The Railroad Safety Inspector (Hazardous Materials):
- Plans and carries out an itinerary of periodic inspections of the handling of hazardous materials at all rail facilities, including intermodal facilities, and shipper/consignee locations. Also, inspects rail cars, freight containers and intermodal bulk containers for compliance with applicable hazardous materials regulations, freight car equipment and safety appliance standards.
- Conducts investigations of collisions, reportable derailment, and unintentional releases of hazardous materials, or other accidents/incidents resulting in serious injury to person(s) or to the property of a railroad occurring on the line of any common carrier engaged in interstate transportation.
- Determines probable cause of accident or incident and if Federal regulations were violated.
- Develops comprehensive reports (e.g., accident, incident, and notices of probable violation) which outline findings and recommendations.
The Ideal Candidate: This position is perfect for a mid-level professional with strong technical background in applying current Federal railroad safety standards, as well as strong analytical and communication skills. The candidate must have experience in conducting inspections. The candidate must be mission focused and have the ability to interface with all levels of railroad management as well as the rail labor unions.
PLEASE NOTE: This is an Open Continuous announcement. Applications will be reviewed and selections will be made at any time before the closing date. If your application is referred to the selecting official, you will be notified via USJOBS. All applicants will receive a final update once selections are complete.
- 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.
- PROBATIONARY PERIOD: Applicants may be required to successfully complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed).
- DRIVER'S LICENSE: All Railroad Safety Inspectors are required to possess a valid state drivers license at all times while employed by the Federal Rail Administration (FRA) in order to perform the duties of their positions.
- MOBILE WORK: Duty station will be serving the geographical area of selection. The duty location for mobile worker could be your residence or other approved mobile work site(s) and is subject to management approval. You will be required to establish and maintain a residence in the same geographical area as the preponderance of work for this position. (Or within 50 commuting miles of your assigned duty location).
- DRUG TESTING: This position has been determined to be a critical safety/security position as defined in the Department of Transportation (DOT) Order, DOT 3910.1D entitled "Drug and Alcohol-Free Departmental Workplace." Therefore, if selected for the position you will be required to submit to a pre-employment/pre-appointment drug test, you will also be subject to Random Drug Testing.
- BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: You may be required to complete a background/security investigation and meet preliminary requirements prior to onboarding.
To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must meet the specialized experience qualifications for the grade at which you are requesting consideration.
To be qualified for a Railroad Safety Inspector (Hazardous Materials), the Qualifications Standard states you MUST have demonstrated knowledge in the following areas:
- Railroad industry, including economic and operating considerations and equipment.
- General safety and health principles and practices applicable to the railroad industry.
- Railroad accident investigation techniques.
- Communication in writing and orally.
- Practical knowledge of the typical reactions of different hazardous commodities to various environmental conditions and of safe procedures for containing or controlling fires, leaks, or explosions of these materials.
- Knowledge of the construction, testing, and retesting of containers used to ship hazardous materials by rail; AND
- Knowledge of Federal regulations and standards governing the shipment of hazardous materials by rail, including containerization, loading, handling, documentation, and placarding.
In addition to the above requirement, you MUST also have the following Selective Factor:
- Knowledge applying typical reactions of a wide variety of hazardous materials to various environmental conditions, and safe procedures for containing or controlling fires, explosions, or leaks of the materials.
To qualify for the Grade 12, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-11 it must include:
- Experience applying federal regulations and standards for purpose of compliance to the inspection of containers and handling documentation procedures of hazardous materials at rail facilties, including inter-modal, shippers/consignee, and tank car manufacturing facilities.
- Experience analyzing data and conducting inspections to determine probable cause of accidents/incidents pertaining to the transportation of hazardous materials.
- Experience communicating effectively in a professional setting, including, but not limited to preparing written materials such as correspondence, reports, and presentations; conveying technical or complex information clearly; and tailoring communication style to the audience needs and/organization context.
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:
- Accident Investigation- Knowledge of guidelines, regulations, and procedures associated with an accident investigation including preservation of accident scene, root cause analysis, and evidence detection and handling.
- Hazardous Materials- Knowledge of hazardous materials and waste and their uses, interactions, dangers, production, handling, storage, and disposal.
- Attention to Detail- Is through when performing work and conscientious about attention to detail.
- Planning and Evaluating- Organizes work, sets priorities, and determines resource requirements; determines short-or long-term goals and strategies to achieve them; coordinates with other organizations or parts of the organization to accomplish goals; monitors progress and evaluates outcomes.
- Oral Communication- Makes clear and convincing oral presentations. Listens effectively; clarifies information as needed.
- Written Communication- Writes 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/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-policies/#url=e4
All applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
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
RAILROAD STOCK: Pursuant to 5 C.F.R. Parts 2635.403 and 6001.104, all FRA employees (or spouses or minor children of FRA employees) are specifically prohibited from holding railroad stock (including shares of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. which owns 100% of BNSF), whether held outright, in an IRA, or in a 401(k) or other plan. (Employees may hold a mutual fund which invests in railroad stocks, so long as the mutual fund does not invest more than 30% of its assets in such prohibited investments.) Employees having a prohibited financial interest must divest themselves of railroad stock within 90 days after their appointment to their positions. Neither the rule against holding railroad stock, nor the divestiture period, is in any way affected by the existence of re-employment rights which employees might have with railroad companies. Nor is there any monetary threshold for applicability of the rule against ownership of railroad stock; all dollar amounts are prohibited.
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.
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.
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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.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
For this announcement, applications will be reviewed to determine if the applicant meets the basic qualifications for this position. The applications of individuals who meet the basic qualifications will be assessed to validate that the applicant possesses the Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) at the level of proficiency needed to perform the job successfully. Applicants who are found to possess the necessary KSAs to perform the job may be referred to the selecting official for further consideration.
This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if similar vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.
You may preview questions for this vacancy.
RESUME: In accordance with the OPM memorandum titled Merit Hiring Plan, dated May 29, 2025, resumes with a maximum of two (2) pages in length will be accepted as part of your application. These should be legible and in a readable font size. A determination of your eligibility and/or qualifications will be based only on those two (2) pages.
Your resume MUST contain specific information that can be used to make a qualification determination, including employment beginning and ending dates for each position, whether employment is Full-time or Part-time, or average number of hours worked per week, and position titles. If the position is/was in the Federal government, you will need to provide the position series and grade level. The resume should show relevant experience and education, as well as support the required specialized experience. For assistance with the resume builder, please visit: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to
DISPLACED EMPLOYEES: If requesting consideration under the Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or Interagency CTAP program (ICTAP), you must meet the standards for this vacancy and provide all of the following documents:
- your most recent performance appraisal,
- the proof of eligibility letter from the Agency, and
- your most current SF-50, displaying current series and grade.
Qualified CTAP/ICTAP candidates receive priority and will be referred to the hiring manager.
For more information, please review the OPM Employee's Guide to Career Transition.
Failure to submit any of the required documents by the closing date of the vacancy will result in your removal from consideration for this position. Please review your application prior to final submission and ensure you have submitted all appropriate documents. Uploading documents to USA Jobs does NOT ensure inclusion with your application to our system. You must verify that the documents are in the system with your application prior to final submission.
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
