Air Traffic Control Specialist

Air Traffic Control Specialist

Department: Department of Transportation

Location(s): Des Moines, Washington

Salary Range: $147731 - $228000 Per Year

Job Summary: Serves as the Senior Advisor to the Director of Operations. The Senior Advisor provides recommendations, technical support, advice, and coordination of highly complex and challenging technical policy issues and performance to the Director of Operations and other managers within the service area.

Major Duties:

• Performs complex, specialized air traffic control assignments. Applies experience and expert technical knowledge of air traffic control procedures and operations. Analyzes air traffic operations to identify issues/problems within the National Airspace Systems (NAS) and programs. Provides advice on innovative approaches and solutions to issues under minimal direction. The Air Traffic Control Specialist will identify operational and technical issues that can have a political impact and make recommendations to the Director of Operations. As a Senior Advisor, he/she provides updates on the issues until resolution. Additional assignments involve furnishing expertise at the national level in a major air traffic control staff function or major national program as a senior project manager or team leader for large, challenging activities. Provides advice and guidance to technical workforce, including functionally integrated teams of operational and support personnel who provide air traffic control services and operations throughout a geographic area. Applies principles of program/project management to facilitate the integration of air traffic operations from multiple organizations. The work impacts the safe, orderly and expeditious movement of aircraft as well segments of the aviation industry. The Senior Advisor will manage and coordinate multiple on-going projects and programs that include providing technical guidance and resources; using expert knowledge of NAS equipment, procedures, or safety interventions; managing the planning and execution of programs to ensure overall service consistency within and among the service areas. Often represents the organization at the national level as the focal point for major projects or programs. Recommends organization positions on major programs and issues to management. Prepares and reviews reports or policies for internal and external distribution. Conceives, plans, and conducts studies involving complex issues and unique problems. Provides expert guidance and instruction to both internal and external organizations to address diverse complex issues which often cross multiple projects/programs or functional and technical areas. Collaborates with union officials and representatives in order to achieve objectives. Applies knowledge of the interrelationship between FAA and Air Traffic Organization organizational components, their functions and operations. Ensures that service unit leadership is routinely briefed regarding the status of programs and projects and made aware of potential and actual problem areas that may adversely affect progress. The Senior Advisor tracks and reports the status of service area initiatives; facilitates meetings and conferences, assists in research, content development, and the creation of presentations. The Senior Advisor validates the effectiveness of inter management across the service area through repeatedly reviewing and auditing day to day operations; influencing cultural to decrease costs while maintaining the same level of operational performance. Develops new methodologies and techniques to solve organization challenges; prioritizes and manages multiple projects simultaneously and follows-up on time critical issues. Interfaces with headquarters Senior Advisors on projects and requests for data analysis or data collection and dissemination of information to Air Traffic Operations facilities; represents the service area Deputy Director by working with multiple ATO organizations, other FAA lines of business, Department of Defense, the aviation industry and state/city/county officials. Conducts comprehensive assessments and reviews of air traffic operations to provide a complete synopsis to superiors, peers, field facilities and customers. Identifies, evaluates and assesses aviation of policies, procedures and programs and the ability to identify related strategic opportunities and risks for ATO Services.

Qualifications: To view the complete qualification standard, applicants should reference- U.S. Office of Personnel Group Coverage Qualification Standard for Air Traffic Control Series, 2152: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/2100/air-traffic-control-series-2152/ To qualify for this position at the K-band you must demonstrate in your application that you have experience as an air traffic controller in a military or civilian air traffic facility that demonstrated possession of the knowledge, skills and abilities required to perform the level of work of the specialization for which application is made. This experience must have provided a comprehensive knowledge of appropriate air traffic control laws, rules and regulations. Creditable experience must have equipped applicants with the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the full range of duties of the position for which application is being made. To qualify for this position, you must demonstrate in your application that you possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to FV-J/ FG/GS-14. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. Specialized experience is: Experience in the identification, evaluation, assessment or application of air traffic policies, procedures and programs and the ability to identify related strategic opportunities and risks for ATO Services. Applicants should include examples of specialized experience in their work history. Qualifications must be met by the closing date of this vacancy announcement. Interview Policy: Some, all, or none of the applicants may be interviewed. Pay Retention: In accordance with HRPM. EMP 1.29/1.29A, this position may be Career Enhancement Assignment/Career Progression. The selectee(s) may be eligible for pay retention. Career Diversity is not enhanced when an employee is assigned to a staff or supervisory position in which they previously held on a permanent basis. CEP/CP selectees will be required to certify eligibility. This is a temporary opportunity that may be terminated, extended, or made permanent without further competition at the discretion of the agency.

How to Apply: Applicants may be required to complete one or multiple assessments as part of the evaluation process. This assessment aims to evaluate the competencies and qualifications essential for the position. You must apply online to receive consideration. Your application must be submitted by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the Close Date for it to be accepted. If you are applying for positions associated with FAA registers, your application must be submitted at the time a referral list is created in order to receive consideration for positions associated with a register. RESUMES ARE LIMITED TO TWO PAGES. IN DESCRIBING YOUR WORK EXPERIENCE AND/OR EDUCATION, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC AND INCLUDE INFORMATION AS IT RELATES TO THE QUALIFICATIONS AND SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS POSITION. Please ensure EACH work history includes ALL of the following information: Job Title (include series and grade if Federal Job) Relevant work experience: should align to the Job Announcement and address all required qualifications and include job title, employer name, start/end dates, number of hours worked per week. Education, certification or licensure: If required, education should include school/institution name, completion date, degree type and GPA. Determining length of General or Specialized Experience is dependent on the above information and failure to provide ALL of this information may result in a finding of ineligible. You may upload completed documents to your USAJOBS Account. This will provide you the opportunity to utilize the uploaded information again when applying for future vacancies. Please see this guide, Document Upload Guide, for more information on uploading and re-using the documents in your applications.

Application Deadline: 2026-03-30