PATHWAYS RECENT GRADUATE (PDP) - Community Planner

Under the DOT Recent Graduates Program, this position in the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA's) Professional Development Program (PDP) provides up to 24 months of entry-level career development training for participants to learn and apply technical skills to advance the Nation's highway program. Participants matriculate through assignments with seasoned professionals (PDP coaches) as apprentices through mentored on-the-job training in the planning field.DutiesRequirements• You must be a U.S. Citizen and meet Pathways Recent Graduate requirements.• Review Required Documents Section as documents are required by closing date• Submit application and resume online by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date.QualificationsPlease be sure that you have read and meet the following mandatory requirements before proceeding:• DOT Pathways Recent Graduate Program requirements (outlined under the Requirements section).• Individual Occupational Requirement for the GS-0020 series (outlined under the Education Requirements section).Note that current students enrolled in a qualifying degree program can apply if the anticipated graduation date is within six months of the closing date of this announcement. Graduation transcript must be received before start date. Other applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.If the above has been met, then review the following grade specific experience and/or education qualifications to determine if you meet full eligibility before applying:To qualify for the GS-07 on Experience , you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-05 it must include:• Experience collecting and/or compiling transportation-related data to be used in planning transportation needs for a community; and experience communicating with others to gather and discuss or present data.To qualify for the GS-07 on Education alone , you must have at least 1 year of graduate-level education OR superior academic achievement.• **Superior Academic Achievement is based on (1) class standing, (2) grade-point average, or (3) honor society membership.• 1. Class standing -- Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses.• 2. Grade-point average (G.P.A.) -- Applicants must have a grade-point average of: 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on their official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum.You can also qualify based on a combination of graduate level education and experience. This must be fully supported by your resume and transcripts, provided with your application.To qualify for the GS-09 on Experience, you must have at least one year of experience, equal or equivalent to the GS-07 grade level, which included:• Experience using planning principles, methods, and practices to correlate data and follow an operation through a series of related detailed steps or processes in fact gathering or analysis; AND• Experience conducting studies of the physical, social, and/or economic factors which are characteristic of a small community or a project area in a community; AND• Experience preparing summaries, narrative statements, and analyses of the pertinent, technical facts reported in project studies.To qualify for the GS-09 on Education alone , you must have at least 2 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or have been awarded a master's or equivalent graduate degree. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work.You can also have a combination of graduate education and experience. This must be fully supported by your resume and transcripts, provided with your application.KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas:• Public Planning - Knowledge of functions, principles, methods, and techniques of public planning, including those related to community planning, outdoor recreation planning, and natural resource management, such as demand forecasting, environmental impact analysis, financial forecasting, and land use planning and zoning.• Written Communication - Writes in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience.• Oral Communication - Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal clues, and responds appropriately.For all types of consideration, experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience