Air Traffic Control Specialist (Senior Advisor)
Department: Department of Transportation
Location(s): Chicago, Illinois, Fort Worth, Texas, Houston, Texas
Salary Range: $112283 - $173980 Per Year
Job Summary: This position is located in the Air Traffic Organization, Systems Operations, National Airspace System (NAS) Operations Directorate, Deputy Director of System Operations (DDSOs). This organization serves as the focal point for NAS-wide engagement around system efficiency.
Major Duties:
- As the Senior Advisor assigned to one of the Deputy Directors System Operations (DDSO) in the Air Traffic Control System Command Center (ATCSCC), this position plans and monitors multiple activities and programs in a complex matrix organization within an assigned facility area. Provides expertise at the national level by analyzing and coordinating traffic management initiatives to facilitate engagement between the ATCSCC and local Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) facilities to coordinate support activities for NAS-wide efforts such as the Air Traffic Organization (ATO) 2020 Efficiency Performance Initiative. Due to frequent interaction with customers the Senior Advisor works closely with other ATO operational directorates and other FAA organizations to influence decisions that directly or indirectly impact operational efficiency. Serves in a senior leadership position that influences a highly technical multi-layered workforce by facilitating the integration of air traffic services from multiple organizations and advocating the tactical use of concepts and technologies to advance the strategic goals of the FAA. Coordinates the work with multiple organizational units and projects, and across multiple functions and/or disciplines, within the assigned facilities. The advisor will work with the Group Managers of the service centers, District Managers (DMs) and facility Air Traffic Managers (ATM) under a shared services concept and with the cooperation of field facility managers. Applies experience and expert technical knowledge of air traffic flow management procedures and operations to ensure that traffic flow plans are integrated with the operational philosophy of System Operations, the ATO and FAA. Maintains situational awareness of the national airspace to ensure the immediate and proper initiation of traffic management programs. Provides input on policies, standards and procedures regarding air traffic flow management, to support the safe, secure and efficient use of navigable airspace. Coordinates traffic management initiatives in a FAA air traffic control facility to address tactical issues that require cooperation between different facilities and Service Units. Ensures a coordinated response by working with counterparts such as Directors of Operation, ATMs, and DMs and maintains positive working relationships with counterparts at the appropriate levels of other organizations to enable problem solving at the lowest levels. Participates in Crisis Response/Emergency Operations (CR/EO) as needed. Collaborates with the ATCSCC for NAS customer interface related to CR/EO. Works closely with ATO Security, FAA Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency, DOD and other federal, state and local level agencies as a NAS subject matter expert. Meets and has frequent contacts with both internal and external customers including higher ranking managers and supervisors, service center personnel, members of state, local and federal government, other foreign government aviation officials, general public, representatives of the aviation industry and military. Often represents the FAA at the regional/national level as the agency focal point for major traffic management projects or programs. Contacts take place in meetings and conferences or in unplanned situations where the DDSO is designated as a contact point and these meetings have the potential for considerable consequence to the NAS.
Qualifications: To be considered for a temporary detail assignment, applicants are not required to meet the qualification requirements for this position; however, applicants must provide sufficient information in their work history to show how your experience relates to the duties of this position and the desired knowledge, skills, and abilities. Consideration will be given to those individuals with experience that is directly related to the duties and responsibilities of this position, in addition to the knowledge, skills, and abilities stated within this announcement.
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. We strongly encourage applicants to utilize the USAJOBS resume builder in the creation of resumes. 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: 2026-03-26