Airport Research Specialist

The Airport Technology Research and Development Branch (ATR) supports the FAA’s mission by conducting the necessary research and development required to enhance the safety of operations at our nation’s airports and to ensure the adequacy of engineering specifications and standards in all areas of the airport systems and, where necessary, develop data to support new standards.

To view the complete OPM qualification standard for the Group Coverage Qualification Standard for Miscellaneous Administration and Program Series 0301, please refer to:

Miscellaneous Administration and Program Series 0301 (opm.gov)

To qualify for this position you must demonstrate in your application that you possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to FV-H, FG/GS 11/12. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position.

Experience includes: Experience conducting research from the planning to the reporting phases of a research program, including management of program related resources and budget for conducting research efforts comprising of tests, evaluations, assessments, and studies involving the integration, operation, safety and hazard/risk of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) or electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicles in and around the airport environment.

Experience conducting research efforts comprising of tests, evaluations, assessments, and studies involving the integration, operation, safety and/or hazard/risk of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in the airport environment to support a safe and efficient national airspace system in accordance with project/program research activities.

Qualifications must be met by the closing date of this vacancy announcement.

You may also be considered for this vacancy based on eligibility under the 30% or More Disabled Veteran Program and/or Persons with Disabilities/Persons with Targeted Disabilities. To be considered for one of these special hiring authorities, you must identify your eligibility in your questionnaire in the Applicant-Preferred Conditions of Employment section. In addition, you must submit documentation that provides evidence of eligibility as indicated in the Required Documents section of the announcement.