Aviation Safety Inspector (Air Carrier - Avionics), Principal Avionics Inspector

Aviation Safety Inspector (Air Carrier - Avionics), Principal Avionics Inspector

Department: Department of Transportation

Location(s): San Juan, Puerto Rico, Salt Lake City, Utah, Herndon, Virginia, Richmond, Virginia, Renton, Washington, Spokane, Washington, Charleston, West Virginia, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Casper, Wyoming, Vestavia Hills, Alabama, Anchorage, Alaska, Fairbanks, Alaska, Juneau, Alaska, Scottsdale, Arizona, Little Rock, Arkansas, Alameda, California, Fresno, California, Lawndale, California, Long Beach, California, Riverside, California, Sacramento, California, San Diego, California, San Jose, California, Van Nuys, California, Denver, Colorado, Enfield, Connecticut, Miramar, Florida, Orlando, Florida, Tampa, Florida, Hapeville, Georgia, Honolulu, Hawaii, Boise, Idaho, Des Plaines, Illinois, Springfield, Illinois, West Chicago, Illinois, Plainfield, Indiana, Ankeny, Iowa, Wichita, Kansas, Louisville, Kentucky, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Portland, Maine, Glen Burnie, Maryland, Burlington, Massachusetts, Belleville, Michigan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Jackson, Mississippi, Kansas City, Missouri, Saint Ann, Missouri, Helena, Montana, Lincoln, Nebraska, Las Vegas, Nevada, Reno, Nevada, Saddle Brook, New Jersey, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Farmingdale, New York, Garden City, New York, Latham, New York, Rochester, New York, Charlotte, North Carolina, Greensboro, North Carolina, Fargo, North Dakota, Cincinnati, Ohio, Columbus, Ohio, North Olmsted, Ohio, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Hillsboro, Oregon, Allentown, Pennsylvania, New Cumberland, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, West Columbia, South Carolina, Rapid City, South Dakota, Memphis, Tennessee, Nashville, Tennessee, Houston, Texas, Irving, Texas, Lubbock, Texas, San Antonio, Texas

Salary Range: $107446 - $139684 Per Year

Job Summary: The Principal Avionics Inspector (PAI) is responsible for recommending new and amended Title 14Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) for the development and implementation of standards, programs, and procedures for FAA field personnel and the public governing all matters to air carrier avionics safety issues.

Major Duties:

• The PAI receives administrative direction from management in terms of broadly defined missions or functions. The PAI, mostly independently plans, designs, and carries out programs, projects, studies, or other work. The PAI provides policy assistance to field level Aviation Safety Inspectors (ASIs) on difficult or complex policy interpretations. The work is normally accepted without change. Completed work may be reviewed for adherence to Federal aviation Administration (FAA) policy and for assurance that project requirements have been fulfilled. Some FG-14 assignments involve Service wide responsibility for application of expert knowledge of flight avionics for an advanced multiengine turbojet aircraft. Such employees are concerned with all aspects of the operational capabilities and limitations of the aircraft. Other FG-14 inspectors establish technical procedures and performance yardsticks. Additionally, the PAI may review complete flight operation or maintenance programs for major air carriers who are leaders in the aviation industry, or who have problems of comparable scope and complexity, or a uniquely complex group of general aviation organizations. Assignments at this level are of great scope and unusual complexity; the organizations monitored are major factors in the industry. ASIs at the FG-14 level establish technical procedures and performance indexes and review complete maintenance programs for major air carriers who are leaders in the aviation industry, or who have problems of comparable scope and complexity, or a uniquely complex group of general aviation organizations. Assignments at this level are of great scope and unusual complexity. The following assignments are illustrative: 1. As a Service wide expert on a particular type of sophisticated multiengine turbojet aircraft: −Advises other inspectors of major changes in the operation of the aircraft; −Standardizes procedures and judgments used by inspectors to evaluate the operation of the aircraft; −Evaluates new training methods and equipment (e.g., simulators) for initial certification; −Serves on national boards that determine the minimum equipment necessary to operate a particular type of aircraft safely; and −Serves on boards that evaluate incidents, accidents, complaints, and other serious problems relating to the aircraft. Develops plans to resolve problems. 2. As the principal representative in regulatory surveillance of air carrier activities, exercises certificate authority over a major air carrier with very extensive and complex avionics. Analyzes flight involving large fleets of turbojet aircraft engaged in large-scale passenger and freight service; or evaluates maintenance activities and complete aircraft overhaul facilities which are equipped and staffed to handle the latest and most sophisticated turbojet aircraft and associated systems. This level includes responsibility for nationally and internationally prominent carriers who operate the largest, most advanced fleets of turbojet aircraft in the industry. (By comparison, FG-13 employees exercise certificate authority over less complex air carriers or perform major portions of the certification, inspection, and surveillance for major carriers under the direction of FG-14 inspectors.) 3. Exercises certificate authority and safety responsibility over a complex of broad and varied major air carriers in terms of size and complexity of aircraft fleet employed, scope and technical complexity of operations, management sophistication, industry leadership, and public impact. The magnitude, intensity, and scope of program responsibility are typically such as to require significant and regular assistance of lower graded inspectors. Assists in the preparation of a variety of highly technical and high priority correspondence to the aviation industry, other governmental agencies, members of Congress, and the general public. Performs other duties as required.

Qualifications: Applicants must meet the Office of Personnel Management Qualification Standards: General Requirements for All Positions: Not more than two separate incidents involving Federal Aviation regulations violations in the last 5 years Valid State driver's license Fluency in the English language No chemical dependencies or drug abuse that could interfere with job performance, and High School diploma or equivalent. Medical Requirements for All Positions: Applicants must be physically able to perform the duties of the Aviation Safety Inspector position in a safe and efficient manner, with or without a reasonable accommodation.The minimum medical requirements include the following requirements: Have good distant vision in each eye and be able to read, without strain, printed materials the size of typewritten characters (glasses and contact lenses permitted); Have the ability to hear the conversational voice (hearing aid permitted); and Not have any physical condition that would cause them to be a hazard to themselves or others that would interfere with their ability to fly as passengers in a variety of aircraft. In addition, applicants for positions that require participation in the operation of the aircraft must: Possess a valid second – class medical certificate in accordance with FAA regulations; and Pass recurrent medical examinations as prescribed by the FAA. Applicants not requiring valid second-class medical certificates who are tentatively selected will be required to: Provide documentation from a board-certified physician certifying that they meet the minimal medical requirements; or Individuals who do not meet the minimum medical requirements but who are otherwise qualified will receive an individualized assessment to determine whether they can perform the essential functions of the position. When the predominant work involves air carrier avionics, applicants for Aviation Safety Inspector (Airworthiness) positions must meet all of the following requirements. Aircraft avionics experience involving the maintenance, repair, and troubleshooting of installed avionics systems on aircraft. Avionics maintenance experience on aircraft of more than 12,500 pounds maximum certificated takeoff weight. Aircraft avionics work experience (which could include supervision or auditing) in a repair station; air carrier repair facility; military repair facility; or local, state, or Federal governmental agency within the last 3 years. To qualify for this position you must demonstrate in your application that you possess at least one year of experience equivalent to FV-I, FG/GS-13 grade level as an Aviation Safety Inspector. 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 includes: investigating and reporting on accidents, incidents and violations. For more information regarding the minimum eligibility requirements for Aviation Safety Inspector's please visit the following website:https://www.opm.gov/qualifications/Standards/IORs/gs1800/1825.htm To assist in determining qualification requirements, applicants transferring between specialties at the same grade level are strongly encouraged to complete the appropriate Qualifications Assessment Tool (QAT) check sheet and upload it along with their resume. Check sheets are contained in Order 3410.26, Flight Standards Service Air Carrier and General Aviation Qualifications Assessment Tool for AFS Aviation Safety Inspectors. This order is located at: https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Order/3410.26.pdf. Note: Recency of specialized experience and the need for a valid second-class FAA medical certificate is waived for employees currently in the 1825 series. As a part of the Federal-Wide Hiring Reform Initiative (streamlining the hiring process), the FAA is committed to eliminating the use of the Knowledge, Skills and Ability (KSA) narratives from the application in the hiring process for all announcements. Therefore, as an applicant for this announcement, you are NOT required to provide a narrative response in the text box listed below each KSA. In lieu of providing a KSA narrative response in the text box listed below each KSA in your work history, please include information that provides specific examples of how you meet the response level or answer you choose for each KSA. Your work history examples should be specific and clearly reflect the highest level of ability. Your KSA answers will be evaluated further to validate whether the level that you selected is appropriate. Your answers may be adjusted by a Human Resources Specialist as appropriate. Eligible applicants meeting the minimum qualification requirements and selective factor(s), if applicable, may be further evaluated on the Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA) listed in the announcement. Based on this evaluation, applicants will be placed in one of the following categories: score order, category grouping, or alphabetical and referred to the selecting official for consideration.

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: 2026-03-23