Director, Center for Safety Management and Human Factors

Details

Posted: 01-Jul-26

Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts

Type: Full Time

Salary: $151,661 - $218,800 per year

Years of Experience:

Less than 2

Internal Number: VOLPE.SES-2026-0004

The Center Director for Safety Management and Human Factors provides executive leadership and strategic direction over programs by developing plans and policies ensuring that projects for sponsoring organizations are properly formulated, staffed, conducted, and managed to support and advance the strategic goals of the DOT and OST-R as they pertain to safety management and human factors.

The Director oversees existing programs, develops new programs, and ensures technical excellence within the staff and programs of the Center. In addition, the Director will be responsible for providing horizontal integration of safety management systems implementation, human factors research, and evaluation, policy and system analysis across Volpe, working with other Technical Center Directors to bring together cross-functional teams to address the challenges facing the nation''s transportation system.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Submit application and resume online by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date.
• Provide all required documents by closing date.
• A Secret clearance is required.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance the organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

• PROBATIONARY PERIOD: Complete a one-year SES probationary period (unless already completed).
• Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency
• If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so. (see https://www.sss.gov/RegVer/wfRegistration.aspx)
• SECURITY CLEARANCE: You may be required to obtain and maintain an interim and/or final security clearance prior to entrance on duty. Failure to obtain and maintain the required level of clearance may result in the withdrawal of a job offer or removal.
• WRITING SAMPLE: A writing sample may be required.
• PRESENTATION: Applicants may be asked to prepare and present a presentation, provide a presentation on a scenario- based situation or a similar activity as a part of the applicant evaluation process.
• DRUG TEST: This is a drug testing position. You will be required to complete a drug test upon entry of this position and are subjected to at random drug testing.

Qualifications

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. Candidates will not be hired based on their race, sex, color, religion, or national origin.

To meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position, you must show that you possess the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQ) and Technical Qualifications (TQ) related to this position within your resume - NOT TO EXCEED 2 PAGES. Resumes over the 2-page limit, will not be reviewed beyond page 2 or may be disqualified. Your resume should include examples of experience, education, and accomplishments applicable to the qualification(s). If your resume does not reflect demonstrated evidence of these qualifications, you may not receive consideration for the position.

TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS (TQs): Your resume should demonstrate accomplishments that would satisfy the technical qualifications.

TQ 1. Demonstrated executive experience in leading and running innovative research, technology and Safety management projects, especially those related to transportation safety, data science, IT development, and process improvement. This includes creating and launching new safety research, demonstrations and systems by working closely with government, industry, and academic leaders.

TQ 2. Demonstrated executive experience in growing business opportunities and managing successful client relationships. This involves serving as the main contact for a customer, securing funding for new programs, making sure all customer business needs are met, and helping research and development teams work with customer leaders to plan and fund future strategic projects.

EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS (ECQs): In addition to the Technical Qualification Requirements listed above, all new entrants into the Senior Executive Service (SES) under a career appointment will be assessed for executive competency against the following five mandatory ECQs. If your 2-page resume does not reflect demonstrated evidence of the ECQs and TQs, you may not receive further consideration for the position.

There are five ECQs:

• ECQ 1: Commitment to the Rule of Law and the Principles of the American Founding - This core qualification requires a demonstrated knowledge of the American system of government, commitment to uphold the Constitution and the rule of law, and commitment to serve the American people.
• ECQ 2: Driving Efficiency -This core qualification involves the demonstrated ability to strategically and efficiently manage resources, budget effectively, cut wasteful spending, and pursue efficiency through process and technological upgrades.
• ECQ 3: Merit and Competence - This core qualification involves the demonstrated knowledge, ability and technical competence to effectively and reliably produce work that is of exceptional quality.
• ECQ 4: Leading People - This core qualification involves the demonstrated ability to lead and inspire a group toward meeting the organization's vision, mission, and goals, and to drive a high-performance, high-accountability culture. This includes, when necessary, the ability to lead people through change and to hold individuals accountable.
• ECQ 5: Achieving Results - This core qualification involves the demonstrated ability to achieve both individual and organizational results, and to align results to stated goals from superiors.

Note: If you are a member of the SES or have been certified through successful participation in an OPM approved SES Candidate Development Program (SESCDP), or have SES reinstatement eligibility, you do not need to respond to the ECQs. Instead, you should attach proof (e.g., SF-50, Certification by OPM's SES Qualifications Review Board (QRB)) of your eligibility for noncompetitive appointment to the SES.

There are three key documents that contain important information about your rights and obligations. Please read and retain these documents:

• Noncriminal Justice Applicant''s Privacy Rights, for those who undergo an FBI fingerprint-based criminal history record check for personnel vetting, which includes Rap Back,
• FD-258 Privacy Act Statement - FBI (this is the same statement used when your fingerprints are submitted as part of your background investigation), and
• SEAD-3-Reporting-U.pdf (dni.gov), (applicable to those who hold a sensitive position or have eligibility for access to classified information)"

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About USDOT Volpe

Located in the heart of Kendall Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the U.S. DOT Volpe Center attracts motivated, talented professionals who put their expertise to work in the service of others and address the nation's most pressing and complex transportation challenges. A national transportation organization with an international reputation, the U.S. DOT Volpe Center offers a stimulating environment where employees research, develop, and deploy state-of-the-art transportation technologies and help shape innovative policies and programs to resolve real-world transportation issues. The U.S. DOT Volpe Center is a unique federal agency that is 100 percent funded by sponsor projects, which makes us agile in our approach and entrepreneurial in our nature. We offer our employees competitive benefits, professional development opportunities, and a flexible and family-friendly work environment.

Connections working at USDOT Volpe

https://careers.awra.org/jobs/22392355/director-center-for-safety-management-and-human-factors

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