Summary The duty station for this position is Ankeny, IA.
The Principal Avionics Inspector (PAI) serves as the primary operations interface between assigned air carriers, air operators, air agencies, airmen, designees. and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Learn more about this agency Duties Help
The Principal Avionics Inspector (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 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 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.
ASIs at the FG-14 level establish technical procedures and performance indexes and review complete flight operations programs for leaders in the aviation industry, or organizations 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 aircraft:
- Advises other inspectors of major changes;
- Evaluates new training methods and equipment;
- Serves on boards that evaluate incidents, accidents, complaints, and other serious problems relating to the aircraft.
2. As the principal representative in regulatory surveillance of general aviation activities, exercises certificate authority; or evaluates maintenance activities and complete aircraft overhaul facilities.
3. Exercises certificate authority and safety responsibility over a complex of broad and varied general aviation organizations such as air taxis, executive and/or industrial operators, repair stations, and flight and mechanic schools when the activities monitored equate collectively to a major air carrier 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.
Decisions typically have broad impact on the operation, maintenance of a particular type of advanced aircraft, or a geographic area containing a variety of novel and/or complex aviation operations. Decisions also have a significant effect on the safety of the flying public.
FG-14 employees have critically important and frequently controversial contacts with key officials of major manufacturers and general aviation organizations. Contacts are made to resolve issues which affect the initial certification or operations programs, and their effect on safety and compliance with regulations.
The PAI provides guidance to field level staff to solve difficult technical issues. Resolves all but unique problems, with the intervention of management or a more experienced technical specialist. Develop plans, techniques, and policies to address current and anticipated problems and issues. Works with management to solve problems.
The PAI is expected to follow established laws, orders, policies, and regulations that provide general guidance for completing work objectives but is allowed considerable discretion to develop new or innovative approaches. The PAI uses resourcefulness, initiative, and judgement based on experience to develop and implement evaluation procedures to address problems where precedents are not applicable. Methods, practices, or decisions may be used as guidance in similar problem areas.
Performs other duties as required.
Requirements Help
Conditions of employment - US Citizenship is required.
- Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
- Must submit an SF50 (See Required Documents).
- Position is designated as Moderate Risk; a background investigation may be required.
Qualifications General Requirements for All 1825 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
general aviation 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.
- 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.
In addition , applicants must demonstrate in their application that they possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the FV-I/FG-13 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 defined as: Assisting, conducting and performing various technical functions related to certification, surveillance, investigation and compliance recommendation of avionics systems 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 their 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.
Education Education is not qualifying for this position and may not be substituted for experience.
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Make sure your resume includes detailed information to support your qualifications and answers to the job questionnaire.
Additional information We may use this vacancy to fill other similar vacant positions.
Position may be subject to a background investigation.
A one-year probationary period may be required.
The person selected for this position may be required to file a financial disclosure statement within 30 days of entry on duty. FAA policy limits certain outside employment and financial investments in aviation-related companies.
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 initial 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 chose 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 based on the work history and experience you provided. Your answers may be adjusted by a Human Resource Specialist as appropriate.
Eligible applicants meeting the minimum qualification requirements may be further evaluated on the Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs) 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.
In-grade/downgrade applications will be accepted.
If the Agency decides to interview any qualified employee on the selection list, then all on the list who are qualified must be interviewed. If the selection list is shortened to a best qualified list through a comparative process, then the best qualified list shall be considered to be the selection list.
Links to Important Information: Locality Pay, COLA
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.
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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
