Aerospace Engineer (Helicopters) - Direct Hire

National Transportation Safety Board•Washington, DC

6d•Onsite

About The Position

This position is located in the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Office of Aviation Safety (OAS) in Washington, D.C.. OAS examines various areas relating to the accident aircraft including powerplants, structures, systems, & maintenance records. Aviation engineering investigators serve as group chairman in major aviation investigations & conduct an objective technical investigation of the accident in order to prepare reports used to develop the final report & safety recommendations.

Requirements

U.S. Citizenship
If you are a male applicant born after 12/31/1959 and are required to register under the Military Selective Service Act, the Defense Authorization Act of 1986 requires that you be regi or you are not eligible for appointment in this agency.
Resume and supporting documents (see "How to Apply" section.)
Suitability for Federal employment
Financial Interest in transportation enterprises will be evaluated on a case by case basis
Bargaining Unit Position: YES - Bargaining unit represented by NTSB-AFGE Local 2211
Direct Deposit is required.
This position is subject to a one-year probationary period unless the appointee has previously met the requirements as described in 5 CFR Part 315.
You may be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report, OGE-450, upon entering the position and annually.
Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement.
A background security investigation will be required for all new hires.
Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication.
Two-Page Resume Limit: Resumes must not be more than two standard single-sided pages (or one page if submitting a front and back, hard-copy).
Multiple and subsequent vacancies may be filled from this announcement.
THIS POSITION IS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR REMOTE TELEWORK.
To qualify for this position, you must meet both the Educational Requirements and the Specialized Experience as described below.
You must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 in the federal service.
Specialized experience is defined as : executing the engineering evaluation of helicopter components (e.g. VSTOL powerplants, structures, control systems and dynamics design) for root cause failure analysis on major helicopter malfunctions; and designing, overseeing, or executing comprehensive inspection techniques, functional tests, or hazard analyses to identify systemic helicopter issues and authoring formal, technical engineering reports used to inform regulatory compliance, airworthiness certification, or industry-wide safety standards; and acting as a technical authority or organizational representative to communicate aerospace technical information with external stakeholders such as major aircraft manufacturers, national and international aviation organizations, or other federal agencies.
Your resume must clearly show the specialized experience and competencies related to this position.
Failure to demonstrate how you possess the education, specialized experience and/or competencies will result in an "Ineligible" rating.
EDUCATION: A. 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree in professional engineering.
To be acceptable, the curriculum must: (1) be in a school of engineering with at least one curriculum accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) as a professional engineering curriculum; or (2) include differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced than first-year physics and chemistry) in five of the following seven areas of engineering science or physics: (a) statics, dynamics; (b) strength materials (stress-strain relationships);(c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (d) thermodynamics; (e) electrical fields and circuits; (f) nature and properties of materials (relating particle and aggregate structure to properties); and (g) any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science and physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics.
OR Combination of education and experience -- college-level education, training, and/or technical experience that furnished (1) a thorough knowledge of the physical and mathematical sciences underlying engineering, and (2) a good understanding, both theoretical and practical, of the engineering sciences and techniques and their applications to one of the branches of engineering.
The adequacy of such background must be demonstrated by one of the following:
1. Professional registration or licensure -- Current registration as an Engineer Intern (EI), Engineer in Training (EIT)1, or licensure as a Professional Engineer (PE) by any State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico.
2. Written Test -- Evidence of having successfully passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE)2 examination or any other written test required for professional registration by an engineering licensure board in the various States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico.
3. Specified academic courses -- Successful completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences and that included the courses specified in the basic requirements under paragraph A.
4. Related curriculum -- Successful completion of a curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree in an appropriate scientific field, e.g., engineering technology, physics, chemistry, architecture, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, or geology, may be accepted in lieu of a bachelor's degree in engineering, provided the applicant has had at least 1 year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance.
You MUST provide either official or unofficial transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims.
All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement.
GENERAL EDUCATION: All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at an institution that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education for it to be credited towards qualifications.
FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.
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.

Nice To Haves

This position is eligible for ad-hoc/situational telework as determined by the agency policy.

Responsibilities

Support major team launches for national and international investigations.
Serve as Helicopter Airworthiness Group Chairperson on incidents investigated by the Safety Board by providing authoritative engineering expertise on helicopter and VSTOL powerplants, structures, control systems and dynamics design, manufacturing, certification, and maintenance.
Participate in on-site investigations and initial analyses of helicopter evidence to identify requirements for post-accident examinations, test plans, and investigations to determine root cause.
Coordinate and travel to follow-up examinations of components that may be critical to the accident cause or contributing factors.
Lead examination and document observations in field notes.
Collaborate with the Investigator-In-Charge (IIC) by providing factual notes that summarize the collection of findings from on-site investigation and follow-up testing throughout the investigation.
Prepare factual and analysis reports for helicopter accidents based upon facts, conditions, and circumstances derived from the investigation.
Correlate these findings with those of other Group Chairpersons to assist in identifying the cause(s) of the accident.
Develop safety recommendations for hazardous conditions and prepare comprehensive, factual conclusions for the Safety Board's accident report based on investigation findings.