Program Analyst (Safety Risk Management) - DIRECT HIRE

Summary

This position is located in the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), Office of Transit Safety and Oversight (TSO), Office of Safety Management (TSO-10), Safety Assurance and Risk Management Division. The incumbent serves as a Program Analyst (Safety Risk Management) and independently plans and conducts safety risk analyses of substantial complexity, evaluates mitigations, and prepares findings and recommendations for TSO leadership.

Duties

As a Program Analyst (Safety Risk Management), you will: Apply established qualitative and quantitative methods to execute assigned transit safety data analyses, supporting hazard identification, risk assessments, and mitigation evaluations. Assist senior analysts in compiling, interpreting, and drafting preliminary data reports, briefings, and recommendations for FTA leadership. Provide project administration support for the Safety Risk Management (SRM) program by tracking project progress, monitoring schedules and budgets, and maintaining program documentation. Use plain language principles and communication best practices to draft clear technical summaries, memos, and visual presentation materials for varied audiences. Participate in FTA working groups, technical teams, regional office coordination, and industry conferences to support the continuous exchange of transit safety information. The ideal candidate is a mission-driven early career professional dedicated to advancing public transit safety who leverages strong data analysis to identify hazards, evaluate safety risks, and support evidence-based mitigations across the nation's transit systems.

Requirements

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT: As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance the organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for the Selective Service. GOVERNMENT TRAVEL CARD: This position involves travel. A government contractor-issued travel card will be issued and must be retained for official business only. BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: A background security investigation is required for all selected individuals. Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of the security investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to meet these requirements will be grounds for termination. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE: The Ethics in Government Act of 1978 requires the applicant selected for this position to submit a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450) within 30 days of appointment and annually thereafter. PROBATIONARY PERIOD: Applicants may be required to successfully complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed).

Qualifications

To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must meet either the education or experience qualifications for the grade at which you are requesting consideration. To qualify for the GS-09 on Experience, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-07 it must include: Experience in applying established qualitative and quantitative analysis techniques grounded in operations research, mathematics, probability and statistics, and related disciplines to conduct trend analysis. Experience participating in hazard identification activities. Experience preparing meeting agendas, recording minutes, and maintaining project schedules, action logs, project files, and other records. To qualify for the GS-09 on Education alone, you must have 2 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or have been awarded a master's or equivalent graduate degree. You can also qualify based on a combination of graduate education and experience. This must be fully supported by your resume and transcripts, provided with your application. To qualify for the GS-11 on Experience, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-09 it must include: Experience in applying established qualitative and quantitative analysis techniques grounded in operations research, mathematics, probability and statistics, and related disciplines to identify trends and anomalies, and prepare summary analyses. Experience conducting hazard identification analysis. Experience developing and maintaining project schedules and drafting program procedures, process maps, or other artifacts. To qualify for the GS-11 on Education alone, you must have 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree. You can also qualify based on a combination of higher level graduate education and experience. This must be fully supported by your resume and transcripts, provided with your application. To qualify for the GS-12 on Experience, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-11 it must include: Experience in applying established qualitative and quantitative analysis techniques grounded in operations research, mathematics, probability and statistics, and related disciplines to identify trends and emerging hazards. Experience conducting hazard identification analysis, assessing risk by evaluating likelihood and severity of hazards, and developing risk mitigations. Experience tracking projects, developing progress reports and schedules, drafting statements of work, or serving as technical monitor reviewing contractor deliverables. You cannot qualify on education at the GS-12 level; you must have experience. 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: Research - Knowledge of the scientific principles, methods, and processes used to conduct a systematic and objective inquiry; including study design, collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; and the reporting of results. Risk Management - Knowledge of the principles, methods, and tools used for risk assessment and mitigation, including assessment of failures and their consequences. Project Management - Knowledge of the principles, methods, or tools for developing, scheduling, coordinating, and managing projects and resources, including monitoring and inspecting costs, work, and contractor performance. Written Communication - Writes in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience. 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/frequently-asked-questions/employment-faq/federal-hiring/how-do-i-apply-for-federal-jobs/ Applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Evaluations

DESCRIBE YOUR EXPERIENCE: Please be clear and specific when describing your experience, as HR evaluates applications strictly on the facts provided and will not make assumptions. To receive full credit, your narrative responses must be written in paragraph format and explicitly match your resume. Begin each response by listing the exact position title, organization, employment dates (MM/YYYY–MM/YYYY), full- or part-time status, average weekly hours, and federal series/grade (if applicable). Within the body of the paragraph, clearly describe your specific duties, actions taken, tools used, and measurable outcomes. HR will cross-check these details against your resume; if your resume does not fully support every claim and timeframe, the experience will not be considered for credit, which may result in an ineligible determination. All applicants: Your application will be reviewed in two phases determine how you move forward in the hiring process. Phase I: Your resume will be reviewed to determine your technical qualifications for this position based on the required specialized experience. ONLY two (2) pages of your resume will be reviewed. Additional information beyond your resume (e.g., cover letter, links embedded in your resume) will not be reviewed. Applicants passing “Phase I” will move on to the “Phase II” of the assessment process where your application will be reviewed and rated based on the KSAs/Competencies listed in the vacancy announcement by a Subject Matter Expert (SME). You may preview questions for this vacancy.

How to apply To be considered, you must submit all required resume details and applicable documents no later than 11:59 PM (EST) by the closing date of the announcement. Note: Uploading documents to USAJobs does not automatically attach them to this application. You must review and verify that all files are successfully transferred to our system before final submission. Late or incomplete applications will be disqualified. 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://help.usajobs.gov/ If you are having difficulty applying online, please contact the DOT Automated Staffing Office via email at: Transjobs@dot.gov

Other information The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Transportation and its Operating Administrations from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to the Department of Transportation by email at, FairChanceAct@dot.gov. To learn more, please visit our page at: The Fair Chance to Compete Act | US Department of Transportation This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if similar vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.