Community Planner (PDP) (Direct Hire)

Summary The Community Planner position is in a Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Federal-aid Division or Federal Lands Highway Division Office. This position assists with technical, administrative, and program management aspects of community planning in the agency.  Learn more about this agency Duties FHWA's PDP is an entry-level/new employee program designed to introduce participants to the technical, administrative, and program management aspects of administering the Federal-aid Highway and Federal Lands Highway Programs. The PDP is up to 24-months of entry-level career development training for participants to learn and apply technical skills to advance. The Federal Aid Highway Program supports state highway systems by providing financial assistance for the construction, maintenance, and operations of the nation's 3.9-million-mile highway network. This includes the Interstate Highway System as well as primary highways and secondary, local roads. FHWA is charged with implementing the Federal Aid Highway Program in cooperation with state and local governments. The mission of the Federal Lands Program is to improve transportation to and within Federal and Tribal Lands by providing technical services to the highway/transportation community as well as building accessible and scenic roads that ensure the many national treasures within our nation's Federal Lands can be enjoyed by all. As a Community Planner, you will: Review transportation plans, environmental and project development technical reports, impact analyses, and other documents. Participate with other Federal agencies and State Departments of Transportation and recommend changes to project plans and designs to eliminate conflicting factors relative to highway issues (with the goal of advancing Federal Aid and Federal Lands programs and projects). Coordinate programs and projects with other Federal, State, and local agencies, public officials, historic preservation offices, local developmental authorities, and other affected non-Federal organizations. Participate on interdisciplinary team reviews or activities, work groups, and task forces to address project or program issues or to ensure implementation for the transportation planning and project development processes. Demonstrate and promote new planning processes, procedures, techniques, and technology to the State, local agencies, and other groups. Participate in public involvement programs. Attend public hearings, agency meetings, and technical discussions to obtain information and data that have an impact on highway programs and projects. Prepare and present technical findings and project information. The ideal candidate for this position is a beginning level community planner who has a desire to learn the technical, administrative, and program management aspects of administering Federal Aid Highway and Federal Lands Highway programs. The ideal candidate should have between 0 to 5 years of experience, be mobile and willing to travel to remote locations for extended periods of time and be able to work independently and in a team environment. Requirements Conditions of employment You must be a U.S. citizen & meet specialized experience to qualify Submit application and resume online by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date Required documents must be submitted by the closing date. Direct Hire Authority/SME will be used to fill this position CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT: As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will 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: You may be required to complete a background/security investigation and meet preliminary requirements prior to onboarding. PCS/RELOCATION/RECRUITMENT:  Permanent Change of Station (PCS), Relocation, and Recruitment Incentive authorization varies by position/selection and a service agreement may be required. PROBATIONARY PERIOD: Applicants may be required to successfully complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed). MOBILITY AGREEMENT: Appointees will be required to sign a Mobility Agreement. If you decline a position due to geographic location, you will receive no further consideration under this announcement. This agreement states that as a part of your developmental assignment, you may be assigned to any location within the Agency, and that you will move to the new duty location. Failure to relocate can be used as the basis for non-selection and failure to relocate after completion of your Individual Development Plan (IDP) can be the basis for your termination from the Federal service. SERVICE AGREEMENT: Appointees will be required to sign an agreement to continue in service upon completion of the development training and serve in the agency twice the length of the training period (approximately 24 months). Qualifications To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must (1) meet the Education Requirement for the series, (2) provide a copy of transcripts for verification, AND (3) meet either the education or experience qualifications for the grade at which you are requesting consideration. To qualify for the GS-07 on Experience, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-05 it must include: Experience collecting and/or compiling transportation-related data to be used in planning transportation needs for a community; and experience communicating with others to gather and discuss or present data. To qualify for the GS-07 on Education alone, you must have at least 1 year of graduate-level education OR superior academic achievement. **Superior Academic Achievement is based on (1) class standing, (2) grade-point average, or (3) honor society membership. 1. Class standing -- Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses. 2. Grade-point average (G.P.A.) -- Applicants must have a grade-point average of: 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on their official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum. You can also qualify based on a combination of graduate level education and experience. This must be fully supported by your resume and transcripts, provided with your application. 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 using planning principles, methods, and practices to correlate data and follow an operation through a series of related detailed steps or processes in fact gathering or analysis; AND Experience conducting studies of the physical, social, and/or economic factors which are characteristic of a small community or a project area in a community; AND Experience preparing summaries, narrative statements, and analyses of the pertinent technical facts reported in project studies. 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. 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: Public Planning - Knowledge of functions, principles, methods, and techniques of public planning, including those related to community planning, outdoor recreation planning, and natural resource management, such as demand forecasting, environmental impact analysis, financial forecasting, and land use planning and zoning. Written Communication - Writes in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience. Oral Communication - Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, considering the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal clues, and responds appropriately. 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/ Students enrolled in a qualifying degree program can apply if the anticipated graduation date is within six months of closing date of the announcement. Graduation transcript must be received before start date. Other applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement. Education In order to qualify for this position, you must meet the education requirements: Degree: community planning; or related field such as urban affairs, architecture, landscape architecture, engineering, sociology, geography, economics, political science, or public administration that included at least 12 semester hours in the planning process, socioeconomic and physical elements of planning, urban and regional economic analysis, and development finance. Note: Applicants with degrees in related fields, such as those listed above, who do not have the 12 semester hours of specified course work must have had at least 1 year of work experience in community planning acquired under the supervision and guidance of a community planner. OR Combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major in one of the above disciplines, or a combination of related courses totaling at least 24 semester hours in any combination of the above disciplines of which at least 12 semester hours were in the planning process, and socioeconomic and physical elements of planning, plus appropriate experience or additional education. Additional 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, [email protected]. To learn more, please visit our page at: The Fair Chance to Compete Act | US Department of Transportation  The incumbent will be appointed to the GS-7, GS-9, or GS-11 level depending on qualifications. This position is developmental: Incumbents at the GS-7 or GS-9 may be non-competitively promoted to the next higher grade upon completion of an Individual Development Plan (IDP), meeting time-in-grade requirements, and the recommended approval for promotion by their supervisor. SALARY TABLE: The salary varies by location. To review the exact salary range per location go to: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/ RECRUITMENT INCENTIVE: Recruitment incentives may be considered. Expand Hide  additional information Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution. Benefits A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits. Review our benefits 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.