Job Description

Apply Director of Maritime Security, Safety, and Emergency Response - SME Department of Transportation Maritime Administration Apply Print Share * * * * Save * Summary * This job is open to * Duties * Requirements * How you will be evaluated * Required documents * How to apply Summary This position is located in the Office of Maritime Security, Safety, and Emergency Response, Office of Chief of Staff, Maritime Administration (MARAD). Serves as the Department of Transportation's principal coordinator for maritime domain awareness matters, and acts as a key liaison between the maritime industry and government agencies in the area of maritime security and safety. Learn more about this agency Summary This position is located in the Office of Maritime Security, Safety, and Emergency Response, Office of Chief of Staff, Maritime Administration (MARAD). Serves as the Department of Transportation's principal coordinator for maritime domain awareness matters, and acts as a key liaison between the maritime industry and government agencies in the area of maritime security and safety. Learn more about this agency Overview Help Accepting applications Open & closing dates 04/21/2026 to 05/01/2026 Salary $169,279 - $197,200 per year Pay scale & grade GS 15 Location 1 vacancy in the following location: Washington, DC Remote job No Telework eligible No Travel Required Occasional travel - Some travel may be required. Relocation expenses reimbursed No Appointment type Permanent Work schedule Full-time - Full Time Service Competitive Promotion potential 15 Job family (Series) * 0301 Miscellaneous Administration And Program Supervisory status Yes Security clearance Sensitive Compartmented Information Drug test Yes Position sensitivity and risk Special-Sensitive (SS)/High Risk Trust determination process * National security Financial disclosure Yes - The Ethics in Government Act of 1978 requires the applicant selected for this position to submit a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450) within 30 days of appointment and annually thereafter. Bargaining unit status No Announcement number MARAD.HQ-2026-0011 Control number 866056000 This job is open to Help Federal employees - Competitive service Current federal employees whose agencies follow the U.S. Office of Personnel Management's hiring rules and pay scales. Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL) Federal employees whose job, agency or department was eliminated and are eligible for priority over other applicants. Land and base management Current or former employees of a base management agency. Veterans Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces or a spouse, widow, widower or parent of a veteran, who may be eligible for derived preference Military spouses Military spouses of active duty service members or whose spouse is 100 percent disabled or died on active duty. Individuals with disabilities Individuals who are eligible under Schedule A. Family of overseas employees Family members of a federal employee or uniformed service member who is or was, working overseas. Peace Corps & AmeriCorps Vista Individuals who have served at least 2 years with the Peace Corps or 1 year with AmeriCorps VISTA. Special authorities Individuals eligible under a special authority not listed in another hiring path. Clarification from the agency Open to current and former Federal employees with competitive status and VEOA Applicants. Duties Help As a Director of Maritime Security, Safety, and Emergency Response, you will: * Serves as MARAD's expert authority on matters pertaining to vessel security and port. Provides information, insight, and expert advice to Chief of Staff and the MARAD Administrator on current and future maritime security and safety challenges and solutions. * Maintains frequent direct communication with the maritime industry on maritime security and safety matters involving port infrastructure, vessels, the maritime workforce, and cargoes. He/she interfaces with industry trade associations, classification societies, academic institutions, and other stakeholders on issues relating to global transportation security. * Regularly interfaces with, and represents MARAD to, political appointees, SES, flag level, and working level employees of numerous federal agencies, in particular the Departments of Homeland Security, War, State, and Justice, and their subordinate agencies in particular the U.S. Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Immigration and Naturalization Service, the U.S. Navy, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. * Maintains awareness of current intelligence reports on the global maritime transportation system. Disseminates Maritime Alerts and Advisories to U.S. flag vessels. * Coordinates with the global MOTR Coordination Center, and disseminates Regularly consults with government and industry entities engaged in maritime security or safety issues, to develop and recommend national policies, objectives, and plans for promoting and implementing effective maritime security and safety measures. Identifies and leads resolution of unique or novel issues where no policy exists, taking innovative action to address emergent challenges. The ideal candidate will serve as Director for the office, supporting the U.S. merchant marine by advancing the development and implementation of practical, effective regulations, policies, procedures, and practices. This role focuses on protecting U.S.-flag vessels from a wide range of maritime security threats while also promoting maritime safety regulations that help sustain and strengthen sealift capabilities. Requirements Help Conditions of employment * You must be a U.S.Citizen and eligible for consideration. * You must meet specialized experience to qualify. * Required documents must be submitted by the closing date. * Submit application and resume online by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date. 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. CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT: * SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for the Selective Service. * GOVERNMENT TRAVEL CARD: This position involves travel. A government contractor-issued travel card will be issued and must be retained for official business only. * PCS/RELOCATION/RECRUITMENT:  Permanent Change of Station (PCS), Relocation, and Recruitment Incentive authorization varies by position/selection and a service agreement may be required. * BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: Applicants may be required to complete a background/security investigation and meet preliminary requirements prior to onboarding. * PROBATIONARY PERIOD: You must complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed). * SUPERVISORY PROBATIONARY PERIOD: You must complete a one-year supervisory probationary period (unless already completed). * TIME-IN-GRADE: Federal applicants must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade in the competitive or excepted service in the executive branch to satisfy time-in-grade restrictions contained in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F. Qualifications To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must meet the specialized experience qualifications for the grade at which you are requesting consideration. To qualify for the Grade 15, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equal or equivalent to the GS-14, it must include: * Experience in maritime security and safety, providing authoritative guidance and strategic solutions to the Maritime Administrator on current and emerging maritime challenges. * Experience performing in-depth, complex analyses of merchant shipping issues tied to national defense and security, delivering insights to support senior agency decision-makers. 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: * Security and Safety; expert knowledge in federal maritime security and safety legislation and regulations, including the administration and enforcement of these requirements across the United States. * Communication; Skilled in preparing position papers, analyses, talking points, and briefings on maritime security and safety matters. Represents MARAD and make presentations on maritime security and safety issues to Congressional staff and at governmental and non-governmental meetings, workshops, conferences, and symposia. * External outreach; Ability to interface regularly with all maritime security and safety stakeholders, including regulatory agencies, law enforcement agencies, port security officers, ship operating company security officers and the general public. The employee represents the Department in interagency committees and working groups with high-ranking government and flag level officials. 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. For additional information about applying to Federal positions, please click on the following link: All applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement. Education RESUME: In accordance with the OPM memorandum titled Merit Hiring Plan, dated May 29, 2025, resumes with a maximum of two (2) pages in length will be accepted as part of your application. These should be legible and in a readable font size. A determination of your eligibility and/or qualifications will be based only on those two (2) pages. Your resume MUST contain specific information that can be used to make a qualification determination, including employment beginning and ending dates for each position, whether employment is Full-time or Part-time, or average number of hours worked per week, and position titles. If the position is/was in the Federal government, you will need to provide the position series and grade level. The resume should show relevant experience and education, as well as support the required specialized experience. PERFORMANCE APPRAISALS/INCENTIVE AWARDS: If applicable, performance appraisals and/or Incentive award documentation may be submitted and forwarded to the selecting official in consideration of your application. To receive credit, submit a recent performance appraisal (dated within 18 months) showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable (do not submit a performance plan) and/or incentive award documentation dated within the last 18 months (i.e. performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increases, etc.). Additional information The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Transportation and its Operating Administrations from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to the Department of Transportation by email at, FairChanceAct@dot.gov. To learn more, please visit our page at: The Fair Chance to Compete Act | US Department of Transportation This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if similar vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate. Expand Hide additional information 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. Benefits Help 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. Review our benefits 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. How you will be evaluated You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above. DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE: PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume/ application does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s). Your resume must contain sufficiently detailed information upon which to make a qualification determination. Please ensure that your resume contains specific information such as position titles, beginning and ending dates of employment for each position, average number of hours worked per week, and if the position is/was in the Federal government, you should provide the position series and grade level. Your application will be reviewed in two phases determine how you move forward in the hiring process. Phase I: Your resume will be reviewed to determine your technical qualifications for this position based on the required specialized experience. ONLY two (2) pages of your resume will be reviewed. Additional information beyond your resume (e.g., cover letter, links embedded in your resume) will not be reviewed. Applicants passing "Phase I" will move on to the "Phase II" of the assessment process where your application will be reviewed and rated based on the KSAs/Competencies listed in the vacancy announcement by a Subject Matter Expert (SME). You may preview questions for this vacancy. Benefits Help 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. Review our benefits 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. Required documents Required Documents Help VETERANS: Your last DD214 (member 4 copy), Certificate of Release or Discharge From Active Duty, that shows the type of discharge and all dates of active duty is required to verify your eligibility. * If applying to a vacancy opened to all US Citizens under category rating and wish to be considered as a preference eligible, you need to submit a copy of your DD214 (member-4 copy). * If claiming preference eligibility as a disabled veteran, you must submit proof of entitlement of this preference which is normally a valid letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs certifying to the present existence of the service-connected disability and indicating the percentage of your disability. An SF-15 is desired, but not required. * If applying to a vacancy opened Status and you are requesting consideration under Veteran's Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) ( you need to provide a copy of your last DD214 (member-4 copy), which verifies your military service dates, reason for separation, OR certification of separation that shows a discharge date within 120 days of the closing of this announcement, and eligibility for consideration under the Veterans Employment Opportunity Act. FEDERAL APPLICANTS: You must submit SF-50(s) that verify your highest competitive grade, full performance level, and eligibility as a federal applicant. DO NOT submit an award SF-50 as these often do not verify grade or eligibility. For consideration for a promotion, Box 4 of the SF-50 must show a date that is at least 52 weeks prior to the job announcement closing. We recommend submitting your last promotion SF-50 or within-grade increase SF-50. Pay adjustment raise SF-50s for the current year will not support the 52 weeks' time-in-grade requirements. NON COMPETITIVE APPLICANTS: If requesting concurrent consideration for Non-competitive (NC) appointment eligibility, you must provide the appropriate SPECIAL APPOINTING AUTHORITY DOCUMENTS, such as PCS orders (military spouse) describing move & marriage certificate; letter from VA or DD214 describing 100% disability of spouse; letter from State Vocational Office certifying disability (schedule A), etc. For more information, visit military spouse NC appointments or Persons with Disabilities NC appointments. DISPLACED EMPLOYEES: If requesting consideration under the Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or Interagency CTAP program (ICTAP), you must meet the well qualified standards for this vacancy (meeting minimum requirements for position and scoring at least an 80) and provide all of the following documents: * your most recent performance appraisal, * the proof of eligibility letter from the Agency, and * your most current SF-50, displaying current series and grade. Displaced employees may be eligible for ICTAP or CTAP priority consideration. For more information, please review the OPM Employee's Guide to Career Transition. Failure to submit any of the required documents by the closing date of the vacancy will result in your removal from consideration for this position. Please review your application prior to final submission and ensure you have submitted all appropriate documents. Uploading documents to USAJobs does NOT ensure inclusion with your application to our system. You must verify that the documents are in the system with your application prior to final submission. If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements: Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating. How to Apply Help You must submit a complete application package (including resume, vacancy questions and supporting documents) no later than 11:59 pm (EST) on the closing date of the announcement. * To begin, click the "Apply Online" button on the job announcement posting. * Follow the directions to register, submit all required documents and complete the assessment questionnaire. * You may review your saved application(s) at If you are having difficulty applying online, please contact the DOT Automated Staffing Office via email at: Transjobs@dot.gov Agency contact information Automated Staffing Office Phone 000-000-0000 Fax 000-000-0000 Email TRANSJOBS@dot.gov Address DOT, MARITIME ADMINISTRATION Submit Application and Documents Online 1200 New Jersey Ave SE / HAHR - 50 Washington, District of Columbia 20590 United States Next steps You may check your application status by logging into USAJobs.com. (Select "My USAJOBS" and click "Applications"). Within two weeks of the closing date, a Human Resources Specialist will evaluate your application. Ratings will be determined based on the documents and information received by the closing date. As the vacancy is advertised under status, your application will be scored on a scale between 70 - 100. The most highly qualified candidates are then referred to the hiring manager for further consideration. If you are selected for an interview, the hiring agency will contact you directly. Once the position is filled, we will notify all applicants of their final status. Fair and transparent The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance. Criminal history inquiries Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy Financial suitability New employee probationary period Privacy Act Reasonable accommodation policy Selective Service Signature and false statements Social security number request Required Documents Help VETERANS: Your last DD214 (member 4 copy), Certificate of Release or Discharge From Active Duty, that shows the type of discharge and all dates of active duty is required to verify your eligibility. * If applying to a vacancy opened to all US Citizens under category rating and wish to be considered as a preference eligible, you need to submit a copy of your DD214 (member-4 copy). * If claiming preference eligibility as a disabled veteran, you must submit proof of entitlement of this preference which is normally a valid letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs certifying to the present existence of the service-connected disability and indicating the percentage of your disability. An SF-15 is desired, but not required. * If applying to a vacancy opened Status and you are requesting consideration under Veteran's Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) ( you need to provide a copy of your last DD214 (member-4 copy), which verifies your military service dates, reason for separation, OR certification of separation that shows a discharge date within 120 days of the closing of this announcement, and eligibility for consideration under the Veterans Employment Opportunity Act. FEDERAL APPLICANTS: You must submit SF-50(s) that verify your highest competitive grade, full performance level, and eligibility as a federal applicant. DO NOT submit an award SF-50 as these often do not verify grade or eligibility. For consideration for a promotion, Box 4 of the SF-50 must show a date that is at least 52 weeks prior to the job announcement closing. We recommend submitting your last promotion SF-50 or within-grade increase SF-50. Pay adjustment raise SF-50s for the current year will not support the 52 weeks' time-in-grade requirements. NON COMPETITIVE APPLICANTS: If requesting concurrent consideration for Non-competitive (NC) appointment eligibility, you must provide the appropriate SPECIAL APPOINTING AUTHORITY DOCUMENTS, such as PCS orders (military spouse) describing move & marriage certificate; letter from VA or DD214 describing 100% disability of spouse; letter from State Vocational Office certifying disability (schedule A), etc. For more information, visit military spouse NC appointments or Persons with Disabilities NC appointments. DISPLACED EMPLOYEES: If requesting consideration under the Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or Interagency CTAP program (ICTAP), you must meet the well qualified standards for this vacancy (meeting minimum requirements for position and scoring at least an 80) and provide all of the following documents: * your most recent performance appraisal, * the proof of eligibility letter from the Agency, and * your most current SF-50, displaying current series and grade. Displaced employees may be eligible for ICTAP or CTAP priority consideration. For more information, please review the OPM Employee's Guide to Career Transition. Failure to submit any of the required documents by the closing date of the vacancy will result in your removal from consideration for this position. Please review your application prior to final submission and ensure you have submitted all appropriate documents. Uploading documents to USAJobs does NOT ensure inclusion with your application to our system. You must verify that the documents are in the system with your application prior to final submission. If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements: Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

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Permanent employment, Full time, Part time, For contractors, Work at office, Remote work, Relocation, Overseas, Relocation package

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