Department of Transportation

Aviation Safety Inspector (GAO), Assistant Principal Operations Inspector (APOI)

San Juan, Puerto Rico, Salt Lake City, Utah, Herndon, Virginia, Richmond, Virginia, Renton, Washingt Full time

Aviation Safety Inspector (GAO), Assistant Principal Operations Inspector (APOI)

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: $90025 - $117034 Per Year

Job Summary: The incumbent will serve as an Assistant Principal Operations Inspector on a Joint Transition Team with the Denver FSDO and will assist the POI in certificate management and check airmen observations within a large Part 135 merger.

Major Duties:

  • Under the general direction of the Principal Inspector (Operations) or Supervisory Principal Inspector (Operations), accomplishes the following duties: Technical Administration - Assures on a continuing basis that assigned organizations are properly and adequately organized, staffed, and equipped; have and conduct an adequate training program, including an acceptable record keeping system; and have facilities and procedures that meet all regulatory requirements. Chairs joint FAA industry meetings; maintains regular contact with organizations assigned; and coordinates with top management officials. Is responsible for the conduct of enforcement investigations and preparation of final reports and recommendations on disposition. Performs or supervises the emergency suspension of certificates or cancellations of operations specifications. Conducts or directs the reexamination of certificated airmen or recertification of an operator or agency. Conducts investigations of public complaints, congressional inquiries, and aircraft incidents and accidents. Provides verbal and/or written technical assistance to legal counsel, testifies at court trials and formal hearings, and gives depositions. Coordinates Minimum Equipment List (MEL) approvals with principal airworthiness inspectors. Takes enforcement in instances of noncompliance with the MEL. Coordinates with geographic inspectors for the accomplishment of non-routine, air carrier surveillance. Certification - Approves/accepts or disapproves/rejects manuals, school curriculum, and revisions to such. May require amendments to previously approved documents to accomplish the following: correct any conflict with regulatory requirements; eliminate unsafe practices; and/or improve the specificity of instruction. Evaluates training programs to insure they meet the requirements of the Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR). Approves /disapproves these training programs including flight simulators, training devices, or other such equipment used in these programs. Approves/disapproves designation of check airmen and makes recommendations on the appointment of designees. Evaluates operations and facilities by on-site inspections and review of reports by geographic inspectors and others. Negotiates changes essential or desirable in their policies and procedures. Evaluates and approves/disapproves requests, to operate under conditions not previously authorized and may prescribe additional conditions and limitations as appropriate. Approves the original issuance of operations specifications and issues original operating certificates. Approves amendments to operations specifications. Evaluates the safety of proposed changes in route or airport authorizations; prescribes any changes required before approval. Directs or participates in proving flight evaluations to determine compliance with FARs. Recommends changes that will be required prior to approval. Surveillance - Is responsible for monitoring all phases of operations including: training programs and records; base and station facilities; and route systems. Coordinates with and reviews reports from geographic inspectors and others to identify trends which indicate deterioration in the safety of operations. Directs or suggests changes required to correct such trends. Is responsible for monitoring the activities of designated examiners, check airmen, and instructors. Other - May be assigned other duties and responsibilities which are non-grade controlling. The incumbent will be required to participate in the flight program as an aircrew member and, as such, must meet medical and flight currency requirements as set forth in agency orders governing the operation of aircraft. The inspector, when so directed, is required to keep an appropriate control point informed as to his/her whereabouts and the phone number at which he/she can be reached in the event of an aviation incident/accident requiring FAA investigation.

Qualifications: Applicants for all Aviation Safety Inspector positions 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. To qualify for this position you must meet the Office of Personnel Management Qualification Standards for the 1825 series in the General Aviation Operation specialty which requires the following: Valid, unexpired Flight Instructor Certificate with single and multi-engine airplane and instrument airplane ratings. Must have given a minimum of 200 hours of flight instruction in an aircraft. Professional flying skill as demonstrated in a flight check to Commercial Pilot Certificate with an instrument rating; Possession of Airline Transport Pilot Certificate or Commercial Pilot Certificate with instrument airplane rating. Minimum of 100 flight hours within the last 3 years. Minimum of 1,500 total flight hours. Possession of single and multi-engine land airplane ratings. Not more than 2 flying accidents in the last 5 years in which the applicant's pilot error was involved. Possession of a valid second-class FAA medical certificate. In addition, applicants must demonstrate in your application that you possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the FV-H or GS/FG-12 level. 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: Assisting, conducting, or performing various technical functions related to certification, surveillance, investigation, and compliance recommendations of operational activities on FAR Part 135 air carriers/air operators. The recency of specialized experience is waived for current FAA employees in the 1825 series. Applicants should include examples of specialized experience in work history. Qualifications must be met by the closing date of this vacancy announcement. Errors or omissions may impact your rating or may result in you not being considered for the job.

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: 2025-12-29