Clarification from the agency

All qualified U.S. Citizens, Current and former members of the Senior Executive Service, and SES Candidate Development Program graduates.

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The incumbent of this position serves as the Deputy Director, Office of Railroad, Pipeline, and Hazardous Materials Investigations (RPH) at the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). As Deputy Director, the incumbent is responsible for supporting the RPH Director, to provide executive-level management and oversight of the Office, which investigates, analyzes, develops, and prepares detailed reports and proposed probable cause determinations of US railroad, pipeline and hazardous materials accidents, and makes related safety recommendations.Major duties include, but are not limited to:

• Plans, manages, directs, and evaluates the work of the Office of RPH. Provides direction to professional engineers, accident investigators, and other technical and support staff to assure high quality accident investigations.
• Manages the accident investigation process to ensure timely and appropriate response to report to the Board. Under delegated authority, initiates accident investigations to implement the NTSB Congressional mandate and NTSB priorities. Oversees accident report preparation. Ensures all factors of accidents have been identified, objectively examined, and documented. Determines probable cause(s) of each accident.
• Develops a strategic and annual operating plan for the implementation of short-term and long-term objectives for the Office.
• Coordinates programs with other Federal, state, and local government agencies, industry groups, and foreign governments, as appropriate. Initiates activities aimed at promoting the public image of the work of the NTSB. Meets with high-ranking officials to develop and negotiate the implementation of national and international goals and objectives, as appropriate.
• Establishes and maintains liaison with international and domestic industry, safety groups, labor organizations, associations, Congress, Federal regulators, etc. Represents the NTSB and serves as a member of the U.S. delegation at international meetings on accident investigation issues.
• Provides authoritative advice and expertise in the development of industry standards and regulations, technology, and new applications of existing technology. Provides Congressional testimony, as needed.

Conditions of employment

• U.S. Citizen.
• Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered for Selective Service.
• Resume and supporting documents (see "How to Apply" section).
• Suitability for Federal employment.
• Financial Interest in transportation enterprises will be evaluated on a case by case basis.
• Bargaining Unit Position: NO.
• Direct Deposit is required.
• Trial or probationary period may be required.
• Security and Background Requirements.
• Selectee will be required to complete and submit an Executive Personnel Financial Disclosure Report, OGE-278, prior to entering the position and annually thereafter.
• Ethics pre-clearance/financial disclosure statement is required.
• All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
• The critical nature of the work of this position requires the incumbent to be available 24 hours per day, seven days a week.

Qualifications

To meet minimum qualifications requirements for this position you must show that you possess the five (5) Mandatory Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) and the two (2) Mandatory Technical Qualifications (MTQ) shown below.

This recruitment follows the traditional method; narrative responses are required for applicants who are not members of the SES or who have completed an SES CDP program and have been certified by an OPM Qualifications Review Board (QRB).You must provide evidence of progressively responsible leadership experience that is indicative of executive level management capability and that is directly related to the skills and abilities outlined under the ECQs and the MTQs listed below. A narrative response to each is required.

EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS (ECQs): Applicants who have not been certified by the Office of Personnel Management as a member of the Senior Executive Service must submit a written narrative response to the following ECQs. Your narrative must address each ECQ separately. Each ECQ narrative should not exceed 2 pages. Your accomplishments should be written in clear and concise manner. Failure to address these specific qualification requirements in a separate narrative statement will eliminate you from consideration. Applicants are encouraged to follow the Challenge, Context, Action and Results model outlined by OPM. Additional information on ECQs is available at: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/senior-executive-service/executive-core-qualifications/. The ECQs were designed to assess executive experience and potential, not technical expertise. They measure whether an individual has the broad executive skills needed to succeed in a variety of SES positions.

1. Leading Change: This core qualification involves the ability to bring about strategic change, both within and outside the organization, to meet organizational goals. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to establish an organizational vision and to implement it in a continuously changing environment. (Competencies: creativity and innovation, external awareness, flexibility, resilience, strategic thinking, vision).

2. Leading People: This core qualification involves the ability to lead people toward meeting the organizations vision, mission, and goals. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to provide a workplace that fosters the development of others, facilitates cooperation and teamwork, and supports constructive resolution of conflicts. (Competencies: conflict management, developing others, team building).

3. Results Driven: This core qualification involves the ability to meet organizational goals and customer expectations. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to make decisions that produce high quality results by applying technical knowledge, analyzing problems, and calculating risks. (Competencies: accountability, customer service, decisiveness, entrepreneurship, problem solving, technical credibility).

4. Business Acumen: This core qualification involves the ability to manage human, financial, and information resources strategically. (Competencies: financial management, human capital management, technology management).

5. Building Coalitions: This core qualification involves the ability to build coalitions internally and with other Federal agencies, State and local governments, nonprofit and private sector organizations, foreign governments, or international organizations to achieve common goals. (Competencies: partnering, political savvy, influencing/negotiating).

MANDATORY TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS (MTQs): You must also provide a separate narrative statement to address each of the following two (2) technical qualifications. The technical qualification narrative, not to exceed two (2) pages for each MTQ, must completely describe your experience in support of each of the qualifications shown below. Failure to address these specific qualification requirements in a separate narrative statement will eliminate you from consideration.

MTQ 1 - Demonstrated experience and knowledge leading within an organization that develops or applies safety principles and practices used in the transportation industry (e.g., engineering, operations, and regulations related to railroad, pipeline, or other modes of transportation, including the transportation of hazardous materials).

MTQ 2 - Demonstrated leadership experience and knowledge in the planning, execution, or oversight of accident investigations within the transportation industry.

Applicants should demonstrate in the resume and narrative statements that he/she has the described experience and can successfully perform the major portion of the work.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Your application will be evaluated by a rating and ranking panel on the quality and extent of your total accomplishments, experience, and education. Highly qualified candidates may be interviewed and a reference check conducted.

The NTSB Executive Resources Board (ERB) will review results of the evaluation and make a written recommendation on the final selections to the appointing authority. Unless you have already been certified by the OPM Qualifications Review Board (QRB) in the past, or received certification by an OPM approved Senior Executive Service Candidate Development Program, your ECQs must be certified by an OPM QRB before appointment may occur.