensure you answer all questions and follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may impact your rating or may result in you not being considered for the job.

This is not a bargaining unit position.

Links to Important Information: Locality Pay, COLA

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.