Aviation Safety Inspector (Air Carrier Avionics - APPM)

Federal Aviation Administration • Louisville, KY

1d

About The Position

The Assistant Partial Program Manager (Avionics) Part 121 serves as the full assistant to a Partial Program Manager (Avionics) Part 121, performing airworthiness inspections, surveillance, and certification duties for air carriers, air operators, air agencies, airmen, and designees. The inspector is responsible for ensuring assigned organizations comply with Federal Aviation Regulations governing maintenance, preventive maintenance, and alterations.

Under the general direction of a Front Line Manager or Supervisory Principal Avionics Inspector, the inspector assists with technical administration, certification, and surveillance of assigned programs. This includes monitoring organizations’ staffing, equipment, training, facilities, and procedures; evaluating maintenance programs and manuals; conducting investigations and enforcement actions; and inspecting air-carrier maintenance operations. The role may also include other duties and responsibilities.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship.
• Selective Service registration for males born after December 31, 1959.
• Submit an SF-50.
• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Valid state driver's license.
• Fluency in English.
• No more than two separate incidents involving Federal aviation regulations violations in the last five years.
• No chemical dependency or drug abuse that could interfere with job performance.
• Be physically able to perform the duties safely and efficiently; meet the stated vision, hearing, and physical-condition requirements.
• For positions requiring participation in aircraft operations, possess a valid FAA second-class medical certificate and pass recurrent FAA medical examinations. Tentatively selected applicants not requiring that certificate must provide qualifying documentation from a board-certified physician or undergo an individualized assessment if they do not meet minimum medical requirements.
• Aircraft avionics experience maintaining, repairing, and troubleshooting installed avionics systems.
• Avionics maintenance experience on aircraft with a maximum certificated takeoff weight over 12,500 pounds.
• Within the last three years, aircraft avionics work experience (which may include supervision or auditing) in a repair station, air-carrier repair facility, military repair facility, or local, state, or federal government agency.
• For FG-13: one year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to GS/FG-12 or Pay Band H as an Aviation Safety Inspector, Air Carrier Avionics.
• FG-13 specialized experience must include monitoring, planning, or conducting inspection programs; ensuring assigned organizations meet requirements for organization, staffing, equipment, training, records, facilities, and procedures; and conducting enforcement investigations and preparing final reports and recommendations on disposition.
• Part 121 avionics experience.

Nice To Haves

• Applicants transferring between specialties at the same grade level are strongly encouraged to complete the applicable Qualifications Assessment Tool check sheet and upload it with their resume.

Responsibilities

• Assure assigned organizations are properly organized, staffed, and equipped, and maintain adequate training programs, records, facilities, and procedures that meet regulatory requirements.
• Visit organization stations and offices, maintain contact with management, and coordinate correction of deficiencies with the principal inspector.
• Develop maintenance program requirements through participation on Maintenance Review Boards.
• Coordinate Minimum Equipment List approvals with the principal operations inspector and take enforcement action for noncompliance.
• Conduct enforcement investigations and prepare final reports and recommendations on disposition.
• Perform emergency suspension of certificates or cancellation of operations specifications.
• Conduct or direct reexamination of certificated airmen or recertification of an operator or agency.
• Investigate public complaints, congressional inquiries, and aircraft incidents and accidents.
• Provide technical assistance to legal counsel, testify at trials and formal hearings, and give depositions.
• Coordinate nonroutine air-carrier surveillance with geographic inspectors.
• Conduct initial and ongoing certification of air carriers, aircraft, airmen, and air agencies; recommend appointments of designees.
• Evaluate requests to operate under conditions not previously specified in maintenance operations specifications and approve or disapprove them, with additional conditions or limitations as needed.
• Guide air carriers in developing required maintenance manuals and record-keeping systems; review manuals and revisions for adequacy and regulatory compliance.
• Approve operations specifications and amendments.
• Determine whether maintenance facilities and contracted arrangements for overhaul, major repairs, alterations, and other maintenance are satisfactory.
• Review changes and negotiate with air-carrier management to resolve problems; determine whether overhaul and inspection time limits warrant revision.
• Evaluate proposed reliability programs for compliance, advise operators of deficiencies and required changes, and approve or disapprove programs.
• Determine whether air-carrier training programs meet regulatory requirements, align with maintenance programs, are properly organized and effectively conducted, and produce competent personnel.
• Direct or participate in proving flight evaluations to determine compliance with regulations and recommend changes needed before approval.
• Direct or perform inspection and surveillance of air-carrier continuous airworthiness maintenance programs.
• Monitor maintenance, engineering, quality control, production control, training, and reliability operations; analyze trends to identify deterioration in maintenance programs.
• Assist in establishing work programs for inspection and surveillance.

Benefits

• Comprehensive federal employee benefits package for employees and their families; specific benefits depend on position type and should be confirmed with the hiring agency.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: High school or GED